Last semester was such a mess, it’s not surprising that I’m feeling comparatively chipper lately.
But I’m still not sure why.
Still working 30 hours a week.
Still taking 2 classes.
Still sticking to the same routines.
Maybe it’s because I’m finally feeling social and mobile, dancing around Boston, visiting friends, spending too much money, staying out late and being thoroughly 25 (or 21?).
Maybe that’s why I’m feeling so peppy?
Or maybe it’s because my boyfriend is growing a beard.
On Saturday, I disembark from Jackson on what will be the first leg of
Jessica’s World Tour, 2009!
Leg #1: Washington, DC – April 4th
Leg #2: Chicago – May 1st
Leg #3: San Antonio – May 29th
I am an anxious traveler. I did not know that I was an anxious traveler until The Road Trip Of 2008, during which me and my faithful travelling compadres toured the Deep South.
I thought it would be fun. Nice to see some places I’d never been. And it was. I got to spend a little time with cousins I’ve rarely seen, New Orleans completely won me over, and I got to camp on Galveston Island before Hurricane Ike ripped the place to shreds. And visiting my Christina, in her gorgeous San Antonio home? I was so glad.
But I did not anticipate the following things:
1) Tears
2) High levels of those flight-or-flight hormones that I hate
3) My complete inability to sleep in the vehicle, subconsciously fearing that if my eyes closed for a moment, Lance would lose control of the car and we would die.
Next week’s trip is a faaaaar less ambitious, due to budgetary issues, but I’m still feeling that gut-ripping ANXIETY. I even told Lance that I didn’t want to plan any of this trip, nuh-uh, no sir, because then I would Be Responsible for the mess that was of course, inevitable.
But me being Type A and he being… well… Lance, of course I end up making most of the arrangements anyway.
So in order to minimize my levels of stress and remind myself that YES, I WOULD LIKE TO GO ON THIS TRIP!, here’s what I’ve been doing to actively calm myself:
Wearing a heating pad on my shoulders…. IN MY CAR!
My heating pad is REAL cool looking, and when I throw it over my shoulders in the car on the way to work? Well, I’m sure it’s very attractive.
It looks a little something like this:
A sack full of corn, basically. I love it because it gets REALLY hot and lasts a long time. It just makes me feel like I’m relaxing, not driving to work.
However, it stinks. Like popcorn. And makes me stink like popcorn, and the entire room that I am in.
Which is why I will not be bringing it on my vacation with me, even though I REALLY want to.
Watching Episode after Episode of Mad Men
This is, of course, therapeutic by nature. TV takes me away. Mad Men takes me all the way to 1960. And I am reminded, again, what an excellent show this is. The characters! The weaving plotlines! The foreshadowing, the layered conflicts… AND THE COSTUMING.
But also, on my vacation my travelling companions and I will be shacking up with my dear friend Frank. He’s in the midst of watching Season Two, and we’ve had a few email exchanges detailing our opinions on this character, that turn of events… which is fun. And reminds me that I am going to see a very good friend of mine, who I like, and who I never feel awkward around (unless of course we are feeling awkward together) and it will be FUN and GOOD and GREAT.
How good of a friend is Frank?
He sent me an email with the following passage:
“I was thinking afterwards, we could hit up THE BEST cupcake establishment you’ll ever partake in.”
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
And if nothing else, we will have Mad Men to talk about.
That show makes me want to take some freaking NOTES.
and i may or may not want to do things to don draper that are not appropriate for even a cable television show. yum.
Forcing Myself To The Gym
I’m sure I’ll get my fair share of walking on my vacation, but I know for a fact that I’ll be eating some too-tasty food, and probably will get a case of the Sore Muscles that makes me le miserable.
So this week I’m working it out.
I got a new iPod for Christmas, and I just recently remembered that it comes with the Genius feature built-in. So I can pick any song I want and BAM instant playlist of similar songs. And how great is that for the gym? I’ll tell you – it’s so great.
My favorite song to start?
Giving Myself A Treat
Instead of bringing books I Should Be Reading, or books that are Just Too Challenging, I have checked out two books from the library that I know I will like. Candy books. Books that don’t fit into my rigid Reading Schedule. I’m breaking the rules. It’s vacation for heck’s sake!
Labor of Love by Cara Mulhlhan – another midwife memoir. I love ’em. Not to be confused with this book.
A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg – bloggers writin’ books. I read the intro and I’m hooked. It was hard to put this one away.
So now, even if things are stressing me out, I can escape inside the pages!
I feel so very clever.
Focusing On My Writing
Here’s a little something I just whipped up. I hope you like my sophisticated literary stylings:
There once was a girl from the Vineyard,
Who decided she’d like to be thinner.
She did push-ups and crunches,
And some Aerobic Boxing punches,
And now she can eat hummus for dinner.
I behoove you, dear readers, to share your relaxation tips with me. Despite my best efforts, I am still, occasionally, freaking out.
I think enough time has passed that I’m allowed to begin canonizing my college years.
Ahhhh, those were the days of my life.
Okay, so maybe not exactly, but I’m starting to crave some of those delicious pasttimes only allowed to those degree-seekers between the ages of 18 and 22.
Today I woke up before the sun decided to rise, drove to work half asleep, sat through a 2 hour staff meeting and for some reason I am physically unable to sit in a staff meeting and mind my own business. I cause trouble. I ask hard questions and have a tendency to debate. I also leave staff meetings feeling like nobody should ever invite me in because I just make everyone miserable and stress myself out in the process.
The kind of morning that makes you want to round up your friends, locate a small inflatable raft for your cooler, and spend the afternoon in an inner tube.
It doesn’t have to be grandiose – just big enough for a pair of chairs, some plants, and one of those baby charcoal grills.
In the mornings, I could take my breakfast and my book outside with me. A cup of coffee. Imaginary balcony is so magical, imaginary me actually enjoys drip coffee.
If I’m having a friend or two over, we can grill up hot dogs and hamburgers, or those little minute-steak+carrot+potato meals wrapped up in foil. Make potato salad and drink beer. After the guests leave, we could sit outside on our balcony, toasting marshmallows on forks until it gets too cold and dark and night.
When I need to cook, and the recipe calls for something like “Two handfuls of Fresh Parsley,” instead of dousing my dish with shake after shake of the dried stuff, I’ll just step outside.
I could grow some flowers too, in pots. Something colorful. I could learn how to be a nurturing Plant Mommy instead of the neglectful Plant Killer I am now.
It would be the ideal place to escape, like at a crowded party when you open a door and find yourself outside, gratefully conversing with those who smoke.
Or maybe an outdoor musician.
I could sing on my balcony.
My imaginary cat would also enjoy my imaginary balcony.
miss shortskirt 