Winter Break and the Quirky Realm of Academia

Today I had a most disturbing revelation. I have been so seamlessly integrated into the world of academia that I've forgotten the rest of the hoi polloi operates in a slightly different realm. Take for instance, the following: After a fabby potluck last night with friends, I woke up at 11:30 and slothed about for an hour attempting to nurse a mild wine induced hangover. Then my friend Joanna picked me up at 1:00 and we went to the gym to work out for an hour (and mock the frat boys petting their pecs and posing in front of the mirrors).

On the way there I was feeling a little bizarre/disoriented and our conversation went something like this:
Me: Is it Sunday? (vaguelly troubled) What day is it?
Joanna: Oh my God! I was thinking the same thing. (reflects for a moment) It's actually Wednesday. (mildly horrified)
Me: Shit, this winter vacation thing has me very confused. It still feels like the weekend.
Joanna: I know. I woke up and thought surely it must be Saturday.
Me: Cripes. We're really lucky wenches. Bless academia.
Joanna: Hell yes.
Me: It may not pay much, but at least we don't have to perform mindless drudgery for hours on end each week.
Joanna: Too true. We instead "do research" and teach undergrads how to write.
Me: Ah, yes. The good life.
Joanna: Yup.
I am fully aware of the fact that I'm utterly and completely spoiled. It's not that I don't do work. Teaching and writing a dissertation do take up large amounts of my time, but I can decide when I want to work on things and where. I can work out of my house (bless the internet!) and I only have to be on campus when I teach and have office hours. Being able to change and vary my schedule is incredibly important to my personal sanity. I've worked in the "real" world and I learned very quickly that it wasn't for me. If I was forced to work in some office day in and day out, performing mindless tasks, I'd definitely go postal. Thank goodness there is a refuge for those quirky non-conformists like myself. It's a land called academia--where there's always summer vacation, no 9-5 bullshit, and plenty of intellectual stimulation.