Update: Is it May Yet?

I'd like to start off by apologizing for my delay in writing. Who would have thought going to grad school full time and working 34 hours per week would be so time consuming?

Anyway, January is officially over which means that I should have made exactly one month's progress on my 11 in '11 list. I'm not sure how you'd measure such a thing, but I think an update should be sufficient.

Already, 2011 has brought a few changes into my life and I think that for the most part they have been positive. As I mentioned earlier, I started grad school -- although started is very much an accurate term for what I've done, since thanks to the snow, two of my classes were canceled during the first week. However, I'm still seeing how much work school will be throughout the next few years. As hard as I worked, and as much as I read as an undergrad, I don't think my experiences compare significantly to what I have to do now. It's amazing how much time it takes to process the material and make progress through my assignments. On the bright side, I do like what I'm doing and I am interested in what I'm learning. I also feel much more prepared going into grad school than I did transitioning from high school to college. I know the effort these classes take, and what professors expect from students. My goal of a 3.7 GPA is still a long ways away (where are you May?) but I'm doing everything I can now to get there.

My blog dedication has overall been pretty good -- right? I've bene updating weekly, with the exception of last week. But I'm going to try my best to update twice this week to make up for it. Like I said, grad school completely steals any moments of free time I may have, and combined with half marathon training, even sleep feels like its become optional. But, my blog posts this month have had some of the highest numbers of hits I have ever had. So I'll keep writing as long as you keep reading.

Before the year even started, I began reading Time Magazine's list of the 100 greatest novels ever written. The first book on the list, The Adventures of Augie March was so boring that I simply had to put it aside for the time being, which I never like to do. But don't worry! I promise to overcome my boredom and cross Augie of the list even if it's the only thing I do this year. I'm determined... just not right now. Since it was before the year started when I began and quite Augie, it doesn't really count yet. I'll see him again in the spring.

And it actually ends up being quite perfect because I'll have plenty of time for reading this spring, since -- wait for it, wait for it -- I'll be spending a lot of time on the plane because I booked my trip to Europe! I am officially traveling through Europe, visiting Paris, Rome, Florence and Barcelona after my classes end. I'm so excited for this trip, and it is definitely the light at the end of the tunnel right now. I think it's going to be an amazing experience. It's always a great feeling to say you will do something for a long time, and then to actually act upon it. So until then, I'm counting the days until I'm standing next to the Eiffel Tower.

So there you have it. My 11 in '11 so far. I hope you're enjoying your 2011 as much as I am.

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