a brief escape

This semester has been a killer, with a 5-credit Statistics course (let’s just say math is not my forte!), and an upper-level History of Women & Gender in America course that is giving me, a voracious reader with a love for history, a run for my money in keeping up with the reading. I truly didn’t ever think I could read too much, but I think I’ve hit the wall…

Add to that an extremely busy and stressful work life, a teenager who’s learning to drive (enough said!), laundry and meals and grocery shopping that, sadly, have not done themselves (no matter how much I pray!) and you can see why I’m feeling a little overwhelmed with life at the moment (and even developed an annoying eye-tic).

This week at the university is spring break, which usually means nothing to me since I work the whole time, regardless. However, this year I decided to use some of my precious annual leave and actually take a day or two to myself. Monday I spent laboring over two essay exams for the history class, and yesterday I had planned to get ahead in the readings.

But then.

Then a friend I haven’t been able to see in way too long asked me to lunch, and I accepted. On my way out the door I grabbed my camera bag on an impulse. After lunch, I just couldn’t force myself to go home, so I did what I’ve been longing to do since August: I wandered!

Up and down Blacksmith Fork Canyon I drove, stopping frequently along the way to look for signs of spring and taking pictures of whatever caught my eye: mostly dried heads of teasel which I’ve long been enamored with,  mountain tops barely covered with snow (a rarity for this time of year), sagebrush, the river, rocks… On over towards Wellsville and then along the dusty back road into Paradise, then finally out to Porcupine Reservoir.

It’s amazing how refreshing it can be to take even a few hours  to restore yourself! Today I’m feeling like I can conquer the world. Now if I can just keep that feeling  for about 6 more weeks… 😉