Where Scholar Meets Shopper

A few things about myself:

I am not naturally a "shopper." I hate shopping in groups. I like to go by myself or with my significant other. I am not big on spending money at all, and I usually buy the cheapest thing at a restaurant when I go out to eat. I have a hard time motivating myself to exercise if I am not committed to a team or an exercise class. I dislike watching movies by myself and usually can't justify the luxury during the week.

HOWEVER...

Ever since I started graduate school, all I want to do is

shop,
eat out,
exercise,
and watch movies on Netflix.

Just when I should be cultivating deeper thoughts and rigorous intellectual pursuits, I seem to be getting shallower. Okay, it's not inherently shallow to do these things. It's just weird that all of a sudden, I feel a gravitational pull toward them. What's funny is that I have talked to a few of the other girls in my program and they have said similar things. What kind of subliminal messages are women being taught in this program? Just kidding. It must be that we are working so hard/ are stressed by expectations that we feel the need to simultaneously pamper ourselves. No idea. It just feels out of character for me.