When the school year comes to a close,
some students throw their hats in the air, barely taking the time to
acknowledge any of their accomplishments, practically tripping over
themselves en route to parties, travel, and relaxation. Others choose
the opposite path, carefully relishing in their achievements,
planning their next strategic move, and mourning the lost hours spent
on work, learning, and a jam-packed schedule. I myself have always
landed somewhere in the middle. While I pined for adventure amidst my
final days of class, tormented by the evils of French grammar, and
anxious for some rest, I also know myself well enough to know that
the second (And I mean the exact SECOND) I realize that I have
excessive time on my hands, my brain begins to formulate all manner
of fantastical notion, ranging from bright and shiny holiday
splendour to down and dirty pangs of nightmare and melancholy. While
no brain under the sun can ever truly rest from thought, mine is
eternally embarking on some sort of race for
how-many-thoughts-can-you-think-in-a-second-span-on-a-widely-emotional-range-rather-than-giving-yourself-a-neurotic-nap.
Don't get me wrong, I love my downtime
and alone time just as much as the next person, but I rarely enjoy it
when not the result of a busy bee mentality. I was the kid who
thought, yay summer! Then quickly started yearning for fall, the
change of seasons, and the beginning of a new story. I am an
extrovert, an emotional loon, and a creative type who thrives on
activity. So as the final days of class came to a slow and
bittersweet end and I literally bathed in a few mornings of sleeping
past 6 or 7am, I very quickly started wondering what I would do with
those mornings now that they are free. I also “enjoyed” that not
so pleasant sensation when your body realizes the shift in schedule
and you feel like you have been run over by a truck slash borderline
sick and/or hungover. I've never enjoyed sleeping late, I feel like I
am missing out on the day, but I am also not one to wake up at the
crack of dawn, announcing huzzah! Time for a spritely early morning
run! I can slip into lethargy just as easily as the next person, but as anyone who has ever lived with me knows, Angela plus inactivity
equals DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!
And so the summer begins, with a
schedule ready to carve like little woodland creatures anxious to
feather my brow, plump my ruffles, and magically manufacture a
stunning gown, the stitchery worthy of Smithsonian status. And why
not that exact scenario? One of my friends from summer theatre days
once told me that if I had a magical power it would be the ability to
shrill so loudly that I could beckon woodland creatures to my side in
an army of fictional and mystical power. I have never confirmed nor
denied this attribute. But in all honesty, the time has come once
again to embark on a new series of events. The summer lays before me
and I have many tasks at hand, but I must organize my schedule so
that it all gets done amidst tons of fun! Duh... Of course I rhymed
on purpose, don't you know me at all?!
And so, the kick off to this new season
was a lovely dinner with my classmates this past Monday night. We had
finished our written as well as oral exams, and so, desperately needed
a cocktail. Per my suggestion, we all ventured down to Rue
Mouffetard, which was much busier than I had experienced it this past
year early in the week, I assume because the weather has finally
relented, tourists abound, and it stays light in Paris until about
10pm. There were approximately ten of us gathering together, enjoying our
French fare and wine, whilst talking about our past semester and
future plans. It was rather an amazingly international melting pot,
representatives from the U.S.A. (not just myself), Russia, Sweden,
Colombia, Japan, Holland... We did our best to speak in French,
though the dominating language was, as always, English... Many of us
will part ways, several leaving, several staying behind, and some
will continue to keep in touch as we make our way through this
foreign French lifestyle... This week I am acclimating and
organizing, next week, I have to memorize all I can to become a tour
guide, and the following weekend I have treated myself to a nice London-bound excursion to celebrate my dear Hot Blonde Cousin's 30th
birthday... I feel fairly certain my schedule will become rather full
rather soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment