Just gymin'

A picture from when I went to the gym with a friend the other day. He was still at it after an hour and a half, and I had already run 3.5 miles on the treadmill and tortured myself on some other machines, so I just sat there, stretching and listening to music.

It's only two weeks until I go back to Japan for two weeks, so I resolved to go to the gym whenever possible, if only for good measure. I realize I won't lose weight in two weeks, but it generally makes me feel better about myself. Unfortunately, that doesn't always seem to be reason enough, so doing it "for Japan" may be better motivation.

Other than that, I finished the term paper for my class on Charles Brockden Brown and Gothic fiction. At 5am. On the day it was due. Go me.

Work is still nice. It's not really fun, but the team is amazing and I feel like I'm actually making some friends there. You know how in school and at work, you do get along with people but it's always hard to tell whether your good relationship is a friendship or just circumstancial? I have that a lot. I talk to people in class, but I'm not really friends with most of them. You spend one term in the same class, then the next term comes along and you end up in different classes and never talk to each other again. Unless there's some awkward encounter on campus and you feel obliged to ask how they're doing, what they're doing, etc, when in fact neither of you really cares. I don't think it's a bad thing, though, being friends with everybody must be crazy exhausting. There was a time when I thought I had to please the whole world - oh those teenage years - but I know better now. I value politeness and basic social skills a lot, but I do not want to be liked by everyone. I do not want to be everyone's friend. I cannot be everyone's friend.

Anyway, I feel like I really clicked with some people at work. We go out together (even if it's to the movies, which still feels kinda weird), we hang out, we make an effort to find some time.

Maybe that's when you know if you actually care about the relationship - when you start making an effort.

The sad thing is that, even though there are people that I truly and wholeheartedly love and miss and care about, sometimes I feel like I don't make an effort. Like I don't try hard enough to stay in touch and keep up with their lives. I go about my day, making up excuses like "Life just gets in the way", or "I'll do it tomorrow", and so on.

While I'm not on Facebook a whole lot, yesterday I posted a status saying how I was excited to go back to Japan soon, and that I wanted to see everyone. So many people liked and commented on the post, I actually cried a little bit. Partly, because I was moved. Partly, because I felt guilty. Partly, because I am a wuss.

I really want to make an effort. I don't want to be everybody's friend.

But I want to be a good friend to my friends.

Because they are worth the effort ♥