Spring Break Blues

As Spring Break nears, many of us are looking forward to a whole week of no lectures, no driving to and from school (for commuters), and no gosh darn alarm clock reminding us that we have 30 minutes to get up, get dressed, brush our teeth, cram for that test, and get to class. A week will never be long enough to catch up on sleep from pulling all-nighters, taking jello shots at Taco Tuesday, or, hell, Saint Patrick’s Day alone. However, we will not complain because it is a start.
While many people’s main problem is deciding whether to go to Cancun or San Diego, I am having an even bigger dilemma—why the hell is it almost April already?! This year, beginning 3½ months ago, is already almost 1/3 done. This means that my birthday is almost here, which surprisingly evokes bittersweet emotions.

Ever since I was younger, my birthday has always been an amazing event for me. Although my mom’s birthday is the day before, it has always been centered on me. Each year until last year, my birthday has always been somewhat of a big deal. At my first birthday, my mother hired Mickey and Minnie impersonators. Another year, I had a full-out Hawaii luau in my backyard. Last year, my first year at LMU, put an end to it. I had a very tough final on my birthday, which I had not anticipated upon entering in the school year. That final, though only 2 hours long, shocked me because I was used to celebrating my birthday however I wanted, and school not ending until the end of May at the latest.

At LMU, the school year ends the first week of May, which is finals week and my birthday week. This year, there are no finals (thank God), but my birthday is going to be overshadowed by another event—graduation, particularly, mine. Therefore, when Spring Break ends, there is not going to be a transitional end for me. It will be a 5-week long downhill. My birthday, May 5th, falls in between my two hardest finals, “Shakespeare” and “Christian Marriage and Sexuality,” thus, making my birthday somewhat of a relieving breath of fresh air and a stress-inducing event.

Don’t get me wrong, I am very excited. Not many people can say that they received their Bachelor’s Degree three days after they turned 20 years old. However, being that April is almost here, my birthday and graduation is coming very soon. This will be the second year where my birthday is not actually centered on me turning another year older, but also me obtaining my degree. Anything I decide to do to celebrate my birthday will be combined with my graduation, which I am not used to. Once Spring Break is over, I will be surrounded by images of caps and gowns, book returns, and finals—things I am not ready to face. As Spring Break approaches, I hope that God grants me favor and allows time to creep at snail’s pace so I can enjoy it. I hope you do, too!

-Britt