Well, how often is it that I'm hanging out at home on a Tuesday? Not very, I shall think. Really, I ought to be gazing at confusing questions in Science right now, forever glancing at my watch in the hope that break time will come quicker, yet that is the sheer joy of half-term: for a small while, I can escape the heavy-going and endlessly busy lifestyle which is better recognised as reality.
Even though I've got the benefit of literally a week to relax, I honestly don't know what to do with myself. Surely you get what I mean, right? For example, an athlete could spend years and years - literally every second of their waking life - devoted to picking up a medal at the Olympics, hardly taking in anything else that is happening because that one event in the future is make or break for them. Let's say that they win a medal or, even better, actually win the competition itself - wouldn't accomplishing their dreams be the greatest feeling that they will ever experience?
Anyway, fast forward a few days, weeks or even years later - and they are unsure of which path to follow next. The reason for this? As so much time was focused on getting through every single day, they abandoned all possible thoughts that could have determined their future after the event they were living for was over. As I'm nearly 100% sure you are dying to ask me, how does an Olympic athlete's life story relates to mine? Ever since I started the nerve-wracking task of revising for my mocks during the Easter holidays, I never bothered to consider what I'd do after all of my work - or, at least, the majority of it (as I've got a Performing Arts and another Maths mock in the coming weeks) - was completed.
Almost every single day was about how I would survive writing an essay about characters whose motives I thought I barely knew, or figuring out formulas that could save my life in Science. And, even after most of my mocks finished, I hardly had a moment to appreciate my efforts: within a click of a finger, I returned to ordinary lessons, doing the same level of intensive work as ever.
Up until last Friday, I was revising for tests and assigned work to do over the holidays - including a Performing Arts evaluation on masks, in which I was only several hundred away from writing 3000 words (how I pity my teacher - she'll definitely need the summer holidays to mark it!) - so my time spent in an academic bubble has scarcely relented of late. And, as I return to Planet Earth, I'm rediscovering my love of fun and laziness like never before; for the first time in absolutely ages, I spent a Monday afternoon watching a film (even if was one as cringe-worthy as Twilight, but I don't mind revealing it as my identity won't be shared any time soon, will it?). Seriously, I felt like I'd just hit the jackpot because of seeing a film - given the choice, I'd watch one every Monday if time was a bit more generous to me!
Honestly, having less spare time is as saddening as the recent ending of Mad Men, which was one of the few programmes that would lift my mood to a beautiful and care-free place every Saturday night - the one true day that I would spend the entire week waiting for, anticipating another insight into the brilliant mind that is Don Draper's. When the new year commenced last September, I realised that more of my time would have to be dedicated to work - which didn't bother me because I've never lost sight of the fact that the effort I put in now will be worth it for a lifetime - yet I occasionally feel that some of the work could be avoided.
Coursework, in particular, can be my occasional bugbear because you can find yourself editing tiny sections - miniscule little mistakes - again and again which, by the time you've handed in your final draft, has driven you around the bend. How I've almost gone insane with my Performing Arts coursework - it amazes me how my assignments never end! I suppose that is what you get for initially passing it off as a 'soft' subject, but I shall never underestimate a subject ever again!
Talking of underestimation, I doubt that I'll underestimate the importance of giving myself a break when it is needed; too often recently, I've been forgoing breaks for the sake of completing work or revising for tests which, like the mocks, I take very seriously. Although I can't help but recognise hard work as slightly more important than play, having some chilled out time is really the only way that I'll keep it together - teenage minds might supposedly be brilliant for remembering things, but I have no intentions of forgetting how to have a good time!
Unsurprisingly, I'm pretty certain that you want to know what I mean by 'having a good time'. As my home is hardly like the party island of Ibiza, don't expect bars, cocktails and dance music so loud that your ears could fall off! Instead, I'll be taking it easy with watching films, reading books and playing with my four cats, who surprisingly still recognise me after weeks of my studying instead of spending time with them. While on the subject, I think that Bart, otherwise my second-in-charge, is waiting for me to get off my bed so he can reclaim his favourite sleeping spot, so I better hurry...
While some teenagers play video games (like my brother, whose music on Minecraft woke me up this morning!) or watch TV to relax, I get my kick from blogging, which remains my one true comfort when I need to let off some steam. And, really, why would I not want to share my happiness of having some free time to enjoy all for myself? Well, I'm definitely not going to take it for granted - and shall relish every second while it lasts!
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