Empowered and Energized

I have realized that I love to be busy, busy, busy. I think that even if I had magic hourglass that Hermione had in Harry Potter, I’d be just like Hermione and turn back time to re-do my days over again, just to fill them with more things to do. I wouldn’t go back in time and take a nap, or watch Project Runway. I’d probably clean my house, or arrange and decorate my patio or volunteer in an afterschool program, or actually practice yoga regularly.

As it is, I don’t have the time-turney thing yet I manage to fill my schedule to the max and stay happy. Maybe my love of staying busy is because I am an extrovert. Maybe because I think I have magic powers. I really don’t know. But I do know that even when I have a “break” from something, I am not really taking a break.

For example, last week Friday I finished my 10-week internship with The Firm. I technically started my two-week “break” before school starts again. Two weeks of leisure reading and sleeping-in, right? Ha. Here’s what actually happened:

Immediately after I left work, I got home where my mom and Auntie were making tutu costumes for our run in the Color Run for the next day. I helped cut and sort colorful tulle for a while, until I swept everyone off to a happy hour event that I had a hand in organizing with the group of Return Peace Corps Volunteers in Sacramento. I bounced between my RPCV cohort and my family for a few hours and then we zipped back home to finish our tutu making extravaganza and get ready for the “happiest 5k on earth” the next day.

Tutus and fairy wings! Oh My!

The Color Run on Saturday was SO much fun! It was like a giant Holi celebration so Tim and I got to feel happily nostalgic for the beautiful holidays we spent throwing powder and playing Pagwah in Guyana.

 

Before the color

 

 

After (and during) the color madness!

In between running through color and eating and drinking with family and friends, I had volunteered to help Tim set up his classroom since his students came back from break this week Monday. Luckily, our good friend Erin offered to help Tim and I get his classroom situated. Erin’s mom is a school teacher, so she has lots of experience hanging posters, making colorful borders and writing in legible block letters. It was a great help on Saturday evening and Sunday morning to have Erin help with the set up!

 

Tim's classroom is UCSD themed. Go Tritons!

So lets see, finish internship, RPCV event, make tutus, do color run, hang with fam, set up Tim’s classroom….what was next, I am sure I managed to shove a few million other things into the weekend…oh yes! Then on Sunday afternoon, after I took my Auntie to the airport, I drove in to San Francisco to meet a few college buddies for dinner and a belated “graduation ceremony” for my amazing friend Heather who just got her masters in speech pathology and is done with school forever!

 

We got Heather a lei (she never had one before) and a "cap" and "gown", made a graduation program and played Pomp and Circumstance on the iPhone. Much to the hilarity of the other restaurant patrons.

After a (surprisingly) amazing vegan meal with wonderful friends, did I decide that I had should chillax a little, like a sane person would do? Heck no! Instead I drove to San Jose to stay the night and have breakfast with my Emily friend, then on Monday headed into SF for the day for a whirlwind of back-to-school thrift store shopping, then I drove to Santa Rosa to help my Oma organize her art studio. Monday and Tuesday consisted of chatting with my Oma as I did things she shouldn’t be doing anymore, like standing on ladders, lifting heavy stepping stones, lifting boxes, running up and down stairs to put things away etc. Basically, projects followed by amazing meals and more back to school thrift-store shopping as rewards.

In the midst of all this madness, I have been working on organizing the Orientation Week for the new incoming law students. Orientation starts next week and there is much left to do. My co-chair and I have a scavenger hunt map to make, prizes to buy, a menu to finalize and much more. But Orientation is going to be awesome!

The week after Orientation, I start classes and I’m kidding myself if I think the pace of life will slow down when school starts. I will have to shift my focus back in to class mode and away from social and extra-curricular activities. But I will be no less busy. I am taking 17 units (the max allowed by the school). That is 7 classes (only 4 with finals), working as a research assistant for the Moot Court Competition team.

This may sound exhausting, and maybe I will have to reassess as classes get going and drop some things if the schedule is not tenable, but I don’t feel exhausted, overwhelmed or grumpy. I feel empowered! Like I mentioned, I love being busy! I am proud when I can accomplish all my many goals for the day and love that I constantly am challenging myself to keep all the balls in the air. I haven’t forgotten my motto (instilled in me last year, CTFO – chill the fuck out). I just don’t feel un-chill. I feel energized, empowered and ready to kick butt this upcoming year!

But seriously, if anyone knows where I can get Hermione’s time-turney thing, hook a sister up!