A Wish to Build a Dream On

What do you think about before you sleep? Are you out as soon as your head hits the pillow, or do you stay in some kind of in between state for a few minutes (or an hour or so?)

When I was little I would daydream (night dream?) about what my life would be like if I were a student at Hogwarts.  The stories I imagined were linked and episodic, and played out in my mind over the course of about two years of bedtimes.
Apparently this might be maladaptive daydreaming, a symptom of multiple mental disorders.

Whatever, as the Mad Hatter said “We’re all mad here.”

So with that in mind, some nice things to think about as you drift off to dream land:

• Insert yourself as a character into your favorite fictional or fantasy world.
• A flood in a LUSH store
• All the amazing things you could do if you were tiny (like 2 cm tall tiny). Spelunking in a Swiss cheese, anyone?

Sounds to Sleep to

What do you listen to as you fall asleep at night?

When I was very little I would listen to books on tape, but now I’m happiest if I have my window open and can drift off to the ambient city noise. I also really like the cool breeze from the dormer over my bed.

Here are the noises that sound like home, that I’m going to miss in France, and that I find really comforting in night darkness.

• Train whistles
• Drag racing
• Dogs barking
• Sirens
• Cicadas (in the summer)
• General traffic noise
• Logan airport planes
• Bachata and reggaeton music from passing cars and neighborhood parties

I actually grew up (until I was two) across the street from a firehouse, so sirens are pretty de rigueur. They hardly even register for me.

It’s funny how your surroundings have such an impact on what you find reassuring/familiar.

Wellness on a $0 Budget

I talk about wellness way too frequently.  It’s getting to be one of my favorite topics, along with the inexhaustible lists of books and movies.  Partly it’s me (what kind of millennial yoga-loving anorexia-surviving introspective vegan would I be if I didn’t?) and part of it is the current craze for wellness, mindfulness, and all of the associated paraphernalia (rose quartz lamps).

Interrupting this broadcast: I HEAR THUNDER THANK GOD FINALLY

Anyway…

I have ambivalent feeling about the current cultural boom being experienced by wellness.  On the positive side, it’s helped me find more people who share my interests and brought my niche interests to a much wider audience.  Yay! An opportunity for new friends with new shared interests!
Additionally, as society and the market adapts to appeal more to this current cultural climate, it also suits me better.  There are increased vegan dining options, more articles around that I find compelling…. more things are available that resonate with my lifestyle and mindset.

Irrational Fears

Do you know that feeling, when you’ve been getting enough sleep but nevertheless you feel so exhausted? I have it right now, and I think I’m going to blame it on the series of teeth nightmares my brain has been treating me to for the past week (ish).  It’s hard to feel well-rested when you wake up everyday simultaneously pleased and surprised to find that your two front teeth aren’t sticking out at opposing angles.

I did a little spurious googling about the meaning behind teeth nightmares, because from what I’ve heard they’re pretty universal (I mean, my parents and some of my friends have had them- that’s universal, right?), and came up with stress and/or vanity.  Pretty as I think I am, I think I’m inclined to blame stress given the deadly combination of music history midterm/Dad’s amputation/senior spring/graduation/what am I doing?/what is to become of me? anxiety.

But these teeth nightmares have gotten me thinking about other irrational fears.  Not senior year fears because those are fairly rational, what with big life changes upcoming.
Do you have any irrational fears? I think everyone does. Are any of yours the same as mine?

Smiles of a Spring Semester

I’m leaving on Friday (in all likelihood) for my final semester of university.  As always, I have very ambivalent feelings about my triumphant return.  Less free time is both a good and bad thing, though I’ve never had a hard time keeping myself occupied.  More dancing is also a mixed bag, as is nearing the end of my university experience.  For someone as… insular as I am, even being around my friends comes with conflicting feelings.

And an aside: The title of this post references Smiles of a Summer Night, an Ingmar Bergman title.  And I haven’t seen it and never will because I simply can’t bear with Ingmar Bergman.  I’ve tried many times.

I’m in a mad dash to catch up on 2016 movies.  I recently caught The Neon Demon and have Allied playing in the background as I type this.  I’ve decided it’s not worthy of my full attention (but more on that in a future post).

I’m thinking about what my goals should be for this coming semester, after having completely failed at my fall semester ones (namely dance more and see more of people that I’m going to miss post-graduation. And of course, those will be carried over (in some form) to this semester.