***IT'S OVER!!!***

So...I do believe that tonight has been the greatest night I have had basically all summer! As of 6:55 PM, I officially completed my summer semester! Actually, I was SO done at about 5:50 when the professor gave us a break, that I ducked out of class early! If you have read any of my blog, you know that this has, by far, been the absolute most difficult summer of my life! Taking 5 classes in the summer is basically insane, but I had to do it to keep myself on track...not because I was trying to be Superwoman!

It was quite interesting as I walked out of the building. Slowly, with each step, I felt the tension begin to unravel. I could almost see the stress seeping out of my flip-flops each time my foot hit the ground. Can you picture Forrest Gump...running free from his leg braces?!? Well, that was me, only my leg braces were a complete body cast, extra thick in the back and neck, made of stress and tension and frustration and fatigue. I had a whole montage of the Rocky theme song, Eye of the Tiger, and "Run, Sarah, Run!" going through my head! Something so insignificant and minimal to anyone else was a moment of complete and utter freedom, celebration and instant gratification like I have never before experienced. It was like the water bursting out of the fountains at the Belagio!

So, now, for the next TEN whole days, I get to breathe! I get to relax and have fun. I don't have to worry about homework, studying, attending class, posting for my online class, preparing lesson plans, etc. A friend of mine asked me what I plan to do with my week off and all I could come up with, initially, was NOTHING! I don't want to pack everyday with billions of things to do. Excluding a short road trip, or some quality time at the gym, I'm not sure I want to leave the house! There are certain people that I will absolutely make time for...and I look forward to that quality time without the stress of school always lingering in the back of my head. Either way, it's going to be a great week!

It's funny how external situations wreak so much havoc on our bodies. As I went to the O.D., he was slightly appalled as he had to crack 6 ribs back into place last week, and another 8 vertebrae back into place this week. No accidents, no phycial injury, no over-exercising to speak of...simply stressing over school has turned my muscles to rocks and literally knocked my back out of place. From now on, regardless of the level of stress, I'm going to do my best to listen to my body and recognize the effects of stress early on. It's just not worth it to continually ignore the signs that something is not quite right and keep pushing our bodies to limits that really aren't necessary. Had I kept tabs on my back, I could have started early on in the summer and gotten adjusted more often. However, because I put it off so long, there are knots the size of limes that will take a long time and lot of massage to ultimately work out.

But, at this point, I am just very grateful that I survived such a rigorous summer, that things turned out well, and I am able to regroup just in time for the Fall semester. It really is a blessing to have the opportunity to go to school and further my education, and is something I try not to take for granted. Even with all the stress and my complaining about that stress, I would never trade a moment of this experience for anything in the world! And it really is a blessing to have friends in life that care, and go to great efforts to show they care. In fact, just recently at the end of a very stressful day, I came home to find a huge boquet of pink and yellow roses, some of my favorite chocolate and candy, and of course a bottle of diet coke just waiting for me on my dresser. It was one of the sweetest things and most thoughtful things anyone has ever done for me! Definitely made my week and helped to lighten the load...just the knowledge that someone else recognized the difficult time and made an effort to reach out.

So, this marks the beginning of a nice 10-day vacation which I will enjoy to its fullest! Part of me is ready to relax, but a small part is ready to hit Fall semester and keep myself on the learning train for one more semester! I want to regroup, but also keep up the momentum!!! BRING IT ON!!!