Oh my god it's March!

I cannot believe it's March! I thought February would never end! Ahh!!

I've been a little off ball lately, still getting over my mystery illness (I'm about 98% back on track) and starting to work quite diligently on essays which are due (at last!!) starting this month.

There are a lot of exciting things going on! It might be a combination of many factors, but I feel as though I was in a major slump ever since the new year, and maybe a little before without really knowing it at the time. It was only after I got back from visiting Wisconsin that I felt really down in the dumps, and for reasons ranging from internship woes to academic stress to emotional weirdness about stuff at home and how I felt about being in Scotland and so on and so forth forever and ever -- for all of those and whatever other reasons, I just couldn't shake the blues. Apparently it took a pneumonia-like sickness, way too much time by myself and a creative outlet to get my spirits back up.

I had a moment of awakening one day for no apparent reason other than that perhaps the sun was out or I had felt cooped up for too long, but I literally made the decision to stop moping. Because wow, dwelling on the past or on things one can't have or stressful bits of school or work or whatever -- MOPING IS SO BORING!!

So I decided to finally utilize my art society membership and drop in to a life drawing workshop on Wednesday. What a brilliant decision -- it's been ages since I put my drawing skills to any sort of practice and I was pleased to find that I still have an eye (that's not a boast, I promise). It was so wonderful to surround myself with an entirely different group of people who had a similar interest in art and drawing. Even if it was only for an hour and a half, it was perfect. Being able to make something, even just a few sketches, made a world of difference in my attitude.

I bought some new clothes to freshen up my wardrobe, reunited with some friends after what seemed like ages, sought out some new music and realized that there is so much happening during the day that I need to remember to take a moment and appreciate. The daily routine can become so business-like and all the work can seem tiresome if I let it. But if I don't let it, I remember the work is actually in art history and is a subject that I love. And I don't have to go to the same coffee shop every day or walk the same route to class every time. I can choose to notice the details in buildings and smile at strangers (not creepily). I also realize just how lucky I am to live in the city centre (I may complain, but let's be serious) where I can walk down the street and listen to different kinds of live music every day from musicians and performers from all over the world, and meet people who both live here and are just passing through on holiday. There are so many stories.

The duo above is named Acid Tuna (which I find kind of hilarious) and are primarily a cover band, but when I walked by them they were performing a top-notch rendition of 'Hey Hey, My My' by Neil Young. I talked to them for a moment between songs and bought a copy of their awesome homemade CD and may check them out at one of their pub gigs... really nice guys.

Anyway!

Also -- my sister is coming to visit later this month and I couldn't be more excited to have a visitor! She's staying with me in Edinburgh for most of the week and then we plan to hop down to London for the weekend before she returns to the States.

So, it's March, and for all intents and purposes, I'm considering it to be spring.

Happy spring!!

Cheers,
Kate xx