Recharge

I may be a bubbly, crazy, extrovert in the eyes of many of you, but deep down inside of me is a shy, little girl who sometimes likes to be alone. In my attempts to surround myself with friends, occupy my time with all the exciting amenities of the city, and be the independent woman I expect of myself, I sometimes go to much, talk to much, and try to hard. And it's times like those, where I realize I'm not superwoman, and no one expects me to be.

This weekend after yet another week full of adventures and an evening birthday party that lasted well into the night Friday, I felt the need to recharge my batteries since they'd been sitting on "E" since August began. The weather was perfect outside, and it allowed me a great opportunity to relax outside and enjoy the beauty of occasional solitude and quiet peace.

Saturday I woke up around 9 and drove the few blocks to the metro to drop off my friend that crashed at my house after the party and parked my car near a local Cosi (equivalent of Panera but slightly better in some ways) and grabbed a breakfast wrap inside, stepped across the street to Starbucks to grab a latte, and walked back to the Cosi corner street cafe area where I parked myself for a good 2 hours. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, not hot, not cold, not windy or super sunny, just perfect. I made friends with a nice family from South Carolina who was moving their Clemson-student daughter in at the TFAS (still not sure what it stands for) internship dorms which are apparently housed in a rowhouse directly across from the Cosi. We didn't talk much, but I did learn they were from SC, and I ran into them several other times throughout the day on the Hill.

I've been reading this book from my roommate Allison's never-ending supply of books called "The Cellist of Sarajevo" by Steven Galloway. It's a very solemn book that chronicles the lives of 3 people in wartime Sarajevo and how their lives intertwine with a young cellist who sits at the site of a shell-devastated bakery and plays the same song every day at a certain time for 22 days in his personal attempt to regain peace within himself and within the town. So far, I've really enjoyed it. In fact, I'm very disappointed I left it in the car tonight, because I won't be able to read another chapter today! But what I lack today, I made up for on Saturday.

After a good 2 hours on the patio (it's not patrolled by waitresses), I hopped in my car and drove back home for a nice bath, some laptop research, and a long chat with my parents (and maybe a little nap...). And then I strolled back to the same area for a late afternoon lunch/early dinner at SweetGreen (last week's post). There again I sat on the street and enjoyed the people watching and my book for a couple more hours. This one pigeon that looked like an albino with red eyes kept hopping around near me. So cute!

I had offers for evening plans, but I just couldn't bring myself to get out of the little bubble of tranquility I was experiencing. I was almost afraid that if I spoke to anyone or went anywhere beyond the Hill that I would lose it, the bubble that is, not my sanity. So after turning down my offers, I walked the 10 blocks to Harris Teeter, the nearest Red Box location, for a movie (well 2) and a bottle of red wine. I picked out "An Education" for seriousness and "The Bounty Hunter" to lighten the mood before I went to sleep.

I casually strolled home and arrived just a little before sundown, opened my bottle of wine, made myself a quick bowl of yogurt and berries, and planted myself in my bed watching my movies for the rest of the night. I thought about blogging, but I decided to go almost communication-less the whole day, except for the one call home, and Allen's quick call on my way to Harris Teeter.

To you, it may sound like the most boring day ever, but I must tell you, I woke up Sunday and today feeling extremely well-rested, and very happy. I took some time to think about things during my time alone, and I've got some changes I want to make, but they're all things that I should've been doing all along. Sometimes, we just get so busy playing the game of life that we forget to stop and recharge. If you haven't done so in a while, I strongly recommend it. Don't be afraid of the quiet or of the solitude, just enjoy it.

Much love! xo SY