First things first.....
HAPPY FALL BREAK, WHEATON STUDENTS!!!!!
Fall break's timing really is impeccable. I wonder if the faculty has observed that students tend to go crazy around this time, so they gave us a break exactly NOW... or if we only go crazy because we know that a break is coming. Sort of a chicken and the egg question, I guess. In any case, I am glad to have no school until Wednesday. I needed the break.
This week was insane. The busyness is fairly normal, but for whatever reason, this week I was more psychologically/emotionally in dire need of a break than usual. This came to my attention most particularly on Tuesday. I had a six page paper due at 4, and true to college student standards, I was cutting the deadline a bit close. I had just printed it out, and stapled it to my 6 page first draft and the 1 page feedback from my professor. 13 pages, perfectly typed and without an ink smudge or a crinkle. I took my purse and my coat and my stack of paper, said goodbye to Gretchen, and left. But first I went to the bathroom to make sure I looked alright - and promptly dropped my paper, face-down, on the very wet bathroom counter. I snatched it up, but not before the whole first page got quite soaked. Frantically I ran back to my room with the intent of blow-drying the paper because I didn't have time to print it all over again. I opened the door and Gretchen's head popped up expectantly. "Yes?"
I faced her, held up my paper, and instead of explaining, broke into hysteric laughter. Manic, really. I think I really scared the poor girl. I laughed while I climbed up onto my bookshelf to reach my blow-dryer, and I laughed until my paper was dry. I snickered as I left the room a second time. Not because I thought it was funny... it's just, you know how sometimes things are just so ridiculous and horrible and so.... the last straw? And there's really nothing else you can do aside from laugh. Life is funny that way.
Anyway, that kind of describes the week. It was fine, overall, just... tense. And occasionally hysteric. BUT NOW IT'S OVER. Ah. Thank you, God, for Fridays.
I can't really remember the individual things that I did this week... but that's okay. It's 12:23 in the morning and I need to go to sleep. Important things:
Thursday's Workout was the most relaxing one I've been to. Every day the room takes on a different mood - it's interesting how that happens - and the mood yesterday was very relaxed and peaceful. A lot of it involved just lying on the floor and breathing, which is always good. We don't take enough time to think about breathing in everyday life. We also played a game where everyone sat in a semi-circle facing a chair; one person would volunteer to go and sit in the chair, and sing a song from their childhood. They'd sing it through once and then we'd join them the second time. It was quite probably my favorite game we've played in Workout. Songs from childhood are so evocative. I was sorely tempted to go up and do one; but the only song I could really think of was The Philosopher Song. Which I've already promised to teach many of the Workout members... but I didn't feel that it would be quite appropriate in this context. Later I kicked myself for not singing Toora Loora. Ah well. There's always next year.
One of the other things that we did, while we were lying on the floor breathing, was figure out ways to 'bless each other' in some physical way. We all had our eyes closed and Mark came around and touched some of us (I was one in the first group) to signify that we were designated "blessers." When he said that he wanted us to go and bless as many people as we could in six or seven minutes, I (English major that I am) immediately thought of verbal encouragements that I could give. But then I remembered that hardly anything in Workout is verbal, which scares me sometimes. But it ended up being a really wonderful thing to do - it's interesting how physical touch, even if it's just holding someone's hand or placing your hands on their head or their feet, can really be meaningful to people. I'm not a naturally touchy person... but I really liked that exercise.
Today was a full day of classes, but it was wonderful because I knew that every class was my last for half a week. YAY. Except for my Bible class, for which today really WAS the last day - it's a quad class (half a semester). So I'm done now. ALSO YAY. (It sounds bad, I know, to be happy about a Bible class ending. But you weren't in this class.) So on Thursday I start up another quad class: Health and Wellness. At 8:30 AM. Ugh. Not psyched about that one.
Also, bad news bears. My laptop seems to have a virus. I took it in today and the guys couldn't get the internet to connect. Thankfully I know one of them from Workout - so even though the IT Services will be closed for fall break, he's agreed to meet me on Sunday and take a better look at it. Yay. But until then... computer lab, you and I are going to be really good friends by the end of this week.
Ummmm what else. More French conversation aid today - this time we talked about how I don't know how to ride a bike. He offered to teach me; I'm half tempted to ask that we do that next time instead of speaking French. It might be easier.
Tonight I hung out with one of the girls from church (who also lives two floors under me); we went to Chipotle (SO. GOOD. And SO. MISSED.) and then went grocery shopping so that I could buy more tortilla chips (yes, I have an addiction), good lotion, crackers and brie cheese. (I miss cheese. They don't give us cheese here.) Then we came back to campus and watched Moonrise Kingdom. It was a glorious evening.
Tomorrow I'm going into Chicago with another friend. I think we're going to the Art Institute, but I'm not too picky at this point... I'm just happy to get back into the city! I've been there four times, but three of those times were to see plays - so I was basically in a bus until we got to the theater doorstep. I've only explored the city once, back during orientation week. Going with someone that I know and actually enjoy hanging out with will be infinitely better.
Eeee. Okay. I'm going to sleep. I just had an hour-long conversation with Kate, which made me ridiculously happy. I love that girl. I don't know what I'm going to do without her until February - did I mention she's going to be in EUROPE UNTIL THEN? - but I'm so excited for her. Go rock the world, man.
Oh! P.S. Today is the 60th day since I left home. Prior to this, the longest I've ever been away from home was my 59 day stint in Europe. From this point on, every day is a record-breaking day.
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