A Day in the Life

7 weeks of school remain. 8 weeks until I fly home. I cannot believe how quickly time as gone by and looking back, I wonder how so much time has passed. While thinking about this the other day, I decided to keep a log of a day here and see where the time really does go. Now, I feel slightly narcissistic posting this but I thought it was interesting and I thought you all might enjoy seeing what a day in the life of an RA looks like. Here we go.

7:35 am - Rise and shine. This is a sleep in morning for me so I don't have to be downstairs until a little before the girls leave for school. Soyoung did breakfast and I get an extra couple hours of sleep.

7:52 am - I head downstairs and make myself some tea. I am currently on a detox from coffee so a cup of rooibus will have to do.

8:15 am - Time for the girls to catch their bus. Everyday the staff lines up to say goodbye to the girls and give them hugs. I love this part of the day.

8:24 am - It's my laundry day so I head to the basement to see how many loads I have and resort and organize the mess that is waiting.

8:33 am - A forgotten lunch phone call interrupts my laundry sorting. After finding the forgotten lunch and making a couple phone calls, calm is restored. No one will go hungry today!

8:51 am - Finally start the first 3 loads of laundry.

9:03 am - Get out the vacuum and head for the kitchen. The floor is in desperate need of a good cleaning.

9: 12 am - And time to mop. I actually don't mind mopping the floor. There is a satisfaction in looking back on the clean, wet floor and seeing the job accomplished.

9:28 am - Relax with a little piano playing. I took years of lessons I didn't like and wasted too much of my parents money years ago but for some reason this year I've come back to the piano and it's become a kind of therapy for me. I'm still not good but just sitting there and interacting with the music is so soothing to me. Anyways...

9:50 am - I realize from my stomach growling that I haven't had any breakfast. Time to get some.

10:13 am - First round of washing is done. Three loads in the dryer, three more into the washers.

10:27 am - Take a minute to check my email and facebook. There is a lot of smack talk about my cousins right now with our upcoming reunion. Reading them always makes me smile. My dad is actually on too (it's 4:27 am his time, crazy) so I chat a little with him.

11:11 am - The dryers are done. Time to fold three loads of laundry, put what's in the washer in the dryer, and start 2 more loads.

11:44 am - I need to get a run in today and this is the only place it fits so I quickly change and get going.

12:23 pm - I get back from my run and need to be out in door in 20 minutes I take a quick shower and get ready for the day.

12:51 pm - Running a little late, I head for my small group meeting in town. I'm in a group with 3 other RA's and our leader is a wonderful woman from the community. We meet every other week and it's a good time to relax and talk about what is going on in our lives.

3:53 pm - Leave small group and go to soccer practice at the school.

5:28 pm - Soccer practice is finished. I have absolutely loved being able to coach soccer this spring. I don't know much about coaching and it's been awhile since I've played consistently but I enjoy being back on a team and getting on the field again. I am learning so much but the other coaches are patient and the girls are amazing.

5:57 pm - Pick up dinner from the central kitchen. Monday through Friday our evening meals are cooked at the school and then we pick them up and take them back to the dorm. As much as we may complain about the food it is a huge relief not to have to cook every night.

6:22 pm - Get back to the dorm and unpack dinner. We eat family style in my dorm so we take the big pans of food and put them in smaller bowls and platters. It makes the meal a little more intimate or family like.

6:30 pm - Call everyone down for dinner time.

6:58 pm - The girls start their evening gratis or chore and I pack up the leftover food with Soyoung.

7:18 pm - I remember that I have the evening snack today and that there are some fresh strawberries that are about to go bad in the refrigerator. Time to find a new recipe.

7:37 pm - After a checking out what Betty Crocker has and then doing a little googling I settle on a strawberry cake. Time to make it.

8:43 pm - With the cake cooling and snack in 15 minutes I remembered that I still have unfinished laundry downstairs so I head down to tumble the dry clothes a few more minutes and then put the last two loads in the dryer.

9:06 pm - Snack is a little late but it's finished, put out, eaten, and, I have to say, pretty good.

9:22 pm - Run down and check the laundry. Not done.

9:45 pm - Finally, the laundry is dried and folded. Done until next week.

9:48 pm - Start the dishes left from snack.

10:07 pm - The dishes are done, the kitchen is clean, and I am glad the day is almost over. Time to wait for the girls to finish up whatever homework they have and get to bed. Some of the girls have bed times but the upperclassman have a little more freedom. I curl up with a book tonight and say my goodnights as the girls head to bed.

11:13 pm - Everyone is off to their own rooms so I do a final check of the dorm and then lock the doors and go to my room.

11:20 pm - Before a go to bed a make a phone call to a dear friend. I usually make my phone calls home late at night.

11:48 pm - Finish a chapter of my book.

12:08 am - Turn out the light and get some sleep.

Now, my days aren't always this busy and sometimes they are busier. Life in the dorm means you're always on call and have to be ready for anything. I love that about it. Having a schedule that is somewhat consistent but has a thousand variables is exciting and keeps my life very interesting.

Also, this is a run down of my tasks for the day. My job here has tasks but those tasks usually come after the girls. Relationships are first and most anything can be delayed if it means spending a little more time with one of my girls.

So, this is where my time has gone. Incredibly exciting? Not really. Hard work? Sometimes. Rewarding? Always. I love this job and thank God He brought to it.