Nothing like a snow day to make you feel introspective. Like I haven't been brooding over my life and the future enough lately, right? But I read other people's blogs (especially those non-vet ones) and I can't help but feel this pull of the "real world." There is so, so much that I want to do with my life - not even big, momentous, news-worthy things - and I continue to be stuck in the perpetual grind of school. I'll be 27 when I graduate and will finally get to rejoin the land of normal people. (Nevermind that I feel like I can't really be normal anymore.) All of my conversations won't revolve around school. I won't have to stay up late cramming for exam after exam (it'll only be the one big exam - gulp). My value and sense of self-worth won't depend on the numeric value determined by how many questions I can answer correctly. I won't have to be so damn far away from my husband. I won't have to put my own personal goals aside because there are more important things to focus on.

When I get out, I have promised myself to do three things:

1. Run. I miss the utter peace I find when I'm pushing myself through the woods with no one around, sweating and gasping into the silence. I miss the ache of my muscles and the unbeatable sense of accomplishment when I finally stagger to a stop. I don't necessarily have any distance or speed goals in mind just yet, but I want to run regularly in the woods.

2. Volunteer. I don't even care what I do! I want to be able to know that I've made a difference to someone - human or animal, it doesn't matter. Not even for my own peace of mind, but because I've been so damn fortunate in my life and I owe it to the universe to give back. I feel good putting my donation in the food bank bin at the grocery store every week - think how good it would feel to pick up a park or walk some shelter dogs or hang out with some old lonely people. Even the small things matter.

3. Take up photography. I love to look at pictures, especially of nature, and I would love to be able to capture some of that beauty and do it well. I don't even know what I'd do with all of the pictures, but I would really love to learn.

I have a renal exam tomorrow (provided there is school tomorrow...forecast isn't looking too good on that front) that I should review for again. Happy trails, folks. Keep dreaming.