There are only two exams left between me,myself, and I and the entire 34 days I'm proud to call Christmas break. It's amazing how much mental energy exams consume. Currently, I'm attempting to keep the names of forty-five different bacteria and parasites and nineteen pages of pure facts pertaining to who knows what (somehow related to microbiology) all whilst I prepare my cranium for my psychology exam on Thursday. Might I add, I musn't forget I have until Thursday to pack my entire dorm of a room and load everything (including my three plants) into the car...eek!

More importantly, with Christmas break drawing near, my brain has been ticking (wild guess.) C'est zarbi to think that I'll be away from the people I'm used to spending every waking moment with for an entire month. Sad? Maybe, not really, no. And here is where my blog entry takes flight. 

It all started last night when I forgot to take my phone with me to dinner...tragic right? Hardly. After getting over the shock, between the time it took me to walk through the arctic tundra to the dining hall, I realized how nice it was to not be reachable, for once. True life, I can be reached via skype, adium, ichat, facebook chat, text, or call...you pick. Gagggg me. Why am I sickened at the thought of being so available, per se? Let me count the ways. Being available, as in available to meet for coffee or catch up over dinner is acceptable. Being available, as in you can communicate with me sans tone of voice or facial expression, frightens me. 

It scares me to see how communication is becoming so depersonalized. Call me old fashioned but whatevs, this is my blog, not yours. I'm not tabooing texting or chat, but rather coming to realize that if those forms of communication become too mainstream then you can really miss out. Honestly, who tells stories of funny aim chats or memorable text conversations? No one. Personally, I make my memories sitting through six shifts of eaters at the dining hall because I'm wrapped up in a conversation, losing track of time laying on hoggard lawn anticipating the weekend to come, blasting Florence + The Machine en route to walmart, sipping coffee at 2pm in pajamas with my hallmates, mattress sledding on who know's who's mattress (oops,) or rolling on the ground laughing playing Things. Get my point? 

Memories and relationships aren't built upon emotionless, faceless forms of communication. Relationships grow when you share a laugh, cry, or memorable moment together. Thus, memories are a result of those relational moments. Is this starting to sound like an essay or editorial? Oops, I guess I'm still in exam mode. Regardless, my take-away is to facebook chat less (especially if that person lives two doors down), write more letters, and make time to have real, down to earth conversations, merely because life's too short not to. 

And bringing this topic back around to Christmas, (if you ever thought it'd get here,) no longer impels  anxiety. Rather, I've come to realize that the people I really care about, and those who care about me, will make the effort to stay in touch and meet up over the break. And if distance is a problem, well that's when skype comes in handy...hypocrite much? Not quite, it's about making small steps to become more personal and less technologically dependent, not moving to an amish community.

Until next time, I'll be cramming, packing, shivering, and "forgetting" my phone a little more often.