Still Got It

I went out last night for the first time in ages. Okay, the first time in a couple of weeks. It's not as though I've declared a moratorium on fun, it's just that I tend to do most of my drinking at home. It's cheaper there, and the view is much better. Also, I get to barbeque and smoke cigars at the same time.

In any case, Andrea and I went out to celebrate her friend's birthday last night, and it was a really good time. We did, perhaps, leave a little early (we were home by around 1:00 am) but the point is this - I drank, partied, and then proceeded to wake up at 6:45 am for work, absolutely no worse for wear.

This kind of surprises me, considering that there were times when I wasn't able to do this when I was substantially younger, let alone when I'm less than a month from turning 25. I was a little confused at first, but then I realized what the substantial difference was: I'm actually looking after myself these days.

That may surprise you. Indeed, it's likely that the the last time you saw me, I was eating 3/4 a pound of near-raw red meat and smoking a cigar the size of a regulation football.

The big difference is that I'm not pushing myself as hard as I used to. I'm not running around like an idiot, sacrificing sleep and exercise to get stuff done that doesn't really need to be done in the first place. I had a really productive day out at the cottage not long ago, and I think it's just taken my body this long to recover from all the stresses of school, work, and travel.

The question is going to be whether or not I'm going to be able to maintain these habits, once I move to a new city and start a new job. I hope I can - I feel great these days, and don't want to gradually wear myself down to nothing again.

To all of those harried students out there, I have but one piece of advice: don't be afraid to set aside a little bit of "Me Time". Sleep late, make a big breakfast, read a good book, watch a good movie, call someone you haven't talked to in ages, and turn in early... as much as you may think you can't possibly afford that kind of time right now, it's so much easier than burning out well before your degree comes to an end.