The other thing that I've been doing all summer that doesn't involve catching up with old friends, public libraries, snacks and being melodramatic about wanting to take a year off to myself, is exercising.
I used to play a lot of sports when I was 12 or 13 at school and at the local community centre. My friends and I also used to run around outside a lot playing sports and engaging in other tomfoolery (I have always wanted to blog that word...opportunity knocks and I open enthusiastically).
Anyway, so then high school came. The combination of my less than hulking stature, ridiculous asthma and lack of coordination made me figure that I wasn't good enough to compete on the high school teams and thus, I never tried out for any of them. In some ways, not playing sports in high school did allow me to get involved in other things that I would not have realized I enjoyed or excelled at otherwise.
But on the downside, since middle school I haven't spent a lot of time just walking around my neighbourhood. I decided a few weeks ago to take up jogging and start walking more. It wasn't to lose weight but moreso as a stress reliever, a way to get back in touch with my surroundings and to get back in shape.
Thus far, I feel like it's been a success. I definitely cannot jog far by any means which is why I jog alone and I'm certainly not quite in the athletic category yet. But I'm starting to feel less out of breath when walking which is probably a plus considering I'm only 19. I also haven't watched the View in a few weeks so I'm becoming less and less like I'm retired everyday.
But the best part is definitely soaking up some sun and just enjoying my surroundings. Sometimes I even hang out at the playground and read which is either really nice or really creepy depending on what you think.
Basically, I might not have access to a deck or a beach to relax on, and uptown doesn't have a TON of greenspace, but I'm making the best of (and starting to enjoy) my surroundings for the first time in a very long time.
Such Great Heights - The Postal Service
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The World Spins Madly On
I'm actually a bit embarrassed that I haven't blogged in like two months. I haven't written a lot since I've been home and that's disappointing.
So, you're probably (not) wondering what I've been doing with myself for two months. To be honest, nothing exciting. As soon as I got back from Fredericton, I crashed. I basically slept, watched TV on the internet, ate snacks and stayed up until ridiculously late hours for quite a while. My sleep pattern was pretty messed up.
Mixed in with that is some hanging out with old friends who I haven't seen since last summer, a few forays into the wildly exciting (or not) bar scene of Saint John, a slight attempt at getting back in shape due to the snacks I ate for two months (which involves me jogging for the first time ever and actually enjoying it, more on that soon) and a passion for reading literature that I haven't had since before I took IB English.
When my "freedom" ended, a freedom I haven't felt since before grade 10, the chance to just literally do nothing, think and just be: I felt pretty sad. I wanted to take more time, discover myself, travel. I started regretting my choice to go to university right away and so close to where I live even though it was a smart financial decision. And money is great and I know that I have to work and go to school. But it would just be nice if I had the choice to just take a year to myself.
But that won't be happening anytime soon. For the next three years, it's alternating between working and school and hopefully keeping my sanity. I do love journalism and that's what keeps me pushing on because I believe that I can somehow make a difference with it. If I can do that, I'll feel a lot better about not taking that time for me.
And I feel a bit of regret that I didn't do more with that month or so that I had, although I didn't know when it would end and I would find a job which arguably made it difficult to take on any really big projects. But still. I'm always taking a backseat and watching life go by rather than living it. I just stick to routines and watch other people live.
I guess as a journalist, I have to be sure that I don't get caught up reporting the lives of others and understanding them and miss out on living my life and understanding me.
I guess what I'm trying to say is sometimes I feel caught in monotony or unsure if what I'm working towards is worth it. Meanwhile, other people are using their time constructively to make a difference in the world, to meet interesting people and to really live -- all things I want to do, too.
I've titled this blog with a song by the Weepies. Look up the lyrics if you have a chance. It's the most accurate description (albeit more dramatic) of what I've been feeling over the past few weeks.
The whole world is moving, and I'm standing still.
So, you're probably (not) wondering what I've been doing with myself for two months. To be honest, nothing exciting. As soon as I got back from Fredericton, I crashed. I basically slept, watched TV on the internet, ate snacks and stayed up until ridiculously late hours for quite a while. My sleep pattern was pretty messed up.
Mixed in with that is some hanging out with old friends who I haven't seen since last summer, a few forays into the wildly exciting (or not) bar scene of Saint John, a slight attempt at getting back in shape due to the snacks I ate for two months (which involves me jogging for the first time ever and actually enjoying it, more on that soon) and a passion for reading literature that I haven't had since before I took IB English.
When my "freedom" ended, a freedom I haven't felt since before grade 10, the chance to just literally do nothing, think and just be: I felt pretty sad. I wanted to take more time, discover myself, travel. I started regretting my choice to go to university right away and so close to where I live even though it was a smart financial decision. And money is great and I know that I have to work and go to school. But it would just be nice if I had the choice to just take a year to myself.
But that won't be happening anytime soon. For the next three years, it's alternating between working and school and hopefully keeping my sanity. I do love journalism and that's what keeps me pushing on because I believe that I can somehow make a difference with it. If I can do that, I'll feel a lot better about not taking that time for me.
And I feel a bit of regret that I didn't do more with that month or so that I had, although I didn't know when it would end and I would find a job which arguably made it difficult to take on any really big projects. But still. I'm always taking a backseat and watching life go by rather than living it. I just stick to routines and watch other people live.
I guess as a journalist, I have to be sure that I don't get caught up reporting the lives of others and understanding them and miss out on living my life and understanding me.
I guess what I'm trying to say is sometimes I feel caught in monotony or unsure if what I'm working towards is worth it. Meanwhile, other people are using their time constructively to make a difference in the world, to meet interesting people and to really live -- all things I want to do, too.
I've titled this blog with a song by the Weepies. Look up the lyrics if you have a chance. It's the most accurate description (albeit more dramatic) of what I've been feeling over the past few weeks.
The whole world is moving, and I'm standing still.
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