Hello again! For me, this summer came, and it went, and here we are.
Overall, I spent this summer disengaged (from certain things at least). For three whole months, I didn’t have to think about anything related to academics, so for three whole months my laptop remained mostly closed (except for all that time I spent binge watching Parenthood (such a good show by the way…you should really check it out!)
I think that many times “disengaged” takes on a negative conation; however, I don’t feel that it was all that negative for me. It meant that this summer I did a lot of “nothing” (for once) in my day to day, and I’m pretty okay with that. Yes, I had an internship, a very valuable one that I learned a lot from, but aside from my part time work there, I mostly watched TV, met up with friends, went on dates with Kody, worked out, and spent lots of time with my sweet, sweet Grandma and Pawpaw.
It was a nice season and change of pace that I know I will not get back for a long time (maybe ever).
Now, I am back in Athens, and I’m a week and a half into senior year. I have more responsibilities, but I want to make sure that I continue to keep in mind the importance of caring for myself.
Here is one way I have found that I like to do that: napping!
They all say that everything changes once you get into the working world, so I kept this in mind during my last “real” summer, and I’m going to continue to keep it in mind through my final year as a student.
When you’re a working adult, be it a business person, a full-time parent, a teacher, a police officer, etc., you don’t have much time for naps…so I hear.
It’s not that I have a ton of time for them now either, but when I do, I find that they are very refreshing.
For whatever reason, these first weeks being back have worn me out. I haven’t been doing much, and I don’t have many assignments, yet I’m still so tired, and I’m afraid the tired train has only just begun.
I’m not sure if my exhaustion is a result of going from a semi-work schedule to no set schedule again, if it is the underlying stress that comes with the start of a new school year, or if my body is just plain tired.
Either way, I am going to take advantage of the opportunities here and there for nap time. Whether I have 10 minutes or 1 hour, I’m going to rest my eyes and pay myself back for all those naps I refused to take in kindergarten (they gave us free nap time, and I purposely kept myself awake…what was I possibly thinking?) And, I won’t beat myself up about it.
These times won’t last forever. May 2018 is going to come fast, and then I’m going to be a real life adult. To my fellow college students, I urge you to take advantage of any free nap time you have now, and to those working adults who I aspire to be one day, if you do find yourself with a little extra time on your hands, don’t be afraid to use it to rest your eyes. They will thank you later!
Xoxo, Marlee
Marlee Middlebrooks 