Better Late than Never

Better Late than Never I woke up Friday morning and felt like it could have been Monday all over again. I felt fresh and the week looked new. Considering that Id been awake and p-setting until 4 a.m. that morning, I decided not to look for the reason behind my renewed vitality until Id made it through classes for the day, but now its Saturday night, and Im still feeling fresh. Maybe I should be working or worrying over due dates, but my dispositions a little too chill for that now. Well see how aforementioned chillness progresses through the semester (a harsh winter of studies and ice might change me), but for now, Im going to sit here and appreciate the following: These are the contents of a care package I got in the mail this week. -Twelve jars of tuna canned at home by loving mom and sister. They neednt have worried about my protein consumption on campus (Ive been eating enough ice cream to fulfill all my dietary needs), but its the thought that counts, and the fish is delish. -A glass bottle and a bundle of sage. What for? Why not? -Also, a seashell, my cleats, and a mysterious, newly packaged pair of leather thumb and finger guards, whose purpose is entirely unknown to me. Neither of my parents had an explanation, so Im guessing theyre related to woodcarving or archery and that they belong to my brother and were slipped into my box by mistake. I never know what to expect. I wasnt sure what to expect from my classes, either. Now Ive had eight days of them, and guys, what they say is true: college is better than high school. Not that high school is badand here Ill slip in a shout-out to good old Mac Highbut here, things move fast. Too fast, sometimes, especially in calculus, but Id rather be a little confused at high speed than standing still for weeks on end. My 5.111 (Principles of Chemical Science) professor has so much fun just thinking about what hell teach us that he smiles to himself throughout the lecture, and I end up smiling, too. My Calculus lecturer makes problems look easy when theyre anything but, and my Tuesday/Thursday American Literature HASS is the one I look forward to all Monday, Wednesday, Friday. So I love my classesbut that doesnt mean Im not completely wiped out at the end of the day. I dont know how one can can feel so long when a week passes so quickly, and the weekend is over in a flash. I dont know whether it will go on this way, blurs of weekdays punctuated by fast, shining weekends. I do know, definitely, for sure, that in either case, I need to learn to manage my time. Last week I left two p-sets until the last minute, finished neither to satisfaction, and stayed up way, WAY later than I ever wanted to. Today I flopped down on my bed, stated aloud my intention to study Calculus, and didnt move until Robyn, my ever-helpful roommate, had cleared off my desk, set out my books, and physically dragged me into my chair. I studied for ten minutes, made some tea, looked out the window and fell asleep. School years always start out this way for me. Even in high school, Id go through the first two days of classes and come home exhausted. Then, it wasnt the rigor or difficulty of my work that devoured my energy, just the monotonous going from place to place, socializing, trying to figure out a good routine. Im working on figuring out my routine here. Can I start with the basics? Sleeping, eating, writing things down? Thats what I do, day-to-day. Ive pretty much got the basics down. 1.   I love my bed. Robyn and I bunked our beds yesterday. Now we have a giant open space, suitable for small dance parties, big tea parties, and eventually (we hope) a futon. She gets the top bunk, a cozy high-up nest with a great look-out. I have the bottom bunk, and Im turning it into an awesome jungle fort. I bought a potted spider plant from a sale in front of the student center, hung it from the upper bunk, and distracted from a bald spot in the greenery by sticking on a picture-postcard of Marlon Brando, which is nicer to look at than the green plastic pot. Coexisting with the sage, rosemary and mint I bought for a dollar a plant, and the jade plant I already had, Marlon-Brando-plant is helping our room come alive. If I get creeped out by his steamy gaze, maybe Ill have more motivation to get out of bed in the morning. Maybe then Ill make it to the dining hall in time for breakfast. 2. I love to eat. Because I live in Burton Conner, my meal plan is optional, so I might go off it next semester. For now, however, I have 14 meals/week in the dining hall, where the food is abundant, the variety is outstanding, and the ice cream is way too tempting. Because I eat a lot lots of meals per day, I use the kitchen in my suite too, for making easy things like chai lattes, bowls of cereal with berries, and, for the next few weeks, most likely plenty of tuna melts. And then theres the food off campus. I havent eaten out much, but a few ice cream runs, farmers market trips, and one great meal in Boston have been sufficient to reaffirm my faith in foods incredible restorative powers. The farmers market are a little disappointing (not only are the markets Ive explored pretty small, even the fruit is tinier than at home), but Toscaninis, just a few blocks off campus, has actually, honestly, certainly and surely the best ice cream in the world. Its going to take every ounce of my self control to go there less often than once a week. Especially because eating out is so fun. Especially when the food comes with friends, when friends come with you to get the food. College, it turns out, is a very social experience. I guess people expect that. In high school, you go home for the night, and once youre in your pajamas, theres no question of going out again. Here, you can be in your room, alone, at any hour, and theres still a possibility that someone you know is looking for something to do. A nd theres always somewhere to go. Which reminds me: I now have a bike. I get a thrill every time I remember that. For the topic of my next blog post: bicycle adventures in Boston and Cambridge.