September Soul Search

August is over...

...and that feeling that washes over me every September has returned.

It's the feeling of wanting to go back to school.   Aching to go back is more like it actually.

Some of you may cringe at the thought but I adore reading, learning new things, being challenged and new pens.  Not necessarily in that order.  And, truth be told, I'll take pencils over pens any day.  As a child, teenager and twenty-something young adult, the start of school was always my favourite time of year.  Now, as an almost 40 year old adult who has not started a new year of school since (oh dear!) 1997, I still crave it.

Every year.

Just as intensely.

Perhaps it's just change I crave.  A new challenge?  Routine? A new backpack maybe?

Whatever it is, it's a pretty overwhelming feeling and it hits with a wallop every September.

It's hit me again.  And, like clockwork, I've started thinking about things I want to start doing.  Challenges I'd like to face.  Places I'd like to travel to.  Languages I'd like to learn. Scary things I should try.  New foods I should learn how to cook.

I guess I do in September what a lot of people do on December 31st.

The funny thing about this year is that I really don't have time to take on a new challenge.  I'm up to my neck in new challenges at the moment thank you very much.  There are only seven weeks left until marathon day.  When we had ten weeks left, it felt interminable.  Now, at seven, it feels like next week.

There are, however, a few more hurdles to jump before race day. In the month of September, I will have to make my body run 32k and then 35k.  Plus find the energy for all the other runs that seem to fill my week to the spilling point.

Who has time for a new challenge?

So why do I keep thinking about trying my hand at swimming?  And starting a new season of curling?

Sigh.

For a girl who really really enjoys sitting quietly with a glass of wine and a book, I sure don't leave much time for myself to do that.