Happy St. Patrick's Day! It's beautiful weather in Memphis and should continue for a nice weekend above 70 degrees with sunshine. It makes me think of St. Patrick's Days in the past. Just last year I was celebrating with family in Chicago over a green river, rain, and freezing cold temperatures. Some things have definitely changed about St. Patrick's Day in the south, but other things remain the same. I'm still wearing green (t-shirt not a sweatshirt and without my Ireland scarf) and I'm still going to have corned beef for dinner.
Winter has come and gone and spring has finally arrived. I went home for spring break in Northern Michigan. I got to see family for a week, and spend time relaxing, and I didn't study at all (despite taking some work home with me). Came back to Memphis and everything was starting to blossom! A nice change from a winter wonderland in the north. It's now warm enough to run outside again, not wear a coat to school, and almost flip-flop weather. This is three months ahead of schedule from what I'm used to, but the changing weather means spring and all its activities.
Memphis is known for the festivals and events in the spring. I'm most looking forward to Beale St. Music festival at the end of April. Lots of great musicians are coming in and it's right down from my house. Only bad thing is that it's right before a week of finals. Yikes. I'll have to study hard in April, so I'm ready for exams early. Even though I'm still a 'crammer' minutes before the test (I don't retain anything, it's more of a habit now) I have found that it's best to keep studying steadily. Even on those nights or weekends when we don't have exams, I try to look over material, so that I'm not behind and not struggling to get through everything. Sometimes this advice is easier said than done, especially on those weeks when we have three exams.
Spring also brings March Madness. As much as I enjoy the state of Tennessee, I'm still going to say 'Go Blue' and hope that Michigan wins tomorrow. Happy Spring, Happy St. Patrick's and Go Blue!