Happy April Fools! Today marks the second day of reading period here at Wellesley, which is no laughing matter. I’m currently knee deep in research for my final history essay, and I’m preparing to take my Tolstoy exam tomorrow, too.
I will be the first to admit that this term definitely kicked my butt, and at the end of it I really feel a lot more exhausted than I am satisfied. Even in the face of all of that, though, there are still things to be celebrating, so I decided to call back upon my lists of things to be happy about from last semester! Without further ado, here are ten good things from this week:
1. Taco Bell
Today I had a very extreme and completely out of nowhere craving for Taco Bell, so I took to the internet and found that yes, there is a Taco Bell within delivery distance of Wellesley College (if that’s something you were worried about, I’m happy to have alleviated your fears) and I immediately texted my partner in crime and an hour later found myself eating a beef chalupa in Anastasija’s dorm. I would rate it 10/10, best lunch of the week, would do it again in a heartbeat.
2. Late Night Adventures with Anastasija
While we’ve both been completely drained this term and haven’t been able to spend as much time hanging out as we would have liked, Anastasija and I still make a point of getting meals together whenever possible, and that includes Late Night at Lulu. My favorite is always the chicken tenders, but tonight’s pancakes were also a win!
3. Fun Times with Lev Tolstoy
If you don’t know the story of Russian author Leo Tolstoy’s death, this is your sign to look it up right now because it is the wildest tale. Seriously, I was in fits when Hodge was telling it during class on Tuesday. There’s so much drama and it’s absolutely insane. There’s a book based on it and a Helen Mirren movie based on that book and I’ve just ordered the book and will let you know how it is as soon as I’m finished with it.
4. Exam Snacks
The dining halls are doing special snacks between lunch and dinner for finals week and I don’t think that requires much explanation as to its awesomeness. Tomorrow is fried dough, which a google search has informed me is pretty much the slightly inferior, Northeastern version of a funnel cake. I’m looking forward to the county fair nostalgia. Funnel cakes are always my mom’s favorite.
5. Care Package from Home
My mom sent me an awesome care package this week which included many fun things and snacks but most importantly a very interesting Bible coloring book in celebration of Easter. As a Catholic, I should be celebrating this Sunday, but we’ve been lapsed since pretty much right after I was baptized, so it’s always a riot to go over things I Should Technically Know About Christianity with my Orthodox Christian blockmate who grew up wanting to be a priest. The coloring book definitely gave us a laugh, particularly the page below:
6. Ice Cream in the Dining Halls
Again, this item is fairly self explanatory. I discovered that, while Lulu has all of the fancy flavors, Tower tends to carry chocolate and vanilla almost everyday, and as a person with very simple ice cream tastes I’ve been making the trip down there much more often.
7. Pajamas
Exam week means no class, and no class means I wear pajamas all day. It’s awesome and almost worth the headache I’ve given myself reading history texts on the computer all day.
8. Sunday Picnic
Last week’s scheduled picnic was postponed for this Sunday, and I can’t wait! Anastasija wants to get a cheesecake, and I am 100% on board with this.
9. Discount Easter Candy
While I may not be completely informed on the religious side of the holiday, I am 100% certain that on Monday there will be half price chocolate bunnies and Reese’s peanut butter eggs at CVS, and I am all in on that action. Reese’s eggs are the best part of spring.
10. Break!
After this insane and draining term, I cannot express how exciting the prospect of a week where I have almost zero responsibilities is. I’m hoping to finish Grapes of Wrath, which I actually started during the weeklong break last semester. I’m also hoping to take lots of naps and watch many episodes of the Muppet Show.
Life is crazy right now- and always, really- but it’s also dealing with all of that crazy and writing those papers and taking those exams that earns us chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and surprise ice cream sandwiches on Thursday afternoons, so I really can’t complain too much. For all that makes me want to lie down on the ground in the middle of the quad and just stop for a while, there’s always something else to keep me going, and it’s those little things that make me happy to be here even when I desperately want to be home back in bed with my cats in Iowa. There’s always a reason to keep moving forward.
Sending you joy,
R
P.S. The title, as you can tell from the header image, is from my second favorite Simon and Garfunkel song. Ten points to anyone who can guess number one- in theme and setting it could be linked to both books mentioned in this week’s post!