Passing through the eye of the storm
I wake up this morning to sunshine: bright golden rays pushing through the blinds, dancing on the floor of my dormitory. It's Saturday, June 8th and I, having inhabited on multiple occasions the purgatory known as the Portland State University library past midnight, have officially survived through dead week at PSU.
During the prior week, life was a constant stream of assignments, papers, and presentations, in which I had constantly dealt with unexpected circumstances and had my patience tested. However, in two days, I will board a plane for Washington, D.C., where I will join a number of other RLASP participants for domestic orientation before leaving for Almaty, Kazakhstan for two months.
Throughout my past two years of university, I had always considered dead week to be the worst. My professors and friends mistakenly call it "death week," but they are not wrong - it's not the week that is dead, but rather the students who are fatigued and, well, dead. Finals week, in contrast, did not require me to attend classes, nor did it require me to tie up loose ends between my work and circle of friends. Rather, I had to worry about only final exams and final essays.
Don't get me wrong - finals week is still stressful, especially when summer term shortly follows. Nevertheless, it is the final stretch; a taste of freedom, a light at the end of the long, treacherous tunnel. I have made it through the worst and am currently passing through the eye of the storm, with more trials to come shortly.
It's weird: every now and then, I realize just how close things are to ending. I will be walking, taking a shower, or just sitting in class, when I hear a phrase and, for whatever reason, I suddenly realize that, in less than a week, I will be thousands of miles away from my current location, in a different city and country completely foreign to me, with a different set of rules, set of values, and language.
But for now, there is still work to complete and tasks to finish, so I will enjoy today's serenity and prepare myself for the looming hardships encroaching from the horizon.
During the prior week, life was a constant stream of assignments, papers, and presentations, in which I had constantly dealt with unexpected circumstances and had my patience tested. However, in two days, I will board a plane for Washington, D.C., where I will join a number of other RLASP participants for domestic orientation before leaving for Almaty, Kazakhstan for two months.
Throughout my past two years of university, I had always considered dead week to be the worst. My professors and friends mistakenly call it "death week," but they are not wrong - it's not the week that is dead, but rather the students who are fatigued and, well, dead. Finals week, in contrast, did not require me to attend classes, nor did it require me to tie up loose ends between my work and circle of friends. Rather, I had to worry about only final exams and final essays.
Don't get me wrong - finals week is still stressful, especially when summer term shortly follows. Nevertheless, it is the final stretch; a taste of freedom, a light at the end of the long, treacherous tunnel. I have made it through the worst and am currently passing through the eye of the storm, with more trials to come shortly.
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It's weird: every now and then, I realize just how close things are to ending. I will be walking, taking a shower, or just sitting in class, when I hear a phrase and, for whatever reason, I suddenly realize that, in less than a week, I will be thousands of miles away from my current location, in a different city and country completely foreign to me, with a different set of rules, set of values, and language.
But for now, there is still work to complete and tasks to finish, so I will enjoy today's serenity and prepare myself for the looming hardships encroaching from the horizon.
Thank you for your time in doing this to let us read and know your daily routines. Love you ... God speed son <3
ReplyDeleteWow, after all the struggles and darkness, you can finally see the daylight of unknown place where you can have the ultimate FREEDOM.. freedom to see what's beyond the beauty and epic story of the place... freedom to explore the nook and cranny of your dream place and dance in the rain without care! very happy and so proud of you Yves. you more than deserve this break! Have fun.
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