I'm not really sure how to explain what I'm feeling at the moment. I've been studying in Warsaw since late September and now my exchange has already come to an end! Of course I knew time would fly by, everyone always me it would. But it's one thing to know, it's another to experience it.

Throughout my last day and morning I tried my hardest to appreciate every tiny thing. All the things I had complained about I suddenly loved and wanted to remember every element of it. I used to think our school building was the ugliest looking university I've ever seen, but suddenly it's pink exterior and bright lights made me feel warm and fuzzy. The single bed Matt and I have been sharing now felt like the comfiest and warmest place. And the yellow hospital looking corridors of our dorm, Sabinki, suddenly truly felt like home. I really am sad to be saying more goodbyes.

I think our first month and a half went very slow. We did so much it's crazy but I guess with over three months left to go it felt like everything was taking it's time. November seemed to speed up slightly - I remember the international dinner and some great parties. But after that, time flew by so fast I can't even comprehend it. December and January wizzed by before I even had a chance to blink my eyes. I assume it's because December was packed full of travel to tricity, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Rome and England - and then January was full of exam studying, last minute Warsaw sightseeing and goodbyes.

For anyone planning to do an exchange - seriously nothing can mentally prepare you for how quickly time will go. I do think I made the most of every minute, I saw as much as I could (although there's still much more I want to come back and see), I socialised a lot, I studied hard, I partied, but I also let myself have down time and treat myself to tv marathons. I'm already wondering how the hell I managed to do it all.

We tried to spend our last month doing as much sight seeing as possible. I'm not going to go in to details as I'm currently on a bus and I get motion sickness quickly;
- light show at wilanow palace
- checked out praga district
- ate at a beautiful vegetarian burger place almost every day
- went to our favourite schnitzel restaurant one last time
- went up the palace of science and culture
- ate at a milk bar (Wikipedia it!) and ate traditional food such as pierogi, soup, and drank kompot I will miss polish food SOOOO MUCH!
- got drunk at a 2zl (70c) shot bar)
- attended a huge charity event in Poland
- similar to children in need charity day in England
- even went to the studio and then the concert/fireworks in centrum
- multiple visits to łazięki park since it's sooo beautiful in the snow and the birds are crazy affectionate
- sleighing in the hills

And more, but that's what I can remember right now!

We also just came out of the exam period. I had five exams in the end at they were all easy except for one. I had exams which mostly considered of four short answer questions and lasted for just twenty minutes! I was told the exams would be stupidly easy but I still studied hard because I didn't want to take the risk! But yeah it was ridiculously easy in the end and I passed everything with the grades I need for my course this year - woohoo, hello graduation!

But right now feels pretty weird. I know I feel sad somewhere but it hasn't surfaced yet. I think maybe it's because I'm not actually going home yet, I'm still travelling for three weeks. But I know that any moment in the next few weeks I'll turn in to a blabbering baby. I also think it hasn't sunk in yet because I didn't say many goodbyes - it didn't feel right too. Firstly because it just feels the same as when I went away for nearly three weeks over Christmas - but secondly because I've definitely got the travel bug now and I know that eventually I'm going to visit all these places (again in some cases) - whether it's Peru, Canada, Poland or Taiwan. There's just so many beautiful and interesting places in the world!

Although saying that I'm really looking forward to getting back home. I think if I was able to do it cheaply and get refunds, I'd be changing my flights so that I was flying Munich to Dubai right now, skipping out Bangkok, spend a few days in Sydney but then get home early.

But maybe I'm just being a spoilt brat I think I'm just on a low at the moment and am absolutely exhausted emotionally. I've heard a few previous exchangers talk about post exchange depression and right now I want nothing more than to just be in New Zealand hiding under the covers until I have to resurface for the semester. So maybe doing this bit of extra travel will help me skip the worst of this phase and once I see beautiful Prague at night time, drink beer in Munich or drive through the desert in Dubai I'll be feeling a lot more cheerful

I just want to say thank you to everyone who made my time in Poland so amazing. You guys are the best and you know who you are. I've made hilarious memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life and I hope eventually you do make it to beautiful New Zealand xxx

Right now I am just passing the Polish-Czech border. I used the last of my polish currency to buy some chocolate and crackers to survive the rest of this rank 11 hour bus journey. Seriously it's the worst one I've ever done because there seems to be a lack of air conditioning so the whole time I feel like I've been suffocating from the stuffiness! Soooo disgusting and I definitely will not miss these long bus journeys.

Our plans are:
- we will be in Prague until early Monday. We are staying with a friend who I mentored when she was on her exchange to New Zealand last year!
- on Monday we fly to Zurich in Switzerland for a quick day trip. When we booked our flights to Greece we had the option of a four or a ten hour stopover in Zurich so we decided we would take the longer one to do some extra sightseeing!
- on Monday evening we fly to Athens in Greece! We will be there until the 7th.
- on the 7th we fly up to Munich for two days. We will be meeting a friend that we made in L.A. which will be really nice! I always hear about the amazing beer in Munich so I'll be letting you all know more about that hopefully
- after Munich we fly to Dubai for five days. I'm looking forward to a bit of sunshine but I'm absoluuutely horrible when it comes to heat! But it would be good to get some kind of summer since when we get back to New Zealand winter will be in the close future when we are in Dubai we will be staying with matts cousins!
- after Dubai we fly to Bangkok for five days. I know my family are worried but we have had some friends who have been in Bangkok recently and they assured us that as long as we avoid the main protest area we will be fine! We will also look in to flights for other regions in Thailand if we have enough money left over
- after Bangkok we are in Sydney for two days. It's only a short stopover but we figured that we can go to Sydney easily at any time, and we do really need to get back to New Zealand eventually!

Our arrival date to NZ is the 22nd of February. We will be driving down to Dunedin on the 24th. So all you cheeky Dunediners better prepare yourself for some good welcome back partying that weekend! Lots of catching up will be necessary!!!

P.s. Klaudia and Agatka, if you are reading this, please get McDonald's delivered for me and Matt and pretend we are with you! Xxxx

P.p.s fellow exchangers I'm in the process of creating a SGH finale movie so send through any video clips you have on your phone - whether it's of clubbing, crazy squirrels or just someone being a tool!

Love you all - frequent updates of my blog start today xxxx