Convenience

I had a fire in my belly. I wanted to get out of this state, and do something new; to fly out of the country; to drive a thousand miles south, and watch the weather change gradually from cold and snowing to 80 degrees and sunny. Maybe I just wanted to do something that I won't forget to help me remember this exact moment in my life. In a short week, I'll be leaving my unstructured, freelancing ways for a full time work schedule. I'm excited to finally do so, but I want to make the best of what's left of it.

I don't mean to sound resentful, but the metaphorical fire in my belly has been metaphorically pissed on by pretty much everyone I turned to. Disappointment, I suppose, is what I'm feeling. It's unfortunate that we've reached the point in our lives when spontaneity is either impossible or inconvenient.

For me, this year is just about to get started, and so February is not too late to make goals for the new year. I have two:

1. Excel at work: The past few years in my life have been characterized by me spreading myself too thin between my interests. This year I will reinvest countless hours spent studying into work at Broad. What's more is I will finally be getting paid for it. Research and work are now one and the same.
2. Spend waking hours alive: There are 112 waking hours in a week. 40 of these will be spent at work. This leaves me with 72 hours to live my life however I want. My goal, is simply not to let convenience influence my actions too heavily. If I want to travel to Niagara Falls with Ashley, if I haven't spent much time with friends, if I suddenly feel like catching a swell in Florida, I'll do it.
   

168 hrs/week - 40 hrs work - 56 hrs sleep = 72 hrs living