So much to do

Playing catch-up after a week off is busy yet fun. It surprises me how much I miss my students when I don't see them for awhile. So work stuff is fine and going well.

My course and practicum, however, are feeling very overwhelming and stressful at the moment. Perhaps a bit of venting will help. Getting started on some stuff will help, too. Feel free to stop reading. Stress:

"A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression." (dictionary.com)

Well, things aren't that serious yet... I think it would take a lot to get my blood pressure up, as it's usually below average. Anyhoo, I have a paper to put together, a Nemeth exam, and three more weekly assignments, along with teleconferences and readings. On the bright side, though, the exam is open book and the assignments aren't too bad. But it's officially Spring, and I want to be doing anything else other than coursework in my free time.

Ah, but then - then, I will be DONE. For the first time in my life, I will not be preparing for further schooling. What a wonderful and inspiring thought. If I can just keep focussed on that and all of my thoughts about exciting things coming up in the summer, I just might survive without exploding. Fires on the beach, gardening, reading in the sun, biking, popsicles...