It's been a while, hubski, but checking in from Canada as I watch the final results tally in.

Damn, guys... Even the most conservative people in the prairies here are just shaking their heads.

Oh no. For the first time in my life, I've committed a reading sin: Having multiple books on the go.

I have Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales underneath my water bottle. I finished The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (which, by the way, was very interesting - I can only imagine what a shock it would be to read before all the pop culture surrounding this story), The Body Snatcher, and The Bottle Imp. Only Markheim and the unfinished Weir of Hermiston is left... but I got distracted.

I had started Joseph Heller's Catch-22 last month, but admittedly I wasn't as focused as I needed for this book. Only 120 pages in and it sits unfinished by my lamp.

Someone had given me a collection of Agatha Christie murders that occurred on trains. Thankfully I finished all 3 of those and can put it into my "to be donated" pile; I simply don't have the space for books, sadly.

I have the complete collection of Brothers Grimm fairy tales. I'm maybe a quarter of the way through? I'd like to sit down and finish this one, but it's definitely low priority since it can be picked up at any time.

I'm currently reading Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. I really shouldn't have started it but now I HAVE to finish it since someone saw me reading it and wants to borrow it. The story itself is interesting (I love knowing classic stories) but I can't say I found his essay The Custom-House particularly useful. Maybe I'm lacking on historical context?

This would all be fine and dandy, but then someone went and lent me a book. Which of course hits top of my pile. My father gave me his copy of The Odyssey, and someone insisted on giving me their copy of The Iliad to read before.

Having started spring semester, I also have two textbooks to power through. Which I should, admittedly, be working on right now...

Where are you hiking? Possibly bringing snowshoes when you previously weren't planning to is a big change. Are microspikes a possibility?

That could prove to be a little hard, we are fairly spread out!

On Saturday, someone I grew up with died in a car accident. He was 19.

We weren't close friends by any means, but it's the first time Death has brushed my arm as he walked by.

What! I had no idea. I really like IFTTT - it doesn't do much for me, but it pushes my morning weather update at a certain time (why do so few weather apps do that?), changes my phone's background based on the top post on reddit's EarthPorn sub, and texts people on their birthdays for me. Because let me tell you, as the girl who forgot her own mother's birthday last year, I am atrocious at this.

I'm still not entirely convinced this whole Trump thing is Americans just trolling the crap out of each other.

Is this real life?

Thanks tng! It's kind of frightening that I debated just accepting the mark. What a relief before the long weekend!

Duly noted for birthday gifts for my bearded friends!

I think my tip is to keep doing something. Be busy. Things that force you to stay in the present. Work out, get outdoors and push yourself, cook, get out and around people. I speak as a university student who is ignoring the pressing issue of finding an internship for the summer.

It was a ton of fun. I love activities where you just compete with yourself. I've been told there are spin classes elsewhere in the city that are like going to rave with flashing lights and dubstep.

Okay, maybe that 20% was enough to frighten me away, but I don't want to think about that! Let me self-blame for a little while.

I'm submitting for a grade reappraisal! Hopefully I can at least bump it up to a C+ or something, the TA was not clear at all. It is a learning experience!

Pros:

Went to a spin class for the first time ever and killed it. Have a lot of friends, doing well in school, seeing my mom tonight. Excited for hiking season. It's nice outside.

Cons:

Broke it off with a guy last night who checked off 80% of my boxes because I'm terrified of commitment. Got a C- on a paper for the first time ever. Booked an appointment with professor to discuss aforementioned paper, who did not show up. The world is falling apart.

I'm doing okay.

Although I do hope more people see it.

The adrenaline. It's amazing. I can imagine that would make food difficult! I've thought about a labret, but I've heard bad thing about how they can affect your gums/teeth health, something that is really important to me.

I agree with reversible changes. I've never permanently dyed my hair, and I love the aspect of piercings being able to heal up.

What are those? Did you get it implanted?

That's awesome. There's something about family tattoos that makes you feel so proud.

Haha thanks for the enthusiasm, it sounds so simple! And yes, being able to hide the piercing is a huge draw for me, especially around those harsh family members I see once a year.

I love that shoulder piece! If you don't mind me asking, what is that first one of?

I know I couldn't stop after my first piercing! Although I've hit the point where I've got (almost) all of the ones I'd like to have.

Hooray! Thanks for the story - I love hearing the back story about tats. For what it's worth, your white girl tattoo is awesome! And your ring was such a journey, sometimes those are the best ones! Which ones hurt the most? (I imagine the finger one)

Thank you so much for reassurance. That's the kind of thing I've been trying to articulate but couldn't explain! I suppose it's that struggle of being young and transitioning from that "I want to fit in and have everyone like me" frame of mind to "I think this is cool and it suits me." It's weird how little we hear that individuality is okay from other people. A lot of the people I've talked to seem to have their image of how everyone should look according to their own standards.

You've inspired me! I'll for sure be getting my septum done. I'll be waiting until September (I have a fairly strict office internship this summer), but perhaps I'll post a follow-up if I remember!

Can never have too much panda.

Myself as well! I know quite a few people who just live out of their car and bum around, doing odd jobs/working at the resorts. If there's ever a Hubski tour of the mountains... count me in!

Not usually! Only if I find it particularly terrible or dry.

I suppose I'm having trouble agreeing with this conclusion. The earlier research linked in this article feels a lot more tangible to me.

“Basically [the study showed] that monozygotic (identical) twins heritability are more similar in school performance than dizygotic (non-identical) twins,” he said.

So really, this is more about comparing similarities between twins in academic performance. A lot of people will be thinking "parent intelligence --> child intelligence", when I'm not sure how applicable this is to that kind of relationship. I probably know next to nothing about this field, but it just doesn't seem right to me.

Last Saturday, I hiked up a mountain to the summit. Holy. Shit. How have I not done this sooner? And how is it legal to let us kids monkey our way up a hella dangerous landscape?! I think I've been high on mountain air for this entire week! I considered not applying for internships this summer (still a possibility I won't get one) and just being a hippie in the Rockies. Probably not amazing for my future but so tempting - I do want to take a summer off eventually to trek around a little.

I really struggle to go to the gym now. I just don't feel that same sense of satisfaction. Plus, I like to have people with me when I'm on a journey. You just share in the struggle. Lifting a heavy bar just doesn't do that for me. You don't see the same sights. Any gym goers who can give me some insight?

Speaking of, I should really be doing yoga right now...

Is the book an analysis on Shakespeare? I love his works, and this sounds interesting!

I'm a little ways into Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. It's been a little bit of a challenge so far... But I always try to refrain from formal analyses online until I've read it and interpreted it for myself.

I'm still here from that migration. There's a couple subs that have lovely communities and I can learn about interests/events in my life. I wouldn't say I enjoy one over the other. Reddit is convenient because of its sheer size and easily digestible content, but the community and discussions are great here. I feel like I can actually make a contribution.

Most boycotts seem like silly tantrums a tween would throw, as opposed to a legitimate attempt to shut down something harmful.