Let's start the week off with Cambridge. Now I know I promised pictures but in truth, I just didn't take any. When we go to an archery tournament, it is often go, go, go with little time to enjoy the scenery (plus being the middle of winter, the scenery isn't always all that pretty or enjoyable anyway). From the very brief impression I got of Cambridge, it has a slightly more industrial feel than Oxford. Similarly, its city is a bit more of a labyrinth with no cause and more spread out. Though even these impressions feel funny as the only thing I truly remember from Cambridge was how it was one of the worst shoots that I have ever done. My head was just not in the game and every shot felt unnatural and wrong and I couldn't figure out how to fix it. Frustrated and upset by the end shooting a measly 376, a good 60 points lower than my pb (personal best) and 40 lower than competition pb, I gave up thinking about it in favour of the Indian food we would have later that night.
Over the next week, I would try to find joy through problem solving. Tuesday night role playing society ended up being an exercise in problem solving and it was immensely pleasurable. I was once again reminded why I love role players and role playing. I also joined officially, the Oxford University Role Playing Society for life (trying to stay at least a little optimistic)! I also received my first assignment from my major tutorial and I was suddenly faced with a shorter than average deadline to get the work done. My time managing skills prevailed, and so this was only a minor annoyance. Additionally, I went to archery and with a little coaching fixed one of the major problems in my form. Looking ahead to the tournament this past Saturday (yesterday) at Derby, I knew I would improve.
An additional challenge this week was the move from level 2 to level 3 of Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. The jump from level 2 to level 3 was not as difficult as I anticipated. I honestly found the jump from 1 to 2 much more difficult. That being said, it is not easy by any stretch of the imagination. Despite the work though, I do find myself to be more confident and comfortable with my body, than I have been in a long time. I also feel stronger and healthier in general. While some may question the healthy nature of the 30 day shred given its lack of rest days and also my own insanity in participating in an additional fitness session for Archery on Monday nights, I really do think that it has been an improvement and not a detriment so far. Once it is over, I will have to come up with a new regiment (perhaps less strenuous) and a friend has already offered his assistance.
My week continued with my first tutorial in science for this term. My tutor is very nice, though her home is 25 minutes away from campus, which only adds to my collection of walks here at oxford. Given the broader and more interdisciplinary nature of nutritional anthropology, I am not worries at all about my ability to speak on the subject and am not worried about the level of work it will be. I find the topic mildly interesting and in a lot of ways, learning about nutrition is more of a personal challenge than something I think will assist me in my major. That being said, regularly reading scientific papers is important and exposure to a variety of ideas can only assist me in my intellectual pursuits.
The week ended with the tournament at Darby and like I said, I definitely improved. The Archery session was a practice in patients and consistency. I got myself into a routine and continually worked to calm my nerves (for some reason I have gotten more and more nervous at away shoots). Yawning and deep breaths helped me to keep a slow pace and make sure that no arrow was wasted. As a result, I got a whopping 100 point improvement with a final score of 479 and a white pin demonstrating my ability to score above a 450. Last week this score would have allowed me to place in the ladies novice recurve, but unfortunately, my competition was a little stiffer and I likely came out 4th overall. I think something has clicked and it will be fine tuning that really pushes my ability to break the 500 barrier. There aren't many tournaments left.
I want to finish off as I usually do on a more philosophical or self introspective topic. All the time I have spent with archery and the people here in oxford has only made me realize how much people make a place home for me. I am not looking forward to leaving Oxford, not because the city itself is pretty or special, but because of the people that are in it. I know the realities of a long distant relationship (even just friendships) and even with skype and facebook, I know it will be difficult to maintain the relationships I have here. It is terrifying and saddening. The only thing I can do is live in this moment. Try to not let the rumblings of an uncertain future prevent me from enjoying today. It doesn't mean that it is easy, and I am not looking forward to another uprooting of my life.
On a more positive note/aside, over the break when I travelled with Sara, some people may have noticed that my hair was often braided. Sara is such a wonderful hairstylist/make up artist and she happens to find joy in playing with my hair (something I am well accustomed to). In her ingenuity and creativity, she has done some wonderful hair and make up for me (particularly on Friday nights when we have formal). I will post pictures here, because my posts have been lacking a bit in pictures lately.
The Front:
The Back:
A few weeks ago:
Until next time, Adventures Await!
KH
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