Running is one of those things that I want to like, but I don’t actually like. I like the idea of being a person who goes for a run and likes it– alas, that is not the case, and I only run when I am late or being chased.
Literal running aside, I find a marathon to be quite a nice analogy for the final exam period. This year, in particular, is quite a marathon. Week after week, we have another test to review for (or, in some less than ideal cases, to start learning). For a student who wants to do well, it’s easy to go crazy and push yourself to the point of exhaustion by giving 110% of your effort for every test.
A few years ago, that would have been me too. Now, though, I’ve changed my strategy. I still do my best, but I’m pacing myself. If I had burnt myself out at the beginning of May, I would never have been able to bounce back to pass the big finals now. That’s why I’m trying to keep my life interesting. Every day, I try to have something to look forward to besides studying. So far, I think I’ve managed to find the balance between pushing hard enough for success without losing my mind!
Despite trying to pace myself until the end of June, I still feel myself bouncing back with less renewed energy each time. I feel like a dropped basketball, left to continue bouncing by itself. With every rebound, I gradually return to 99% to 95% to 87% to 80% of my original motivation (at some point during my science undergrad at UBC, I knew how to calculate these percentages realistically taking into account friction, gravity, and so on. Those days are gone).
In the spirit of marathons, yesterday I decided to treat myself to the only marathon I know I can enjoy: ZUMBA MARATHON! Dance and my newly-discovered zumba make me feel absolutely euphoric. There is nothing else that gives me the same feeling. I wish everyone could have something in their life that they love so much and makes them so happy.
The zumba instructors were really friendly, and we bonded over our diverse mixed backgrounds. Tunisians living in Poland, a Dominican living in Berlin, and a woman named Angelika who grew up in Poland but whose father is from Afghanistan. When you throw in my Canadian-Swedish-Singaporean background into the mix, we were quite multicultural!
Angelika made my dream come true–she invited me up onstage to dance her routine with her. I’ve always loved being onstage, and I can easily see myself being a zumba instructor, both at marathons and a regular studio. I’m inspired by all my zumba instructors– maybe soon I’ll be teaching my own zumba class!
And after that exciting diversion from my study life, I’m ready to get back to the books!
The Life of All Sorts 