I woke up today at 6:00 a.m. I haven't done that with my own free will since what . . . summer 2018? It was pretty refreshing, but now I'm tired. Just how it goes, I suppose. As promised, I was planning to post at least biweekly with some sort of content. Might be a double post this week. Here we go:

As the headline of the blog says, I feel like this blog serves me best if I capture both the highlights and lowlights. I feel like it's been a mix of both lately. It is somehow second week and I feel like school hasn't really started. Due to the holidays, the school implemented an in-person quarantine for the first two weeks of classes. I was able to come down to campus this past Saturday. That was one step towards normalcy, but there is so much that is off. Something just feels off. In Health Psychology last spring we learned about stress. In particular, what causes people most stress is not big stressful events, but the little stressors that accumulate throughout the day. I think that's what is happening to me at the moment - not stressors but the little things with their little claws scratching the back of my conscious.

I think it started over winter break. A lot of the things I enjoy or I would do, I couldn't. For the last few winters I would be able to go to the local skating rink in the morning and just work on skills. Skating rink was shut down. A few of my good high school friends I couldn't see for safety reasons. I worked for a retail place for the last two winters; I feel uneasy walking into a grocery store yet alone that same outlet mall.

And now at school, all of the roommates I had last term didn't return for various reasons. Thinking about this and walking around the house, has made realize that these little things I take for granted. Last term at this time we would be procrastinating work by playing Mahjong. I was on a roll and had a nice lead on the 3 x 5 notecard which marked the number of wins by tally marks. We joked that winner gets slapped by their number of wins. Ahh. It was nice just to pop into their rooms and say hi or to eat together at the dinner table. Pho dinner was fun.

Hockey club and frisbee both aren't happening either, which is sad. They usually gave me something to look forward to. And the Japan OCS is looking less and less likely with the government issuing state of emergencies throughout many cities/prefectures.

Not everything is bad though - I think this period of time has just provided me with the opportunity to think on a deeper level. I have been able to talk to closer friends this week and it's reaffirmed why I chose dentistry; the interactions. Whether it is a stranger, friend, or family, having the ability to share a moment with someone means a lot to me. I noticed that cooking for others is much more enjoyable and provides a feeling I can't accurately describe. It might be more important to me than I think.

I am conflicted at the moment. There is a lot happening on every level: myself, peers, school, the country, the world. Time provides answers, or at least gives me more time to think. I'm getting tired so I think it will end here.

A dental post will emerge soon. Ta-Ta!