Head Above Water

Well, I’ve been the absolute worst blogger. But you have to believe me when I say that these past two weeks have been absolutely insane. I forgot how much work teaching is, and I’m not even confining that to the classroom. Of course, corralling teenagers is tough, but more than that it's the copies that need to be made, the forms that need to be signed, the assignments that need to be created, the emails that need responses, the grades that need to be entered into the gradebook, and so on and so forth. I often find myself go-go-going until it hits lunch time, and even then, I'm not sitting down for long. There's always something to do, and I feel as though I don't have even one spare moment to myself. I don't have one moment to sit down and watch whatever happens to be on television, without my legs being criss-cross applesauce with a computer in my lap. I took a nap sitting up in the English lounge during lunch the other day, which was a definite first for me. When people ask me how I'm doing, my honest reply is that I'm swimming really hard just to keep my head above water. And I'm not saying it to get pity. I love my job and I wouldn't trade the opportunity to coach volleyball for all the spare hours in the world. 

But the truth is that my to-do list is never ending, and every hour of every day has something. I'm perpetually tired, and I probably will be until we hit Christmas break. I don't have a lot of me time these days, which means I don't have a lot of blog time. But these first two weeks back in the classroom have been exponentially better than my first two weeks last year. I love being back at school, and I love that I semi know what I'm doing this year. I love seeing so many of my students from last year, and I'm so enjoying trying to learn all the names of my new students. I can already tell my 5th period class is going to be a force to be reckoned with, but I welcome the challenge. Because maybe I'm swimming hard, and maybe my to-do list never ends, and maybe I'm always tired, but I wouldn't change one single thing.

But for now, let's get back to one of our regularly scheduled events. Because there has to be something regular happening around here!

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I am [wildly/strangely/obviously] obsessed with: Working out. Which comes as no surprise to you all, I am sure. My day just doesn't feel complete without it. And I could be having the most stressful, horrible, nothing is going right kind of day, and then get in a solid workout and feel like everything has taken a turn for the better. It has that kind of power over me, and I know a lot of people don't understand it. But for me, it's a part of my life that I hope to always make a priority. Because there are so many more benefits than just being able to fit into my favorite pair of jeans. But that's a plus, too.

I have a collection of:  I'm not sure that I have a collection of anything. I recently went through a purging phase, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that I got rid of anything and everything that was serving no purpose in my life. You might not believe me judging by the current state of my room, but nothing immediately comes to mind when I hear the word collection. I have a few too many pieces of stationery, but I still wouldn't consider that a collection. I guess I'll go Lululemon headbands. I just can't seem to resist buying one when I discover a new color. 

I am secretly (not so secretly): Well, if I tell you guys, it won’t be a secret anymore, will it? But I’m not sure what I’m secretly doing or considering. I’m training for a marathon, but that’s no secret. I’m looking to move out of my parents’ house sometime in the near future, but that’s no secret, either. I'm not planning on moving cities, nor am I planning to change jobs. So this question has left me at a bit of a loss. Sorry to not have any burning secrets to share with you guys!

When I was 7, I wanted to be: An astronaut. I had this weird obsession with all things space and stars and planets. Spending the night at NASA with Girl Scouts was one of the coolest experienced I’d ever had. I may or may not have even set an alarm on my phone when it was said that the satellite was going to pass by overhead. And I may or may not have woken up at 3:30am to see a blood moon. And then I tell you that Astronomy was my least favorite college class. It’s between that, and Literature of Islamophobia.

If I could do one thing today, it would be: I’m going to copy the blogger ahead of me and say a spa day. All you have to do is take one look at my forehead to know that my stress level is about a 12 out of 10. And not even stress, it’s just my every hour is busy and scheduled and I don’t have a lot of me time. But I went into all of that at the beginning of this post. But a day where I wake up without an alarm, get in a nice, long run, eat a breakfast fit for a princess – because it’s my favorite meal of the day – take a bubble bath, and then treat myself to a manicure, pedicure, massage, and anything else that means I’m pampering myself. I would read a book while sitting in the hot tub, and I would come back feeling refreshed and ready to take on a new week. Once volleyball season is over, it’s happening. You mark my words.

 

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I’ve always dreamt of: Running a marathon. Funnily enough. Looks like I'm closer to crossing that one off than I thought I would be at this age. From as far back as I can remember, I've admired marathon runners. Because running a marathon is so much more than running. It's physical, it's mental, it's emotional, and though my training runs aren't even in the double digits quite yet, I'm loving every minute of it. And though I know it's not going to be all fun and games, it still blows my mind that I am going to be able to call myself one of those crazy marathoners.

My favorite way to travel is: If we’re talking about getting somewhere, I’ll always choose an airplane. I’m not one for long road trips – I just feel so gross after spending all day in the car – but once I get to my destination, I love walking, running, or biking my way through a new city. You find so many hidden gems that way, and sure, maybe you increase your chances of getting lost, and maybe it takes a little bit longer to get to your destination, but to me, it’s so worth it. I always bring a good pair of tennis shoes with me when I travel, because my favorite way to travel is on foot. And your feet can wear out real quick if you’re not careful.

You find the carousel in Central Park that Holden Caulfield wrode

And this unbeatable view from the Brooklyn Bridge

Adios, my friends! Enjoy your long weekend, if you get one. I know I'm more than grateful for this three-day weekend, and I'm hoping to check back in with you guys tomorrow. But don't hold me to it!