This is what I've been missing

All the time during the fall semester when I was professing in Arctic outpost, worked all the time on extremely time consuming courses and lived in a university apartment with very few personal belongings I missed having a real life. I am not sure why I never got a better after-work life there. I love the place so that's not it, but there was something about being away only for a few months and being so extremely busy , that made me not bother with anything besides eating, sleeping, reading the occasional novel and watching endless episodes of Gilmore Girls on DVD.

Since I got back getting a life at home and separate between the professional me and the private me has been a major priority. I go to the gym, I cook, I do spend time at home and I don't stay in the office until midnight, but often I am so exhausted when I get home that i don't really enjoy my downtime anyway.

Tonight has been one of those wonderful, relaxing evenings I remember having many more of years ago - before professing, before the first post doc year, before the dissertation and even before the Masters. I haven't done anything special - just been around the house, watering flowers, lighting candles, watching some TV, written a long email to Fiance on the other side of the globe, reading a bit, hanging out on the Internet, cooking super yummy Indian Puri bread and eggplant dip to bring to work for lunch tomorrow. What makes the difference is that I actually have the energy to take up some of my old hobbies like cooking and have the energy to be creative and think about things to do. I know, it hasn't really been ten years since I had an evening like this on a week day, but there is no doubt that things have change since last year when I collapsed on the couch after work practically every single day.