Grateful for...

You would think that school and work would be a person's most stressful places to be. School and work happen to be my places of refuge recently. It might be strange but I actually look forward to going to class and work because when I am there all I am asked to do is focus on my work, nothing else. Isn't that kind of comforting? In my prob. & stat. class all I'm asked to think about is the probability that a bottle will overflow if the mean setting on a machine is 12.5 oz. And when I go to work all I need to think about is taking drink orders (and not spilling them) and serving each guest the right dinner (and I get paid for these things which is an added bonus). 

Its everything else in my life that is causing a bit of craziness. Trying to figure out student teaching (and all the exams I need to pass) is work in itself, along with moving into a new apartment (twice, because we have a week in between when we move out of our old place and when we can move in to our new place). And somewhere in there I need to teach myself graphic design since that is half of what I am teaching in my high school classes.

All this is to say that I am grateful for a spontaneous camping trip with my roommate Jen tonight. We're heading to Racoon Creek State Park to hang by the lake (and pretend its the ocean), make a fire, roast marshmallows, and just relax. I won't be thinking about classes, work, teaching, moving, or anything else stressful but instead focus on the beauty of nature around me and having fun with a best friend. What else could you ask for?

Happy Monday

[photos via Andrew and Carissa]