When I arrived in Dunkerque on Sunday evening Claude, our supervisor, insisted that Lauren let me go to bed as soon as possible since the 24 hours of travel had probably exhausted me. Needing no further encouragement, I hit the sack around 9:30 or 10 completely wiped out. When I explained that I wanted to go running in the morning, Lauren laughingly counseled me not to plan on anything before 9 because I likely wouldn't get up before then. To both of our surprise, I was up at 5. Feeling fairly smug about my suerior abilities of adaptation, I did my exercises and prepared for the day.When Lauren finally got up around 8:30, I informed her that I'd been up for a while.
As I said, the silly pride that creeps in whenever I accomplish a little challenge somebody unintentionally issues set in...until around 11. For the life of me, I couldn't keep my eyes open. Finally, I gave in and took a 30 minute nap. That night, Lauren and I stayed up talking until around 2 in the morning. We barely scrambled out of bed in time for our 9:30 English tutoring session the next morning. All day long, we dragged ourself around from visit to visit. That night, I felt fairly confident that if I wasn't a superhuman, at least the fatigue and sleep exhaustion should help me sleep the whole night through so that I could reset my circadian rhythym.
Well think again! Around 3 am, I couldn't fight the restlessness any longer. I got up and worked out in our living room. Poor Lauren!I'm sure I woke her up at least a half a dozen times coming in and out of the room for needed supplies. After working out, reading some Crime and Punishment, I showered and tried to fall back to sleep...nada. Remembering the lighthouse we wanted to visit, I decided to bike out to see what the visiting hours were. After backtracking 4 different times (the Streets are definitely not built according to the Zion grid system) and wondering if the "absolutely do not enter signs" applied to the areas I was riding around in, I finally made it out to the lighthouse. Mission accomplished!
I scurried home before Lauren could worry about where I'd been for the last few hours. Still contentedly asleep when I arrived, I raced to the local "tabac" to buy a newspaper and a crossword puzzle(stupid idea--I can't even do them in English!)After sometime spent reading aimlessly, I made breakfast; it's incredible how much you can do in a morning of solitude and restlessness.I began thinking to myself: "I can't decide if I hate or love this sleep cycle; I am so productive!"
Since we had Thrsday off for an elderly excursion, Lauren and I stayed up until 2 watching movies and giggling about dating expériences. Thinking I'd probably get up around 9 again, I planned a bike ride to Belgium for the next day. When I woke up, the closed "volets" made it impossible to know what time it was; whether 7,8, or 12 the room was solidly black. Clicking my phone, I gasped horrified: 3! This time not in the morning, but the afternoon! I had slept for a full 13 hours; quelle horreur! Well, last night I fell asleep around 1:30 and got up at 4:40. So, there's really no predicting it anymore. I'm just hoping that I'll stabilize at some point. In the meantime, Dunkerquers get to deal with the American zombie that smiles incessantly, tottering on the verge of sleep whenever we sit longer than 5 minutes.
No comments:
Post a Comment