A force that’s always tired.

Today, I let myself sleep a tad late. I woke up and reviewed slowly loading work emails on my phone. I then opened my calendar app and had a slight panic, jumped out of bed, and started the shower. I needed to leave in 15 minutes for a doctor’s appointment that I’d entirely forgotten about. My time in the shower allowed me to stress a bit about work responsibilities and looming end of semester due dates. I got out and threw on clothes just in time, however. I kissed my cat Wolfgang on the head, grabbed breakfast of a can of coke and bottle of water, and flew down the stairs and to my car. Covered in pollen on the outside, and full of heat and humidity on the inside and I considered the importance of cracking my windows and going through a car wash. The level of trash in my car is a direct representation of my current level of stress. Stopping for a car wash will also be good for convincing me to remove the empty bottles and cans.

Anyway, off to my appointment I drove, calling my boyfriend on the way to tell him of my droll morning in an excited tone. Off the phone I listened to the podcast RadioLab. My mind wandered to starting a blog series on my personal site where I write about each day no matter how interesting or otherwise as a way to show how boring an exciting life can be or maybe how exciting a boring life can be. I also thought of an idea of a blog series to pitch to my boyfriend for a blog I set up and manage for a Public Health honor society at my university.

Parked and checked in, I texted of the latter idea as I waited. The appointment started and ended. I had talked to my gynecologist about looking for an apartment and the stress of the end of the semester. She recommended an apartment to me.  After, I sat in my car typing out what you see here and above and further pitching the 2nd blog thought to a friend over text and to the club president and faculty advisor over GroupMe message. I texted my mom that the appointment was over and sent her my shopping list for me to refer to once at the store.

I finally sighed and buckled my seat belt, putting home into google maps and searching along the route for what store to stop at. Research, paper writing, and full time job responsibilities awaiting me at home. Oh, and vacuuming.

I parked at Walmart and typed some more here. I’m trying to fully decide what this blog series even is and what my daily routine will be to get it done.

Shopping complete and homeward bound. I talked to my mom in brief about my morning, and trainings I’d been planning for said honor society, the new blog series I’d been thinking over and learned of her and my dad’s recent escapades and upcoming vacation.

I responded to email and completed some work tasks once home, made a quick meal, and sat to eat. My phone buzzed, a calendar reminder of my upcoming American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) weekly Student Think Tank meeting. How did the day get so far ahead of me? I messaged the team, then searched for the Zoom link and joined while laying on the couch with Wolfgang cuddled in next to me. Tiredness set in what had been a fairly energized day thus far. We discussed our plan for the American Public Health Association (APHA) conference, our LinkedIn presence, and a few miscellaneous updates. My boyfriend arrived home from work during my call. I joined him in bed as we scrolled through our phones and chatted about our days. We both promptly fell asleep for an unscheduled evening nap. Once awake again, I returned to a grant proposal significance portion that I am working on with a professor. I’m so close to finishing this portion of my to-do list and yet need to find further peer reviewed academic articles to cite for at least one portion, and I’m growing tired again.

I am a force. A force that’s often late. A force that’s stumbling. A force that’s always tired. A force that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. 

• AJPH Student Think Tank
• UNF ESG Honorary Society
• Pre-Professional Community Health Chronicle
• LinkedIn