Tightrope

I am well into the first quarter now. This is the fourth week for two of my classes and the third week for two others. Since the quarter system is 10 weeks (give or take a week for finals) then I'm a solid third of the way into these topics. Already my view and ability to read the research critically has improved. My ideas about my topic of interest have expanded. I can feel myself starting to pull ideas together, but I'm still overwhelmed by the readings and I have well more than my previous estimate of papers still to do.

This week I've completed my class readings (no simple feat as reading for the program is a very active process), have made significant progress on my group assignment, written the rough draft for my paper in my theory development class, started the rough draft for the qualitative class, thought deeply about the topic for my philosophy class, and managed to post this blog entry. Let's just stop and review that list....it is a thing of beauty. But wonderful accomplishments often have a steep price...

I haven't gone to the gym in two weeks. I have forgotten to eat on multiple occasions. My butt goes numb from sitting and reading all day. I haven't talked to important members of my family in weeks.

I think that my major failure for this first third of the first quarter is that I haven't managed to find my balance of school and life yet. It is time that I at least focus a little on that balance. I am nurse first, before almost anything else, and I know that health is not passively achieved. So starting on Thursday, I am going to avail myself of the campus gym.And then on Friday, I'm going to go back to the gym again. And maybe take a walk to the park too.
 
It won't be a problem - maybe I can jog on the treadmill and read my assignments at the same time!