Free at last

Blossoms outside St. Mary's, Oxford.

These days I wake up in the morning and feel slightly at a loss. I hung around the MCR all day on Saturday because I didn't know what to do with myself. Do you suffer from post-stress fall out? I tend to happier when I am run off my feet, provided that I'm run off my feet doing something interesting, challenging, and meaningful (all three of which describe my studies perfectly). Now that Hilary Term has wrapped itself up (in the pages of my poorly written essays and slightly disastrous exam), I am footloose and falling over myself.

What to do when I have all the time in the world?

Thursday afternoon I met friends for lunch, drank at the pub, and shopped. Friday I went to London and met my friend for lunch, then we shopped and drank tea and gorged on beautiful Italian savoury breads. We skipped out on opera though we had tickets, because there's just no Culture in us. Saturday I bummed around and saw a gig (the talented Orkestra del Sol) in the evening. Sunday I spent bumming around some more.

Now it's Monday. I've cleaned my room (somewhat). I went to the library and picked up some reading for my thesis (though I haven't read them yet). I posted a parcel that was an urgent request. I knitted quite a lot (that April Showers scarf will soon be complete!). Now I am waiting to meet up with a friend for coffee.

I tend to divide my life into two kinds of times: on stage and off stage. On stage is when I am geared up and doing things, run off my feet, being myself - so busy I don't have time to think. Off stage is when the curtains are down, when I take the time to cook, go for a hair cut (which I still need to do), read books, make things etc. I tend to imagine it as myself, sitting backstage alone when the audience have gone, mending costumes and repainting the set-pieces that are my life. Preparing for the next show, the following act, the ensuing challenge(s).