WonL
The random thoughts of an architect-turned- lawyer from the deep south living in Washington, DC...
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
De-stressed
I live my life with a million and one things on my plate. Since I have been dealing with an inability to say no and this over-achieverness my entire life, I have learned to manage my stress so it doesn't take over and make situations worse. Usually, I am pretty good at it. Usually. Lately I have been feeling extremely stressed out. I'm talking the "all I want to do is hide in my closet and sleep only I can't sleep because I have too much on my mind" kind of stressed out.Granted, I have a lot going on in my life, but I have had plenty more than this at once and not felt so weighed down. Let's see....I have to figure out which Bar exam to take, then do the 3,548 pages of paperwork that go along with it; I have to teach classes where students hang on my every word and I quite honestly don't know most of the answers; I have a 30-page paper to write that is going to take an insane amount of research and I have not begun; I am behind in every single one of my classes; I have two weddings for my two closest friends in the upcoming month, complete with showers, bachelorette parties, and a dress I barely fit into; my during-school job "fell through" and I have no money...wait...nail...head. I am so broke and it stresses me out.
Financial woes, like no other source of stress in my life, can bring me to my knees in an instant. To have no expendable income is such a consuming form of stress, one that I am just not good at handling. Prior to my trip this summer, co-workers told me "enjoy this because it may be your last opportunity to travel stress free for a while." And I did. And I cleaned out my savings in the process. Don't get me wrong, I would not change a single thing about this summer but I just wish that money did grow on trees or that London was less expensive. Which brings us full circle to my upcoming trip back to London. On my current budget, not only will I have zero dollars to spend in those three weeks, but I will also lack the rent money to leave with my roommate for January.
My current tight financial spot with no room for wiggling (and I like to wiggle) got me thinking. What in my life can I give up or cut back on? Drinking...done. Eating out...done. Starbucks...done. What else? I have decided that for the next 73 days, my grooming habits will take a drastic turn for the cheaper. Calm down, I will still be bathing daily. I just began to think about how utterly expensive girly grooming can be and have decided to improvise. For the next 73 days my hair will not be cut & nothing will be commercially waxed or painted (these things can be done in the comfort of my home...albeit not as well), uppity gym membership will be put on hold (free GW undergrad gym here I come), expensive grooming products will not be purchased (Suave...if you can't tell the difference, why should I?) I am even foregoing new shoes. Any new shoes. So, if you see me walking around in the next few months (probably still in my flip-flops) looking a little "off", please try to understand. Girl grooming is just plain expensive.