Oh The Places We’ll Go

It’s that time of the term again.  Time to buckle down, lock yourself in the library, and read until your eyes start to bleed and you’re spouting facts out about Samuel Johnson and Richard Savage that no human should ever know.  Welcome to what will be consuming me for the next few days.

I’ve been on the major procrastination bandwagon the last few days.  I should have started these papers (yes, there are multiple that I haven’t started) a couple days ago, and I didn’t.  I don’t know what has gotten into me, since usually I’m pretty good at shutting my computer, walking away, and getting down to work, but this term just hasn’t been my term.  I haven’t been on my game as far as academics go.  It’s not like it’s all that different of an atmosphere from home.  There are still things that you’re supposed to read every week, talk about and write down notes.  But when it comes down to it, I haven’t had a single productive day in the library aside from the day I spent writing the last paper I turned in, and even then the paper wasn’t anything of amazing quality.  My brain just isn’t cooperating this semester for whatever reason, and I’m about to be paying the consequences.

My sleep cycle is starting to take its toll on me.  Staying up until 630 this morning probably wasn’t the wisest idea, since I didn’t wake up until 1 and didn’t start accomplishing anything until much later.  I’m making myself sleep within the next half hour so I can avoid another afternoon wakeup time since I have a lot of work to do tomorrow… hopefully that way my sleep cycle isn’t all messed up like it has been for the last MONTH.  I’m tired of waking up at 3pm and hating myself for sleeping through my alarm clock… it’s gotta stop.

After I finish these next couple of papers my life is FREEDOM for a good number of weeks.  I’ve got a couple of books I want to sit back, relax and read, a few places I want to wander off to so I can relax, just looking forward to the break from the stress and everything.  Greece, obviously, is another highlight of the next couple of weeks but I can’t give myself the luxury of daydreaming about it for now since I have to focus, but I’m very excited about going.  I don’t know how I feel about missing out on Christmas back home since I’ve never done that before, but having Erica around and handy will keep my mind off of it.  I have no idea what we’re going to do for a Christmas dinner in Athens since I think a lot of the restaurants may be closed, but maybe we’ll make something.  Erica’s Jewish so maybe she’ll make me some latkas?  However you spell them.

I signed up for an unlimited calls to the world subscription through Skype yesterday.  Now I’ll be able to call anywhere in the states anytime for as long as I want instead of paying by minute.  I’ve also got an online phone number set up, which is a Sacramento-local area code phone number that anyone can call for the same cost as any normal phone call would, but it connects you to my Skype.  That way if anyone calls it and I’m near my computer, they can call and talk to me in Scotland for nearly nothing when it would cost a fortune calling my cell phone directly.  I’m always amazed by how technology works, to think that people can call Scotland for nearly nothing through a computer program.  Amazing.  Skype has been my lifesaver since I have been here, for sure.  I was really afraid I’d feel homesick all the time being away from California and all, but I can call my Dad’s cell anytime I want to talk sports with him and it’s no big deal, so it’s not like anything is drastically different.

I’m hoping this holiday lull will go away for me soon.  It’s messing up my normally cheery mood and making me into this black cloud hovering over the apartment like the plague.  Maybe it’s because the holidays are rolling around and I won’t be around family; I’m not quite sure what it is.  All I know is that for the last week or so I’ve been secluded, anti-social, and dreary.  Like I said earlier, I’m just looking forward to a break from everything and everyone to go into myself for a little bit, if you get what I mean.  Sometimes I think it’s just overwhelming being around the same people all the time, every day, all day long.  A someone who cherishes their privacy, sometimes I just want to escape from everything and do my own thing without having to tell anyone or go with anyone there.  Do it for myself.

After the papers are all done and I’ve had myself a good nap after all of the work, I’ll post more pictures and elaborate on the goings on around here… but I don’t have enough time to do an extended proper post until then.

Wish me luck…

-Catherine