Inspiration

It would be so easy to freak out about how much there is to do right now. Class, 3-4 hours per day. Homework, 5-6 hours per day. Extra work, like a memo, that will take as many hours as you are willing to give. Outlines! Finals! Information/academic skills/whatareyoudoingwithyourlifewhatdoyoumeanyoudon'tknowyet sessions. An apartment to keep clean (ha!), laundry, dishes, taking out the trash...paying bills! getting the car checked out. Also, friends to keep in touch with! Exercise! Potlucks!

Time out.

Breathe.

Ok.

Anyway, like I was saying before I got carried away - there's a lot going on right now. But honestly, there's never going to NOT be a lot going on (if that makes sense). Sure, right now there's more than usual. But everything is going to be ok. I'll get through it. Eventually it will be a faded memory.

So here's a list of things I'm happy about, right now:
1. Gchat
2. Peanut butter bread, especially toasted with butter
3. Irish Breakfast tea
4. Blogs - mine and my friends, and those of people I don't know but that are fascinating and inspirational
5. Library study parties. Because if you HAVE to be at the library on Saturday night, a table full of friends is necessary
6. Running outside!! More on this later
7. The weather in St. Louis right now as compared to Albany
8. Other New York license plates on the road
9. Any activity (within reason) that makes me feel like I'm living out a scene from SATC
10. MIDNIGHT SHOWING OF HARRY POTTER!!

Ok, about this run -
I got out of class at 12 today instead of 3 (a.maz.ing.) so after lunch I headed home to get my run in before heading back to school to spend the rest of my day/night/life in the library. Lo and behold, the gym is CLOSED. Waugh! I text my friend K. What should I do? I know I should and could run outside. After all, its 70-ish degrees. Breezy. Perfect. BUT. My first and only outdoor run was last week, when my shin splints acted up and I had to finish the run on the treadmill. I'm nervous. K says, RUN OUTSIDE!! YOU'LL LOVE IT! So I do. And I do.

I started from my front door and made a 7-minute loop, which I did 3 times. Instead of restricting myself to 3 minutes of rest in between loops, I took however long I needed to stretch out my legs - no use having a shin splint attack. Honestly though, it felt so free and easy and perfect. And I'm sure I was going waaaaaaay slower than I would have if I were on the treadmill, but it doesn't matter. It felt good. Really good.