But seriously, it's been rather busy the past few weeks. I've actually been so busy and unable to keep up with the blog that I missed an opportunity to put up a blog post about an onsen trip with my friends. (And that trip was a while ago!) It was a cross between work and school that kept me on my feet. I would be out all day, with the occasional return for food, and I would be extremely tired from work and studying that by night time I just would not be able to focus. My thesis research even took an impact; I was hoping to be farther ahead than I am now.
This past week was the pinnacle of my hectically long days, mainly due to it being the end of the third quarter. I had a thesis research presentation, preparations for a paper presentation at an international conference next week, and a total of three papers due, one that I seriously wouldn't have been able to complete without the help of a classmate due to the difficulty of the material. Between working on said papers and presentation, and actually working, it was a wonder that I managed to survive. I took extra hours in the lab to get everything done, which was very difficult given the constant distractions by e-mail and the responsibilities of being a TA as well.
That being said, tonight was the end. After finishing and submitting the last paper in the morning, assisting with test proctoring in the afternoon, and working during the evening, I was finally done. I have no more major deadlines between now and when I fly home for the holidays. To celebrate this newfound freedom, I took a trip to the York Benimaru in the southern portion of the main city for groceries. I actually put Tackawanna's top down, turned on the heater, put on some eurobeat, and hit up Fukushima Prefecture Route 64, dancing along to the music and guffawing at how I'd managed to survive the week. I haven't even had time lately to go to the store due to my packed schedule, much less go anywhere. In fact, it's been about a month since I last filled up Tackawanna, and I still have half a tank of fuel!
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| 「こんばんは〜」- Tackawanna |
It's a huge weight off my shoulders, mainly because of the looming deadlines and their importance for my grades in class. The constant struggle with keeping everything up-to-date and on time was mentally exhausting me. I actually struggled to finish writing that last paper, which is very unusual because writing papers is the best thing that I can do. Not to mention the weirdness of my schedule, where it was hard for me to even keep up with chores. In fact, we had a holiday on Wednesday last week. (It was a one-day holiday, and such a thing is common in Japan, apparently.) I had plans to go to the lab that day, albeit a bit later in the morning. However, it had occurred to me as I was getting ready to shower that I had run out of clean underwear. I was so busy and preoccupied with other things that I now had to wait for the laundry to clean my underwear. Needless to say, I did not go to the lab that day, instead working from home and otherwise semi-relaxing with the constant worry about meeting my deadlines. The laundry machines were practically running for 12 hours straight because of me.
But now, things are going to slow down a bit. I'll still be working three days a week, but the hours will be more consistent. I'll also have more time to work on my research, as I have no classes for the fourth quarter. The wind ensemble and Sound Baccano is playing at the school's Christmas Party in two weeks. And tomorrow, I'll be going to another gathering held by Saito-san, my mechanic. This time, it'll be at an izakaya, and it'll be the first time I've gone out to eat in quite some time. I'll certainly drink to that. (But in moderation, of course. I'll need to drive home.)
-wp
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