Back to the grind.

Oh, how I wish tomorrow would not arrive. I don't want to go back to school, I don't want to go back to night after night with little sleep as I slave over papers and projects, I don't want to shower in a cubby, and I don't want to have to marshal piles of quarters simply to do a load of laundry. I've had a great break, I really have, and I feel that it was just starting to get going by the time it reached its end.

Alas, I suppose that's the stuff of life. But anyway, I'm not all sad about returning to school; I don't even mind the work so much as I mind the means by which it must get done. Less than three weeks from now, I'll be right back here in my room, ready to celebrate Christmas with my family. Carly will have arrived from her stint overseas, and I'll be bristling with excitement as I prepare to head over for my own time abroad. So I suppose I shouldn't complain-- a full plate is certainly preferable to no plate at all.

Now, to sleep...

Tchaikovsky and coffee.

I'm having one of those days where I wake up scatter-brained, and attempt for a few hours to focus on my work, but then fail because I can't remember what I needed to get done or why it was important in the first place and then I realize I lack any sense of urgency but for some reason am restless and then I don't know what to do with myself. I also write egregious run-on sentences.

I cannot express how much I need a break. I mean, I pulled SIX all-nighters in the month of October alone. If we're sticking with statistics here, that's two more times than I had pulled them in my entire life up to that point. So, aside from being physically exhausted, I'm running out of intellectual energy as well. Unfortunately, this last problem has embodied itself in my two major research papers that I have been writing-- both of which have not turned out well.

As I've said before, I've got some really great news to share in the upcoming weeks. More on those things as they occur...

I think I'm on to something...

This will be quick and hastily written.

Well, I know I promised that gigantic life-update of a blog, and have certainly failed at delivering it. Yet the reason isn't neglect, but that so much keeps happening in my life that the blog keeps growing larger and larger. Thus, I propose a change in format-- instead of penning one post to rule them all, I will just shoot some quick announcements via this blog as I have the time, as my presence on here needs to grow along with the great happenings of my life.

First announcement, then: I am definitely, totally, for sure going to be studying at the University of York next semester! Naturally, I'm looking forward to it; spending six months steeping in Medieval and Early Renaissance sites while soaking up all of the UK I can... seriously? What's not to like about that.

Second announcement: I continue to waffle on my vocational plans. Part of my hope for my time in England is that I can spend some time reflecting on this, as one of them (BIG ANNOUNCEMENT HERE) has me going to graduate school not for my M.A., but for an M.Div with the intention of taking Holy Orders and entering the priesthood of the Episcopal Church. Been going through the discernment process for this, working closely with Fr. Alan Herbst here in Champaign, who has been a wonderful mentor to me during this time of transition and decision-making. Still want to get my PhD though... and not in Theology.

Third announcement: I've really been stepping up my involvement with Interfaith in Action here on campus. As Facebook will tell you, I had the opportunity to attend an IFYC leadership conference hosted by the White House at Georgetown University. Made loads of new friends, lost my voice for two weeks, and bought a Hoyas t-shirt. Look for some great things happening before the first of the year (some pretty awesome things are afoot).