Regressing & Progressing

Last week was a tough week for many reasons. Nothing exceptionally awful happened, but I could tell that I was losing my drive. My grades were a little lower. I interacted with fewer people. I stayed up later putting off work I didn’t want to do. I also skipped out on my weekly blog post and neglected my daily Bible reading. (I’m trying to do a “read the Bible in a year challenge.”) I spent the weekend telling myself, “You’ll get back on track. You can do it. Just push through it.”

But I didn’t push, and I’m glad I didn’t. I spent my weekend locked in my room watching some Law and Order SVU on Netflix and cleaning out my cluttered desk. I did some laundry and gave myself a facial. I ate a pint of cookie dough ice cream. I doodled. And you know what? By time I woke up on Monday, I felt a lot better about everything. I honestly can’t remember what it was that put me in that Mood. (I think everyone has experienced that  Mood at least once.)

For this week’s post, I decided to remind myself of the progress I’m making on the little things in life. I’m worn out from writing, so I decided to ease back into blogging with something simple.

Six Years Ago…

• I had moved to Arkansas and started school at a high school I absolutely hated.
• I auditioned for All-State for the first time and made the women’s chorus.
• I quit piano and started taking voice lessons.
• I never once went out with any of my friends.
• I went on my first date ever.
• I became an active member and then a moderator of a group of gaming/roleplaying/writing forums.
• I went to Washington D.C. for the first time.

This Year…

• I’m pushing through my last semester at a college I love (in Arkansas); if everything works out, I’ll graduate with highest honors.
• This semester alone, I’m singing solos at 3 separate concerts. I’ll also be performing Brahms’s Requiem with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and several other college choirs this weekend.
• In addition to voice lessons, I’ve started playing my flute again and continue to be an active member in theatre.
• I may not socialize a lot, but I’m a leader in several different student organizations including my sorority, the English honor society (Sigma Tau Delta), and the student ambassadors.
• I’ve decided that I’m content being single; and I’m going to wait on the dating until I’m comfortable with myself.
• The forums I used to moderate revived with many of the old members. Reuniting with internet friends was a huge plus to my year.
• This past school year I’ve traveled to Japan, Chicago, Houston, and Dallas. I’ll be returning to Washington D.C. this April to present my research paper “I Always Feel Like Somebody’s Watching Me: A New Historicist Approach to 1925” at the Alpha Chi National Convention.

When I look at where I’ve been, it’s easier to see how far I’ve come. What about you guys? Do you ever feel as though you’re going nowhere fast?