Starting 23 Off Right

I had a lovely birthday yesterday thanks to the kindness of friends and loved ones.  I like low key birthdays.  I enjoy a good party for sure (there are usually more gifts attached), but what I really enjoy is just the company of people I care about.  This year Chris brought dinner from a local restaurant I have grown rather fond of, some Baltika in various flavors (Russian beer seems to be a thing with me.  I'm more of a wine girl than anything else, but I like Baltika, though I don't get it enough to know what number I am), and a box of cupcakes in a variety of flavors.

We watched Castle, as is our custom on Mondays, and just enjoyed hanging out without the pressure of work or school looming over us.

Today I decided to start 23 off right.  I pulled on my running shoes, grabbed my windbreaker, and went for a run in the rain.  When I was on my unofficial hiatus I didn't run at all.  I really did not have the time with the thesis to do anything besides write.  That sounds like an excuse but it really isn't.  The last few weeks I was really struggling and burned through any cheeriness I could muster while I was at work.  And let's say nothing of my actual health.  My dietary habits were miserable and the one time I did try to go run to relieve some of the stress my hands went numb.  But it's better now.  I'm having to rebuild my base fitness after losing so much time, but I'm already feeling the effects.  I'm also running outside rather than on a treadmill, which makes for some interesting routs.  I've decided to pay no attention to distance but rather to enjoy just putting in the time.  Plus I don't run with my glasses on so I've gotten rather turned around in the suburban jungle I live next to.

Because my birthday and the break in my thesis writing have coincided I am spending a lot of time thinking about what I am going to do when I no longer have an academic goal to work towards.  Provided everything goes as planned I will graduate in December.  Then what am I going to do?  So I'm going to try to formulate some non-academic goals.  Nothing concrete at the moment, but it's the first time ever my identity will not be tied to my status as a student.  It's all a scary hazy blur, but I'm excited to see what new adventures it will hold.