As Close to a Breather as Possible

Before I get into this post, I just want to apologize for disappearing for the past couple of weeks. The end of the semester is always, for lack of a better word, a shit show. With finals and work, I just had way too much going on to even think about writing anything, but the semester is officially over now and I have a little more free time.

This semester was annoying, so I'm taking a breather. Well, as close to a breather as possible because I still have work. 

This semester wasn't too terribly difficult, thankfully, but it was a pain in the ass to say the least. Being forced to take an 8am statistics class for my major was probably the bane of my existence this past five months, and I am lucky to have made it out of that course unscathed and with a C, which I'm not too thrilled about. However, I can guarantee you, that's the best I could do. This semester taught me not to be so hard on myself when it comes to my grades because one C won't kill me (or my GPA), and that isn't a measurement of my knowledge or what I'm capable of. I learned that forcing myself to juggle thirty hours of work a week on top of six classes is a recipe for my head to pop off, and that it's ok to dial back on working sometimes to maintain my sanity and have enough time to put towards my school work without cramming.

I'm not super good at relaxing or taking "me" time, but I've been trying for sure.

I've never been big on watching tv, but occasionally I find a good show to fixate on and I use that as my little go-to method of relaxation (until I get to the last episode and then I'm back to staring at the all in my free time). With that being said, I have been double hooked on Mind Hunter on Netflix lately. I'm only on the second season but it's pretty great. It's pretty much about how the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI was formed, and it's pretty interesting. I also occasionally watch Grey's Anatomy when I feel like watching a little drama. It still amazes me how they've managed to keep the storylines going for that long, and it's pretty hilarious how I always swore I would never get into it. Yet, here I am, emotionally attached to or mourning the loss of at least 4 characters.

Scrolling through Pinterest has also become a source of relaxation for me, oddly. Something about sorting things into different boards is extremely satisfying, and because of that, I've curated a pretty impressive outfit inspiration board , a pretty cool natural hair inspiration board , and a ton of other boards because I really have a knack for sorting and categorizing apparently. It's honestly just a really good mindless activity that keeps me focused on something that isn't high stakes or super important.

I guess the point of this post is really just to emphasize how beneficial it can be to take decompress and take a break (or kind of a break) after a long semester, or even just after a stressful week. 

For me, it's extremely important to shed all of that stress I shouldered over the course of the semester before I go into the new year and the next semester. I am actually really excited for next semester, which is not something I have ever said since being in college. I've officially moved out of the sorority dorm I was in (I talked a little bit about that in The College Story So Far), and into an apartment on campus where I'll have more of my own space and won't be on main campus like I have been. I'll really only have to be on main campus for class and work on the weekdays, which will hopefully be as great as I'm thinking it will be. I also officially got admitted into my major program, so I am no longer a Pre-Human Development and Family Studies major, meaning I am one step closer to my degree. This also means that I'm going to start looking into internships, which of course being the nerd I am, I am pretty excited.

I don't want to think too much about next semester right now, though because I'm supposed to be relaxing. I have to remind myself of that multiple times a day. Surprising, right? No.

That's all I have for you guys today, but be on the lookout for new posts every week like usual. I have a lot of cool stuff planned that I can't wait to share.