Centered.

Being so far from home, I feel very removed from my foundation, far from my center. Don't worry, dear reader, this post is not about to filled with pseudo-zen west-east find-your-chi-and-eat-your-flax-seed crap. I don't really prescribe to any of that. Growing up, weekends have always been family time, time to relax and unwind at home. Sometimes I would even turn my cell phone off on Saturdays to avoid the awkwardness of rejecting my friends' invitations in favor of watching movies with my parents and brother. Now that I am going to school 7 hours away from home, I can't really do that on the weekends.



Often I feel when I spend my weekend with friends, I roll straight into Monday still carrying the fatigue of last week, and the week before that, and the week before that. No matter what I do during the weekend, I don't feel rested or relieved or happy. I never really thought about or wondered why this was. Sometimes you find answers before you ask the questions. This weekend I went to my boyfriend's house to visit his parents and his grandma, and to do some free laundry.



I was welcomed into their home on Saturday afternoon, ate home baked pizza, played video games (kids v. adults) and watched movies. Before I knew it, it was 5pm on Sunday, I was freshly showered after hot tubbing the night before, I had a ham sandwich and fresh coffee in my stomach, and my embarassing quantity of laundry was done and expertly folded by the able hands of an 85-year-old woman who managed to fight me off when I tried to do it myself. I was told to come by anytime and my boyfriend was asked to drive safely.



When I got back, I immediately unpacked everything and put things back in their place, which is unusual for me because I usually let full suitcases sit there for several hours before I touch them. I felt so good, I even cleaned up my dorm room. It was going to be a droll Monday. Two tests, early morning, long afternoon. But I did everything diligently and with confidence. And I think it's because I was in a home full of love for 24 hours, and that was all I needed. It wasn't anything like going home, but somehow it was close enough to make me feel rested.