Quintessential Kenyon: Student Life, Uncut

Kenyon-Exeter: Finding a Balance

Kate Lindsay
October 23, 2013
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I'm about a month and a half into this whole abroad thing. By now I think I thought I'd be well adjusted and settled and saying "trousers" left and right. This is not the case.

I'm being pulled from two sides here. There's so much about this experience that demands my full attention, which means I find myself unable to dedicate my whole self to anything. I want to travel. It is likely I'll never be in this situation again, so close to so many countries that I've never been before. I also want to find myself in the community at Exeter. I've joined an A Cappella group and really love the people in it but getting to know them requires meeting at pubs and going to socials--things I'm always game for. But the big road block for these things is technically the main reason one finds themselves at university: the classes. 

AAAaaaaRRHGHHH I have never felt more behind in my entire life. I'm reading two books a week and writing a paper at least once a week plus supplementary reading and I'm really whining now. Because the truth is I'm writing this in order to procrastinate a group project. And then I'm doing that group project to procrastinate reading a book. But I just want to have fun and meet people without getting a far off look in my eyes when I'm thinking about all my work and having them lean over and ask me if I'm okay. 

Ultimately, I'll end up shirking all these things, eating Nutella and dreaming about my trip to Barcelona next week. That's what abroad is for, right?