Home!

I am home! I just demonstrated for my parents my new yoga skills and, somewhat surprisingly, did not bump into any furniture or break anything. My parents arrived in Williamstown this evening to pick me up. We went to services and ate dinner at the JRC. There were far fewer people at dinner (around 30) than usual, which was a nice change of pace.

I forgot to/didn't have time to pack before dinner, so we spent a while in my room before leaving. Packing was a very confusing process for me primarily because I am sleep-deprived, but also because I'll be in several different places over spring break (Philadelphia, Arizona) and so I had to think about that.

I suppose I should explain how my spring break will proceed from here. My parents and I have been invited to the wedding of my second cousin. So tomorrow (technically today) we will go to the wedding which will take place just outside of New York. From there I will take a train to Philadelphia where I have a doctor's appointment. While I'm there I will visit with a friend from home who now goes to University of Pennsylvania. Then I will go home somehow, probably by train, on Monday. On Saturday, I will fly to Arizona where I and nine other Williams students will be for a week volunteering at a school in the Navajo Nation reservation. And by the time all of this is over, classes will begin again and I will return to lovely Williamstown.

On the way home tonight, I was thinking about the hours between 12-3am on weeknights. Campus grows quiet and, though many of us who are awake are working busily, distinctly calm. No one has meetings to go to, meals to squeeze in, class to miss. We simply work until we can work no longer, once either no work remains or we have fallen asleep. It is perhaps not instinctive or healthy for humans to be awake so late, but I have come to really enjoy it.

The only problem, then, is that I have class at 8:45 two days each week and I have been having serious problems waking up on time. I haven't actually missed very much class time, which is fortunate. The problem has more to do with the time before class, which ideally would be spent eating breakfast, taking a shower, brushing teeth, etc. I also like to spend some time lounging around before I start my day. So when I wake up at 8:30, I don't really have any of those options. I suppose, ultimately, I will enjoy the hours between 12 and 3 when I happen upon them, but as a general rule, I will try to get a healthy amount of sleep.

My mom suggested on the way home that I could take afternoon naps. I think this is a promising idea which I might try out after break.

I just spent a long time showing my dad around facebook. He has an account now, but is unsure of quite what to do with it. So we selected and uploaded a picture and friended me.

I think that facebook could end up being an excellent medium for people who are uncomfortable with the internet to figure things out. You don't have to do anything to be entertained. You can just watch the newsfeed and browse around, looking at what other people are doing. Then, when you feel ready, you can try something like posting on someone's wall. But even before you take an active role, it is still engaging.

I can feel the temperature in the house dropping. The heat goes off after midnight or some time like that, and in the winter it can get down to just above 50 degrees. Saves energy, but I think it also helps us sleep. And helps us want to sleep if we are not sleeping already. So on that note, I will move towards bed. I will possibly post before leaving for the wedding tomorrow, - wow, the dishwasher just turned off! It's so quiet now! - and if not then, I'll write something from Philadelphia.

Happy travels to any traveling Williams folk!