Reasons Not to Stay Up Late

Well, I've really only got two:

You can't get to sleep before 2 in the morning

and

Late night IHOP is deadly. Or at least rock-like.

So I finished my grading a couple hours ago, which leaves me with a draft of a paper to write. What I'm actually excited about is that this is a paper I'll be working on for a while. Is it a bit weird that I'm excited to be working on something for a while? I guess what makes it exciting is that it is the first thing that has really made me feel like I'm working on a Ph.D. I plan to work on this paper for a while, put the ideas through the grinder, come up with a nice polished final product down the road. Sustained research. Makes you feel like you're actually doing something more than simply taking classes to complete requirements.

So here I am, one semester down, several more to go. I feel good about some things, not as good about others. It's been challenging to keep myself going at points, and I hope some time at home and away from school is just what I needed. I'm also looking forward to New Years and a couple weeks here with nothing to do (and a possible Vegas trip). I feel like a break is necessary. It's been non-stop since I got out here. Don't get me wrong, it's been a lot of fun. It's been draining as well.

For those of you in VA, I'm headed home Thursday and I'll be around til the 30th. I won't have a car of my own. It's going to be cold. But it'll be good. Only a little more work to do for now...and maybe some sleep.

I'm 26

Well, depending on the time zone. In my home time zone of eastern standard time I'm 26. In mountain standard time I'm still 25. Hooray regardless!

I find myself more excited to be done with my damn film paper than the oncoming birthday. It doesn't necessarily mean I'm not excited, it's just a day right. I'll take the celebration, but I find myself both older and younger all the time. I'm close to 30 than 20 now, but I'm not worried about it. Hell, I probably like it. Will I still get carded? I'm sure. But some days I feel like a child, while others I feel much older than I ought to. Where's the damn balance?

It's been a rough couple of weeks, and I've got about 2 more before I can enjoy a little freedom, though I feel the worst has passed. It felt like I was going to be under a pile of work I couldn't escape from, but as always, I just keep working and it eventually gets done.

I'd say some profound thing on the day of my birth, but I'm just happy that the end of the semester is near. And somewhat in disbelief, though I've gotten accustomed to the speed of semesters. They always pass much faster than we expect them to. My first semester of my Ph.D. will soon be under my belt, and that's an accomplishment. Maybe I am cut out for this.

Overall, I'll just be glad for a break. For those of you in Front Royal/the surrounding area, I'll be home from December 18th-30th. The rest of the time, I'll be in my place, with my cat, enjoying a little relaxation.