The Week I had an affair with the library

As anyone who has talked to me this past week has learned I have two essays due on Thursday November 8th and in an effort to stay ahead of them I started working on them last weekend and going into this week.

Monday I was supposed to be giving my presentation on Walt Whitman in my American literature class, but my professor was sick and class was canceled. So instead I headed off to the library to begin research on my paper and to work on my math homework. Monday night I didn't have any activities to attend and overall it was a pretty good day.

Tuesday I had my empty mornings which I really enjoy because I was able to start my laundry and go on a run, which prompted the decision that this week I will be going to purchase leggings/tights specifically made for running in colder weather. I also spent some time in the library before heading off to class. I was proud of myself for finding two secondary sources for my Social Movements. Then I had my Mass Media class where I listened to a lecture on television in America which was especially interesting for me. That night I went to Lindsey Block for a birthday celebration for two of my friends Cagla and Michael, Michael's birthday was that Tuesday and Cagla's was Sunday. Then I closed out my evening with a trip to Sacred Space, this week's form of alternative prayer was a guided prayer with moments of meditation within it.

Wednesday was quite an interesting day. I went to my math class like normal. Then spent more time in the library reading through the two secondary sources I had already found and making an outline of where I wanted to go with my paper. Then I took the Baker Bus for the first time (I normally take the 25 which is a different company) to go to Matt and Sam's house for our discussion group. (I really like going over to their house because its just nice to be in a house rather than a dorm/university setting, it is one of my favorite things about DG is it feels like a home not a dorm so there is a balance of home and university but I don't really have that here so I am always grateful of the time I spend at their house) We discussed our Social Movements essay and I realized that I in fact needed 6 secondary sources and the outline that I had created was too specific for the prompt. Following that I went to the Christian Union's Mega Halls group discussion, which was interesting to say the least. I didn't realize my beliefs would seem so liberal and it was sometimes really difficult to be the only person in a group who felt that way and have to defend my beliefs from other Christians peppering me with questions. After that I decided that my costume would be diligent college student and my party location would be the library as I searched for other secondary sources (luckily Sam had helped me find a place that had recommendations I could look through).

Thursday morning I skimmed my secondary sources to make sure they were in fact what I was looking for and one was not as useful as I had hoped so it was back to the library for me. After my Social Movements class that morning of course (this week and last week my social movements class has been taught by the professor of my literature class while my regular professor has surgery and it has been a really interesting and different experience. I could probably write an entire blog post on my literature professor and how interesting he is and maybe I will at the end of the semester). So back in the library trying to find that last elusive source I discovered that I had been totally missing AN ENTIRE SECTION of the library. I didn't know it existed and that was why I couldn't locate some of the books on my list. It was a serious eureka moment. I even tweeted about it. Then it was nose to the grindstone and reading all of my sources and pulling out quotes that I could use for my paper. After my math class I worked more on my resources and finding quotes and finally made an outline of my paper including the quotes so I would have something to follow. Thursday night is Jesus Jam night which is honestly still my favorite night of the week and this week Alyssa and Hannah were there which made it even better.

Friday after class it was more library. So.....much.....library. I did take a break to attend a short All Soul's Day service. The upside of this library and room dedicated time, I was writing my paper. Actually writing it. To be honest that is the hardest part for me, actually having a rough draft. I can do the prep work of an essay for days and as annoying as it is editing an essay is okay but actually sitting down to get a rough draft out is a serious uphill battle for me. I'm hoping at this point you can imagine what a great achievement it was for me to be writing a draft on Friday when the paper isn't due until the next Thursday. I didn't quite finish the draft that night but it was close enough that I let myself go to sleep.

Saturday was pretty great. I was up early but it was to take a train (well 2 actually) to Stratford-Upon-Avon to see a performance of The Merry Wives of Windsor by the Royal Shakespeare Company! I went with Hannah and Andrea and it was so much fun. We saw Shakespeare's birthplace and the cemetery where he is buried. We walked along the Avon river and saw the Swans that it is famous for. The play was wonderful and so funny. We had a delicious dinner at a restaurant called Rose and Crown. I had something called Hunter's Chicken which was chicken with mozzarella and bacon covered in barbeque sauce and served with chips (fries) and it was so good! Then we took a train (okay okay it was two) back and on one of them we played Pirate Fluxx on a table, it was pretty awesome. I also realized how much I appreciate when dad talks to the strangers interested in the weird card games we play so I don't have to because when I do have to I get super nervous. Plus I finished my paper.

Finally today I went to the TEN:15 service at the chapel and after a couple weeks of not going because of travel it was really nice to be back. Then lunch at Lindsey Bar where I traded off a brief discussion of American Politics for everyone explaining Guy Fawkes Day (which they call Bonfire night) to me. I struggled a lot with my math homework which is due tomorrow. Then as I was microwaving Pizza for dinner (don't judge me it was good pizza) I had to explain Thanksgiving to one of the girls in my hall whose only knowledge of it came from that one episode of Friends.

This week is reading week which means I won't be having two of my classes but it also marks the conclusion of the great essays abroad saga so it will be interesting all around. The good news is my reward at the end of the week for turning in said torturous essays is Paris. Here's to the light at the end of the tunnel!