Peaceful Morningtime

On the rare occasion, I save my homework to be done in the morning.  This means that I have either had too busy a day to do it ahead of time, or I'm just plain tired and need to go to bed.  Thus, I proclaim to wake up early and do my homework for that day instead of doing it the night before. I should really do this more often, because I frequently find these times the most peaceful part of my day.  

I wake up, have a shower, make a cup of tea (because it's usually an hour or so earlier than my normal wake up time... so I need a bit of a caffeine boost), and sit and do my homework.  I am not distracted by anything, there is no noise to be heard except a rare ding of the elevator next to my room, and the morning sun shines in through the giant window of my apartment, making it a perfectly lit. I have the morning absolutely to myself, and I think about my day ahead.  I get my work done, and it's very nice to begin my day with something worthwhile like learning. 

I can't say that waking up is the easiest part of this process;  I am known to hit my snooze button a good 5 or 6 times before actually waking up... my poor roommate.  Yet after I get out of bed, I realize what a nice time of day it is, and give thanks for that private time.  

Back in Action

After settling in last week for my re-entry to the University life, I'm looking ahead at my semester with excitement, hopefulness, and a bit of intimidation.  

Last week is what we students refer to as "Syllabus Week," meaning that each class is relatively pointless as we go over what is on the syllabus and learn the expectations for the semester ahead.  It's great because little to no homework is assigned, and for a blissful couple of days, we live the dream.  We don't have work to do yet, we've just gotten back from break excited to reunite with all of our friends, and we have a new supply of energy with which to go forth in the semester. Everyone is excited to see each other, and that elevator/hallway small talk of "How have you been?" has not yet transitioned from sincere to mundane.  Not to mention that my refrigerator and pantry are newly stocked with actual food, and I have yet to run out of flex points on my student card. I am a happy kid. 

This weekend is the transitional weekend between syllabus week (aka college heaven) and real life.  I was welcomed into that transition with a 4.5 hour long Executive Board meeting for one of my clubs this fine Sunday morning.  I am extremely excited about my new position in this organization, but I was hard-pressed to find that excitement by the 3rd hour of debate and detailed discussion. 

 Now I'm back in my room, and I just devoured a delicious ham and cheese.  I'm looking at the array of laundry, dishes, dustbunnies, and stacks of random papers and homework on my desk that are begging for my attention.  I'll admit: I feel a little intimidated right now.  How can there already be this much to do when I've only been here for a week?  

Needless to say, I've come down from my syllabus week high and now it's back to crunch time.  I'm determined to make this semester even greater than the last.  A few of my goals are as follows: 

- Be a better friend 

- Be a better student

- Focus more on my faith 

- Stay on top of my schoolwork

- Be accountable for my commitments

- Keep my priorities in line when conflicts arise 

- Exercise more

- Have more fun 

- Stress less 

- Do more yoga 

- Get the summer job I want 

... to name a few.  The purpose of writing these out is more for my benefit than anyone who reads it.  I want to start vocalizing my goals more because it helps me feel accountable for it. 

In conclusion, I'm going to make some banana bread. 

Christmas... on the Epiphany

My first white Christmas this year was a success.  Having lived in the south all my life,  it was a new experience to listen to Christmas carols such as "Let It Snow" and "White Christmas"  and actually be able to know what they were talking about.  It made getting into the Christmas Spirit quite the easy task.  

I had a great time with my family, minus my brother who couldn't come.  We explored downtown Toronto, did lots of Christmas shopping, ate lots of baked goods, and watched my little nephew Daniel crawl around every surface of our house. 

The top photo was taken at Niagara Falls when we ventured down to view the landmark.  It was a very rainy day, and the mist from the falls added to the large amount of precipitation that was already in the air.  Needless to say, we got wet...very wet.  I thought this light post was cool though because the mist from the falls had skewed the icicles so they look like tentacles or something. 

Below is a picture of me enjoying a cup of hot chocolate on my 3rd or so day here in Mississauga, Ontario.  It had snowed a bundle that day, and it was a great sight to see.  I enjoyed my snowy <> Holding the Texas mug serves as a bit of allusion to my past Christmas which was spent in Sugar Land, TX.  I must say, though, after experiencing a white Christmas that I love it.  It's so fun and festive to have snow all around.  Something about the cold white ground outside makes the house feel much cozier.  It was a very Merry Christmas, indeed.

Yoga Class

Yoga was amazing today! I asked my mom if we could go to a non-hot class, and she obliged. I actually liked it better because every time I go to a hot class, I can't really focus on the poses as much because I find myself thinking about the heat rather than the poses. Also, there were only about 7 people there so the instructor could give a lot of one-on-one attention. I even got complimented :) also towards the end we did handstands! It's really hard but we did a few variations against the wall, and then we did one that required a partner. Naturally, my mom and I were partners so I'm lucky I had someone I could be comfortable with. I did the full handstand and I'll probably be sore tomorrow. It requires a lot of upper body concentration. I'm trying to remember a lot of what I do in classes so that I can do it on my own. I really enjoy yoga and I wish I could go to this studio all the time! Too bad it's not in St. Louis. I guess it will just give me another thing to look forward to for when I come home.