I had forgotten this could be so nice

This past week or so I have come to a startling realization: school has become, for me, a part of my life. You will read this and say, "Jessica, you are in graduate school. School has always been a part of your life." I must, then, emphasize the key part of that sentence. School has become a part of my life. For the past five years I feel as though I have done little outside of going to classes, preparing for classes, and writing for classes. Quite honestly, there were times, especially second-semester Freshman year when I took eight classes, that I would really run myself quite ragged. Now, suddenly, I have time to devote to non-graded activities. I'm still a very busy person, taking two classes and spending thirty hours each week at work or in my internship, but since it is only two classes, one Monday and the other Thursday, I feel so much freer than I can remember feeling for years. Yesterday I spent a much needed evening of solitude at a conservatory/botanical gardens, and this morning I roamed a new (to me) section of the city, drinking in the atmosphere of happiness and lively activity created by the street vendors, musicians, and the farmers' market. I then chose to give half an hour to sitting in a park listening to some jazz before catching a bus home. Both yesterday and today I was in the company only of a good book, and one that I'm not reading for a class. Tomorrow afternoon will likely be spent down at the Point for the second of a four-day celebration of our nation's birthday. It is quite liberating and refreshing, having extra time to spend as I wish. =]