For the first time in years, I’m allowing myself to be excited about heading back to school. It’s weird, I know. I’m totally crazy for doing it, but I’m going to let myself experience a little bit of happiness before midterms hit again. The last 12 years of education has taught me a valuable lesson though. I’m not going to go into this without a heavy load of cautious pessimism. But to keep me grounded, I’m going to remember all the things that made break better than sitting in a lecture hall.
1. Sleep
By the time finals rolled around last semester, I was sure there was no way I’d ever get more than two hours of sleep a night. This was until winter break swooped in. I rediscovered how nice it was to sleep on an actual bed, with an actual blanket, on an actual pillow. It all happened when I had just resigned myself to 27 minute naps with the dining room lights on! After hard wood tables and math textbooks, my pillow felt like a damn luxury.
2. Less panic
It’s also been really nice to go to sleep without waking up in a panic the next morning. Sure, retail work calls, but it’s nice waking up and not rushing to cram in four essay outlines in the hour before your train is due. I’d almost forgotten what it’s like to not be anxious about incoming assignments and exams. The key word is almost because life reminded me that there's other work that needs to be done.
3. Free time
Despite the mound of work that has slowly somehow accumulated at my desk, I have some down time for the first time in months. I can go for breakfast with a friend and maybe read a book in the evening. That’s right folks, there’s now time to read! There’s time to settle down in bed and read for leisure, for hours. I can read 25 pages or 100 and neither will reflect on my GPA. It’s a miracle, honestly.
4. Favorite people
Speaking of having breakfast with a friend, good people are the hardest to leave behind when break is done. It’s so nice to go out with the people you’ve known for years. It's great to spend the day with them and catch up on all the crazy things they’ve been up to while they were upstate or downtown. I know that’s what will hurt the most as we all go back for the next semester. My break is weeks away from its end and I’m aching already. The next break seems years away and I don’t want to let go of my favorite people just yet.
