Slow down

That's what I wish life would do right now. Just a little.
I've felt anxious and restless the last few days. Part of that is just my annual springtime mood swing. Part of it is because I just have too much happening right now. I'm trying to pack my old apartment, paint my new apartment, proofread a book, and work full-time. And maintain some semblance of sanity. Admittedly, I feel like I'm hanging on by a thread sometimes! Part of me is starting to get very nervous about whether or not I can get everything done that I need to do. But another part of me just keeps whispering "Be in the now," and I'm trying to listen to that part. Because every moment is special, and every day there are things to love and enjoy and be happy about and get inspired by. And I'm trying. That's all I can do.
I was thinking about the concept of spring break recently. Several blogs I read on a regular basis have recently mentioned spring break, be it plans for theirs or their children's, etc. Wouldn't it be nice if everybody, on the whole planet, got a spring break? Think of how nice it would be to get a week off to go play, like we did when we were in school. What would you do with your spring break? Sometimes I think I would travel. But other times I think I would just stay at home and do the things I love to do. Create, create, create! Think of how much you could squeeze in to one whole week without work! And how much better would everyone feel afterward, simply because we had time to recharge our batteries! I think it's a great idea. Maybe we should start a petition. In an abrupt change of topic, I've managed to read a couple more books recently. Eat, Pray, Love is a simply gorgeous book, shot through with humor and pathos and brilliant moments of insight. Liz, the author, spent a year essentially trying to find her balance, and herself. There were several moments when I really, really empathized with this woman. It's an amazing thing to read about her grappling with her inner demons, and more amazing that instead of just accepting her suffering she worked through it and moved beyond it. Now, we aren't all lucky enough to spend a year traveling in Italy, India, and Indonesia to exorcise our demons and recenter ourselves spiritually, but there are lessons in this book that we all can carry with us. We do not have to let life beat us down. We can all take care of ourselves. The world is a beautiful place that will take care of us if we let it. There is so much more to it than that, but I'll leave it on that note.
The other book is very different: Night Life, by Caitlin Kittredge. It's a dark urban fantasy about a werewolf detective named Luna. I really enjoyed this one. It's edgy, and sexy, with characters who aren't afraid of anything, it seems. The world that Caitlin built is solid and interesting, with a lot of depth and style. But I do want to say that, to me, it feels like a first book. There's nothing wrong with that at all; but there were a couple of moments where I felt like the characters didn't need to be quite so in-your-face badass, and one moment where I entirely disagreed with how Luna reacted to a situation. It just didn't feel like how she would have reacted. However, that said, this was a really fun book. And I'll definitely be picking up the future Nocturne City books by Caitlin.
It's that time of the afternoon where I wrap up my work, sneak out to Home Depot to buy a screwdriver, and then spend several hours painting my new apartment. Wish me luck, and hopefully I'll post a few pictures within a couple days!