Hesitant, Hopeful

The spring semester is thankfully winding down and I'm starting to feel the pressure and pain to get things done. As I complete tasks, and trust me when I say that I still have a lot of tasks to go before we can call this one a day, I've been trying to stay positive and remember that summer break is nearly here.  Of course, staying positive isn't my best thing and I've had more than one day when I've felt like I was going to just fold, when I felt as though no option existed but to give up. Fact is, I can be a drama queen; there were always other options and I always managed to pull through.  As a matter of fact, today has been one of those days, at least part of it, when I've felt like I could just crawl into my bed and hide for the next three weeks. Not a reality, I know that, but a girl can fantasize. On second thought, what's it say about me that I fantasize about hiding out?  Heh.

Anyway, summer break comes about the middle of the second week of May, around the 12th, and I've already begun to make plans for how I'll spend the three months off.  This is somewhat new. I always look forward to breaks--summer break, Christmas, thanksgiving, spring break--but I don't think I've ever looked so forward to a break as I am right now. It's been an absolutely grueling semester, the hardest I've ever had, in fact, so the break will be a welcome reprieve. Taking three grad classes, teaching a class and lab, grading, doing my own classwork, and working in the writing center has tested the limits of my sanity. Come on, summer break, mama needs a day off!

So, to keep myself motivated, I've planned out what I'll do over my summer break. So far, the list looks like this:

• Sort: Organize all of the pictures on my computer.  This will actually be a huge project, I have at least a thousand pictures.  Some of them are duplicate and need to be thrown away, others need to be re-categorized and organized.


• Research: Read The Mysteries of Udolpho (Ann Radcliffe) and Clermont (Regina Maria Roche), also the Twilight Saga, brush-up on Sookie, and watch True Blood. Believe it or not, all of the above counts as thesis research.  ~.^


• Game: Spend time with Matt.  We haven't gotten to spend much time together for my hectic schedule this semester, so we're due.


• Ring: I've paid a down payment, will give them another payment toward the ring in May, and pay my class ring off in June.  Pictures of the final product forthcoming (around the first week of June, I think).


• Read: Not because I have to, but because I want to--I have so many books lined up, it's not funny.  My Kindle is brimming with books!!


• Thesis: My introduction is due in mid-July.


• Sew: I really want to make more of those Origami drawstring bags.


• Bake: Chocolate is calling my name and while summer's not ideal for baking, I'm not worried about the heat, we have a good air conditioner!


• Write: Love's Daughter is calling my name and I intend to get it written this summer.

That's all I have so far, but all of that should keep me busy during the summer. I am dying for it to get here, but before then, I have a lot to do. I just keep telling myself that every single project is one less project I have to get done. One more word, one more sentence, one more paragraph, one more essay, three more weeks.

I can do it.