Hectic Season

Now the tests are piling and the projects are due soon, and spring break SERVE trip is just around the corner (thank goodness I am all paid for at this point!) - it has been stressful, but good at the same time.

There are lots of ways to relax and get through the week. Though I don't live off of campus, my home is pretty close, so I have the luxury of visiting home every now and then. I saw Jersey Boys on Tuesday, a musical about the Four Seasons which was a very good play. Although Tampa's performances are off Broadway, they are still always worth the watch there and are always a joy to see. This one in particular was very good for all ages, and I enjoyed getting away from my hectic work at school.

There is also the beach that helps kids relax, and this is only so far away, which is nice to escape to some weekends. Thanks to global warming and Florida's naturally warm environment, we can basically go all year round and manage to get some sun. It's another way to get away from the stress of a week.

Nature likes its own miracles every now and then, and the lunar eclipse happened on Wednesday, a beautiful sight to see! As a science major and a writer, I love these events for their own beauty and for its fascinating scientific background. Lunar eclipses will come around again, and I enjoy watching them, reminding me that there is a bigger universe than just the one I can see everyday.

There is also family - if you are close enough to take a weekend off just to visit them. It has been hard recently as my twin sister is in UF, but she finally came down this weekend, and we went to the Renaissance Festival that MOSI holds in a lot just outside of their facilities. It unfortunately rained on us, but not before we could get some cross-bow and archery games in, plus my sister Carly and her boyfriend ended up jousting, which they did without sharp objects (thank God). It is a fun event to go to, and it is just a relaxing time.

My sisters at the Ren Fest (Cassie got into a biking accident at UF, hence the bandages, but it does make it easier to tell us apart now)

Family doesn't have to be blood related though. The student chaplains the weekend before did a retreat at the lakehouse where we reflected on Lent and on the things that weigh us down in life. Being near the lake is a great way to clear your head and to just feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. In college, we all have a tendency to get caught up in the hectic life we lead, that we rarely have time to stop and think about what we really want to do. Many people find it hard to sit down and relax and think about what is happening or just to clear their minds. I always found writing gets me there, as long as no one is criticizing my poor spelling or my use of passive voice. We all need to find those outlets to take us away from the stresses of the workplace or the schoolwork, or anything else that weighs us down to the point where we can't remember why we are here.

And now midterms are coming up and so I am feeling the calm before the storm. Papers are about to be due and tests are coming up, so it is going to be stressful, but as long as I have a way to release stress, school is usually fine, and we all make it out in the end, anyway.