Early in the morning, the alarm sounds off its repetitive, obnoxious screeching, signaling it’s a time to start another day. As soon as I shut off the alarm, I say a short prayer, thanking the Lord for another day and help to get through it. My morning groans are usually then replaced by a hum or a song on my lips, gaining a sense of calmness, knowing that God is on my side and school will eventually end that day.

I slip out of my warm bed and my feet drag on the roughness of the carpet. It is still dark and despite the brief alarming sound of my clock, it has not fully broken the dark, peaceful quietness of the morning. My feet reach the icy cold linoleum flooring and I hastily jump into the shower. A good foundation to any day is a prayer and a nice, long, hot shower. The shower is one of the few places I can actually think about what I want to think about. The whole day demands I think about school, lunches, conversation, time, and pressures. But when I am in the shower, the sound of the water blocks out all noise from the outside, all the demands, and I can just relax. When I am not interrupted my thoughts may linger on one certain thing or flow quickly, jumping from one topic to another, thinking about life… about friends… even going over a conversation I had with someone special the day before.

When I am done in the shower, I reluctantly turn off the water, letting the worries and hustle of the day flood back into my mind. I then start a hectic day of finding a clean uniform, getting my hair under control, cramming for quizzes, fighting with a cranky sister, and just in general interacting with the family who are rushing trying to get everything done.

But when I’m in the car on the way to school, barely able to keep my eyes open from lack of sleep, I smile, knowing that the world isn’t coming to an end today, because its already tomorrow in Australia.