This week was exhausting, but in a good way. There were assignments to due for my class, my internship had multiple tasks to carry out, and my civic engagement program had us participate in volunteer activities. My schedule went from nothing to do to swamped with work in a matter of 24 hours. Thankfully, most of the work was fairly simple, and I was able to complete it on time. Although I had to stay up late a few nights, I also had to get up early the following morning. I don't normally drink coffee, but desperate times call for desperate measures!

Waking Up Early, Going to Bed Late

It seems every event likes to take place on Sunday. My alarm woke me up at 5:30 a.m., and I slowly stirred from my sleep. Groggy and tired, I got ready and met a group of fellow students from my civic engagement program. We waited in the lobby until a bus came and picked us up at 6:30 a.m. to take us to our destination.

The Veterans program was the civic engagement project that I decided to participate in. It has been an issue that I've wanted to learn more about, and this project was a perfect opportunity. On this particular day, we were going to volunteer with Team Red White and Blue, who happen to be a veterans group helping to reintegrate veterans into everyday society. This activity had us volunteering in a 10-mile race at Reston, Virginia.

Our bus finally arrived at the race, and we all grabbed our gear. We were going to help direct traffic at several intersections so the runners could safely make their way through the course. After making our way through the course, we got to our stations and prepared for the runners. Aside from a few jerks, most of the commuters traveling in vehicles were patient and friendly.

The cold weather did little to dissuade the runners from participating. There were still a couple hundred participants who were enthusiastic about the race. Between all the high fives and friendly chatter, I met very interesting people from all over the capital region. Even though it was early in the morning, this sort of energy seemed to keep me wide awake, or it could have been the blistering cold wind. Regardless, it was an awesome experience.

Work Versus Play

I got back to my apartment by 12 p.m. I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to get some homework done, and maybe even squeeze in a nap. My roommate greeted me at the door and asked if I would like to go to the aquarium with him and his friends. I decided to go with him, and spent the day going from the aquarium, to Arlington, and to Georgetown. We didn't get back until late that night, but it was fun exploring the city.

Since I neglected to do my homework, I had to stay up late the following night to read and write up case studies for my class. I was busy during the day as well. My internship had us participate in interpretation events with visitors, and a research project regarding the Wood Thrush. These assignments kept me busy for most of the week.

There were also some housekeeping issues to address as well. I had neglected to grocery shop, clean, or do laundry for a while. My latest culinary strategy involves making a large dish and surviving on left overs for the next few days. The only problem was that I had run out of left overs, so I had to grocery shop. I also spent a while catching up on laundry and cleaning the apartment, in between my homework and internship.

In the end, it was a very productive week. Even though there were a lot of assignments, I never felt overwhelmed. It was simply a matter of shrugging and buckling-down to finish the homework. Plus, I felt very accomplished at the end of the week once my apartment was cleaned and I had finished my homework. Just remember that no matter how far you go, or how much you run, homework will always find you.