oh yeah, something like this!
Still not sure how it's already time for midterms but somehow that happened and here I am in the midst of mental mayhem. And we all know it wouldn't be a year in grad school for me if I didn't have my annual emotional breakdown (shall I remind us all of this particular occasion?). This one happened I suppose 2 weeks ago. Haven't even had time to journal about it, imagine that. I arranged a meeting with all my professors to discuss the guidelines and expectations for my thesis, thinking it would bring me some clarity. Well it turned into an Alice in Wonderland moment where I felt like I kept shrinking in size and the table kept getting bigger as I listened to them debate their preferences for my approach. That lovely hour ended in me hugging a roll of toilet paper in the bathroom and wishing it were a decent hour in America so I could call my mommy.
ok fine, I did go out to dinner on Tuesday, but only because it was my roommate Lindsay's 21st birthday!
Luckily it's gotten a bit better. I suppose I have more of a handle on things, but only after putting in solid days straight of not leaving my apartment, oh and lots of caffè lattes. Last weekend: I was home. One of my roommates actually made me leave the house and bought me a gelato because she was worried about me. Ha! This week: I was super busy. Tuesday I had class until 5PM then an informational interview with the Exhibitions Coordinator of the Gallery of Modern Art for a project I'm writing. I was actually quite proud of myself for conducting an hour-long interview in Italian. For the past 4 days I've set my alarm to wake up early (even on the weekend!) so I can begin working on projects/papers/studying. Alas, this graduate school thing is kind of intense. Just to let you know the kind of rut I'm in: I am 3 weeks behind on How I Met Your Mother, 2 weeks behind on The Big Bang Theory, 1 week behind on Dexter, I haven't had paint on my toes or fingernails in 5 days now, my journal hasn't seen ink in 3 weeks, and let's just say my roommate had to remind me to shower yesterday. Ahh! I've stayed in front of my computer from 8AM to 8PM the past 3 days, taking breaks only to find essential nutrients for survival. I think I may be getting wrinkles. And I'm too young and cute for that.
my roomies: Fatemeh (Tehran, Iran), Lindsay (Simi Valley, CA!), Laura (Paris, France), and me (The Lone Star State)
I had 2 friends call me yesterday and tell me I was no fun this semester. That may be true but I have a very strong sense of responsibility when it comes to my schoolwork. I want to do my best and only my best. One could argue that's because I come from a long line of perfectionists, but that's something I'm proud of. Oh! And somehow this week I became an English teacher. Thursday I had a meeting with my professor's friend who works for an Arts Foundation and we had a conversational English lesson. I must somehow find time to work this into my schedule because it's the easiest 30 euros I've ever earned (just listening to this dude speak my language for 1.5 hours and tell them when/how he makes mistakes). Genius! Can we say Travel Fund? Really though, I say this for my readership so my blog can finally have the excitement it's been lacking. Not to worry, I already found a Ryanair flight to Paris in 2 weeks, 6 euros from Turin! I'll be meeting my old roomies Natalie and Ricarda for a reunion à la française. I'll really need it after these several weeks of stress.
Gelato: turning frowns upside-down since whenever those eye-talians invented it.
It's a little after 7PM on Sunday and I've finally gotten to a stopping point for now, I think that means I'll be spending the remainder of my evening watching sitcoms and continuing to crochet a beige tube scarf I started a few weeks ago. Wish me well this week! :)
Wow, that seems like the most intense time ever. While I'm sad that you're so stressed and not having any fun, I'm also so proud of you for getting through this. Stay strong and a year from now, your blog will be about your amazing new job (preferably in Texas...). :)
ReplyDelete