So I'm finishing up my first week as a graduate student, and it's basically a whole new world, people. Yes, feel free to sing along with me. Okay, just kidding. Guess what....being a grad student feels eerily similar to being an undergrad student. There have been no major life changes, no ground-breaking epiphanies, and no moments where I felt like I was on another planet.
All in all though, it's been pretty great. I only had one night class this week (go ahead and hate, all you who have class/responsibilities every day of the week). So what do I do during the rest of my time, you ask? Basically, I've become a stay-at-home mom with no children. I wake up, I drink my coffee, I do my yoga (indoors now, since the weather has hit below freezing; thanks, Texas), and I check my email. Then, I get down to the nitty-gritty: reading. Yes, if you're longing to know just what the life of a grad school student is about, this is it. READING. And lots of it. I usually take a break for lunch and cleaning up around the house, and then I...you guessed it.....get back to reading. I read endless articles from endless journals about marriage and family therapy, and so far, I'm loving it! It feels slightly weird not to be able to speed read through these articles, but I'm really trying to process them and imagine what role this plays in my training as a marriage and family therapist. At night, I make dinner, and I do dishes, and then I close the day by reading. In between, of course, I make time for little breaks, so don't worry, all those who think I'm a workaholic :)
These are my confessions: I haven't left the house since Tuesday, and I barely even go outside to check the mail. I wear countless amounts of sweatpants and old Baylor t-shirts, and I've probably forgotten how to interact with other people. My hair is constantly in a ponytail, and make-up just seems silly at this point. The most exciting thing that happened to me all week occurred today. I'd been waiting anxiously for a textbook to come in, and I thought it wasn't going to arrive til next week. The website said the order was still being processed, and my stress levels were rising, when lo and behold, the book shows up on my doorstep, care of the nice UPS man. I literally danced around my house. God is so great! It really is the little things that count.
I am the proverbial stay-at-home mom. I'm 21 without children, and I keep telling myself that I'm too young for this. I find it rather humorous, actually, but in all seriousness, I think these past three weeks of being cooped up at home have taught me a valuable lesson. And so, I dedicate this blog post to all you stay-at-home moms (and dads) out there. I salute you. You are far braver than I am.
Deep down, I know I needed these past few weeks as a break from the constant energy I had to expend the past few years. I had forgotten what it was like not to be excessively working, studying, and leading organizations. I haven't had a break from work or school in a few years. Vacations are non-existent. It's kinda scary, but it's also kinda nice to be able to breathe. Next week promises to be much busier, with more classes and part-time work, but I have tons of energy stored up :)
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