Change.

No.  This post is not about the new President.  Although by merely mentioning him I’ve kind of made at least a few sentences about him.  I’m not too excited about him (to say the least)… BUT, let’s give the guy a chance.  I would like to see what he can do.  I have high hopes, but modest expectations.

Moving on to more important matters.  Matters about ME, of course.  

The Spring semester started this week.  And it was such a very long week. Seven classes.  19.5 credits.  This semester is going to be rough, but I have to do what I have to do.  The two classes I’m most worried about, well… let’s make that three, are: Higher Education and Social Inequality (SOCY 415/615), Anthropological Theory, and Social Epidemiology.  All of which are 400-level classes — one of them is a graduate level course, and the rest of my classes are 300-level.  Now you know what I mean when I say this is going to be a rough semester.  I think what made this week feel even longer was the snow followed by frozen rain.  Don’t get me wrong I love snow, but not when the school thinks that we are all going to be okay with the campus looking like a giant ice rink.  I’m so lucky I didn’t break anything.  Although if I did, I’m already getting surgery on Monday — maybe I could get a 2 in 1 deal.  I must admit, it was so tempting to just slide around on Erickson Field.

Surgery.  Yes, you read that right.   I have a scheduled foot surgery on Monday at 2 PM.  I’m not really scared.  I’m not really worried.  I just want to get it over with.  I’m hoping for a speedy recovery, so that I can get back on track right away.

Overall this week was pretty good.  My first day of classes was amazing.  It’s nice to finally be back from a long winter break.  And what I particularly liked about being back at UMBC was the fact that my days are scheduled again.  No more sleeping ’til past noon.  No more eating my first meal of the day at 1PM.  No more wasting days away.  Although, today I was kind of in bed until about 1:30PM, but I do have a good excuse.  I’ve been sick for the past few days.  I guess that’s another reason why this week felt so long.  I have a cold, but what sucks is my cough which is making my throat hurt like hell.  Last night was the first day of Anthropological Theory, and it’s a three-hour class.  I probably had over 7 cough drops and used about 15 tissues.  Today I needed my rest.  Luckily, I don’t have any classes on Fridays.  But I did skip work.  I figured I’m going to need to get better if I have to work this weekend and get surgery on Monday.  I just can’t imaging being sick and having an injured foot.  Yikes.

So what else is new?  THE HAIR.  I cut my hair!  It’s barely touching the shoulder.  Very few layers.  Very easy to manage.   I love it!  I am donating the rest of it to Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths Program.  Whoever is going to get my hair is going to be very lucky.  Now all I need to do is mail it.  All 18 inches of it.  I don’t think I’ve had my hair this short since I was a little girl.  But it’s a good change.  I think it’s always been about the hair, and it’s time to make it more about me.  Change is good.

What else?  I have been feeling very determined lately.  I don’t know why.  And I have no clue where this determination is coming from.   It’s a good thing.  A very good thing.  I like the feeling of knowing what I can do and trusting myself to do it.  Determination.  I need it.  And I need a lot of it.  I need it to get through this semester. If things stay this way, then I shouldn’t have to worry about anything.  Except the boyfriend graduating and leaving Maryland to do bigger and better things.

He’s LEAVING.  No need to freak out.  It’s only for EIGHT YEARS.  No, really.  I’m not freaking out.  I am very, very happy for him.  My future double doctor.  He is going to do great things.  I admire that about him.  The plan is to support him wherever he decides to go.  That’s what I’m here for.

This is going to be a great semester.  I just know it.  I’m going to get amazing grades, and I’m going to be one semester closer to wherever I want to be.  What’s next after that?  Graduate school, leave the country, write a fantastic book about a great and unfamiliar group of people somewhere in the middle of nowhere.  That’s what I want to do.  When it comes to myself, I have high hopes and even higher expectations.