Dulce Far Niente!

So, I officially had my first experience of passing straight out, face down, in the middle of my books! I don't know when it happened, but I was reading, and then all of a sudden it was hours later. Maybe I'm a little tired!

Did I mention there's a lot of reading to this thing!

I officially need a break (I know, I know, I just got started), so let's talk about something else for a bit. This weekend I had the pleasure of having my older sister, Queen Godis, visit with me. Since I refuse to be all nerd and no play, I took the liberty to have FUN! We kicked the weekend off with a little sunbathing, courtesy of the fabulous rooftop pool at my residence, and then hit the town of DC.

During this extravaganza, thanks to my sister, I met some pretty amazing friends and fellow DMV residents. On Saturday, we hung out in Columbia Heights and then ventured over to Adams Morgan for crepes and to peruse some of the local shops. On Sunday, we returned to Columbia Heights for a phenomenal brunch prepared by a sister whose poetic proficiency showed up everywhere, from the colorful decor of her home to the way she created magic with organic ingredients! Can you say scrumptious! What I found particularly delicious, however, was the way that one woman's kindness created a space for sisters to gather and celebrate the tremendous blessing of being sisters, biological and otherwise.

After filling our bellies with food and laughter, we headed over to Malcolm X park to participate in the traditional Drum Circle. The dancing and rhythmic honoring of our ancestors through the collaboration of instruments transported me to a world that .... almost made me forget that I had mounds of work waiting for me at home. Instead of leaving, though, I reminded myself that I committed to having a balanced life on this journey that included fun and experiences outside of my academic program. So I stayed, danced some more with my sister, friends, and cousins and then .... went to the movies. The 12:15AM showing of Eat, Pray, Love. I know I was pushing it, but I wanted to really seize the moment of having my sister here and spend as much quality time with her as I could. It was well worth every last second.

A couple of things from the movie reminded me of the importance of taking time to have fun and enjoy life. Although I have chosen to be in a rigorous academic program, and must make adjustments to incorporate the "what it takes" to successfully complete Howard, I also acknowledge that this is my life. In all that I do, I choose to be balanced, so along this journey I am comfortable knowing that this will include being diligent with work, having fun with great people, and sometimes just enjoying "dulce far niente", the sweetness of doing nothing!

.....but for now, BACK TO WORK!