I got up this morning with my 2nd alarm. It was difficult to get out of my warm bed into the cold room. I quickly put my clothes on. It was about 0810. I forced myself to get up with the intent of getting the 0837 bus to the university however I quickly realised once I was up that I had no milk from the day before. I wouldn’t have time to get my usual Weetabix breakfast, part of my routine. I packed my study bag. The house was cold even with my 3 fleeces and thermal base layers. I then headed out to Tesco to get the milk. As I walked I wondered if it was even worth going to the bus stop? There was so much compressed snow and slush on the pavement. The university had been closed early the day before. Tesco was brightly lit and populated by staff who were half asleep themselves. I quickly went to the self service checkout till and paid and then walked back to my flat. As I walked back I noticed children getting out of cars for St Joseph’s school. If the primary school was open then the university might be open. My bus might be running after all! Once I got back it was nearly 0825 so although I had the milk and Weetabix I wouldn’t have time to make it and eat it.

I now walked briskly to the bus stop (also beside Tesco). My mood oscillated between despair and hope as I watched the far corner where the no.17 bus usually appears from (the top of Tomnahurich street). 0837 came and went, no bus. And finally it was almost 0850 and there was no bus. I walked back to my flat slightly worried. Bad weather or good weather my dissertation deadline was getting closer. This was the 4th day this week I hadn’t got any progress done. I didn’t want this to turn into an unproductive morning. I’ve always been a morning person and the energy and freshness of the morning of each day is precious to me.

As I got in the dark, cold flat I made some Weetabix and quickly ate it. The only place I could go to was the public library in town. I left my house and headed there without a purpose. I had already studied German two days in a row and I was starting to question my long term goals for learning this language. On the way there the streets were quiet and lacking in people. If there were people they were concentrating on their footing, and on bearing the cold morning. The sky was overcast, as usual. Eventually I arrived at my destination. I got a coffee and sat thinking about how to spend the morning. Reading fiction felt too recreational. Studying German via a mobile app didn’t feel like the right way to spend this morning. Eventually out of boredom and lack of a better idea I walked around the different book sections, browsing. There was a classics section, a biography section of important people, a foreign languages section, a cooking section, a sport section and of course the adult fiction section covered many shelves and multiple walls of books. I enjoyed the quiet environment and the momentary lack of purpose while I waited for an idea of inspiration to come to me. I picked up a journalist’s memoir book about growing up in Russia. I went through the first few pages and decided it wasn’t my cup of tea. Finally I got out a spare piece of paper from my bag and started to write about my morning.