Hello to you. I’ve given myself ten minutes to blog before Chumash with Rashi class. What is important enough to be mentioned during this ten minute slot? Well, there’s a ton of stuff that I’d like to write–stuff that I mostly definitely would write if this were a private journal and not a public blog–but I’m not gonna write that stuff so you can just forget it. Today is Tuesday and the Ein Gedi Shabbaton was last Friday and Saturday. My first Shabbaton.
Definitely noteworthy: I’ve been having a lot of trouble regulating my sleep in the during the past two weeks. I keep telling myself that I’m going to have to prioritize sleep, but then I just stay up again. My reasons for staying up: davening maariv, doing laundry, late night study, watching TV (yes, that’s still an issue), being out with friends. I tell myself that I should be in bed by 8 or 9 at the latest, read for an hour, and then sleep so that I can wake up at 6am with 8 hours of sleep under my drawstring. But it’s really hard to get into bed by 8:00 when your last class ends at 6:15. On days when I run (I’ve been running twice a week in the evening), I’m usually not done with my shower until 8:20 and then I need to cook and eat. Maybe I should try running in the morning. I used to do that, you know. I’d have to get up at 5:45, asleep by 9:45pm. Hmmm…
I’m not giving up on exercise.
But there are other things I really really want to do: review the day’s studying, study the siddur, read Mesillat Yasharim, write blogs, read books for the JTS Rabbinical School interview, see movies, hear concerts, see family, hang out with friends.
This yeshiva lifestyle is a toughy. I’ve got to make some tough choices in order to maximize the time I have. Sleep and exercise have to be top priorities because they’re what give me the fuel to make everything else count. Then there’s also my ambition to learn to love better. That’s the reason I’m here in the first place.
I like my hevrutot. Alana, Shulie, Gella, Anita: here’s to you!
