I have been thinking (hold the applause please).

As I have counted down the days until I leave for France I keep thinking of ways to try and make it go faster. Maybe if I speak French more, look at the city on Google more, go over all of my paperwork for the billionth time, I will arrive in France quicker than I would if I did not do these things. I am realizing now that I could not be more wrong.

Now it's not like I am not excited or anything (you couldn't possibly imagine how pumped I am). No. The simple fact is that short of building a time machine --and I have considered it-- I cannot possibly make time speed up. No matter what I do I will still have 46 days, 15 hours, and one minute left.

So back to the thinking (again, hold the applause). What will I do with these 46 days, 15 hours, and one minute? I have decided to live in the present rather than two months away. I have resolved to maintain my schoolwork and work on being with my family more outside of work. I want to spend more time with some of the people that have been a great part of my life. I want to stop telling myself that I am too busy to do the things I want to do like chill on the couch with some hot chocolate --you read "chocolate" in the conductor's voice off of the "Polar Express." It's cool, I typed it in that voice.--

Sometimes you might tell yourself that you need to finish everything so you can have time for yourself, but the truth is there will always be another paper to finish after you finish the one you are working on. There will always be another group project that you have to do by yourself. There will always be something to keep you from doing the things you need to do to take care of yourself. Don't look to the future and say that you will have time later. There will always be something later. Don't wish something was here sooner but rather hope that you can enjoy every second between now and whatever goal you are out to achieve. This way you won't spend your life wishing. You will spend it happy.

I'm not saying to put aside your work completely because, if you do, you may not have much of a future after your boss, teacher, or parents get to you. I am saying to be present. If someone wants to go bowling or to the cinema with you some evening and you have been working for hours on your paper, know that it's okay to go. The people and memories in your life will come from those experiences that you have when you are truly present and happy.

As I look forward to my semester of study in France, I am also working to look to the now --or at least a few minutes ahead of now.-- Yesterday I had 47 days until France. Today I have 46 days 15 hours, and one minute of memories before France.

That is what I have been thinking (you may now applaud or just hit that little red "x" at the top right).