THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

I'd be a hypocrite if I said I never counted down 'til a vacation, a birthday, a day off work, or even, the anticipation of moving on to greener pastures and leaving a job behind. But recently, countdowns have begun to bother me. Like seriously. So much so they are becoming one of my new pet peeves. (Just ask Sam and Daph. I threatened to block both of them on Gchat yesterday for posting a 10 month to graduation countdown. I know, ridiculous...)

So why all the fuss? While I think it's a good thing to be excited about what's waiting around the corner or even healthy to be looking ahead, it prevents you from truly living in the moment, enjoying the present, and not taking this day, today, for granted. I'm not about to preach and say you should be "living each day as if it were your last" or "live each day to the fullest" but I will say that I think we spend so much time WAITING for the greener pasture to come that when that time comes, we somehow still don't find ourselves completely satisfied and once again, begin the countdown and the waiting game for the next great thing.

And lately, the countdown disgust has been with regards to graduation. Yes, I am looking forward to receiving my M.Ed. in May 2010, leaving behind papers and exams and returning to the professional realm full-time. Yes, I am excited about putting my degree to use and feeling more accomplished. But I'm also really enjoying my time in Athens. I've met great people, explored this culturally vibrant college town, have established some deep friendships, and have grown both as a person and as a professional. The past year has been tough but it's been a great ride and while I'm excited about what May 2010 holds in store, I'm in no rush. I'm content to spend the next year working hard, playing hard, and living in the moment.

I'm posting the song below because how can you talk about a countdown and not think of the band Europe and the techno intro...IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!



And, for those of you who missed (or still don't watch for some insane reason) SYTYCD, here's the best dance of last night. It was awesome.