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Esther: Hey, Ruth, you look tired. Did you get enough sleep last night?

Ruth: Not really. My days are pretty busy, especially since I usually have a lot of prepping and marking to do for my classes.

Oh, what does a regular day look like for you?

Well, my alarm goes off at quarter after 6 everyday, but I usually get up at 6:30. I get up early, so I can be one of the first ones at the office. Otherwise, I might not get to use the photocopier right away.

Oh, wow. That’s early.

I know. I used to sleep in until 8. After I get up, I take a shower, and then I put some work clothes on. I sometimes feel a little stressed about all I have to do during the day, so you know, I usually decide what I’m wearing the night before so that I have one less decision to make in the morning. When I head over to the kitchen, the first thing I always do is put water in the kettle to make tea. I love green tea, and it usually perks me up. I normally have oatmeal for breakfast because it’s so filling, which means I don’t need to worry about getting hungry too soon before lunch. I leave my place at 7:30. If I’m not out of the house by half past 7, I start to worry I’ll miss the bus to the subway that comes 10 minutes before 8. I am rarely late to work.

How long do you work?

Oh, I’m at the school from about 8 to 6. Not that my classes are that long, but I just like to get ready for tomorrow’s class at the office because I get distracted at home. When I get back home, I usually lie down and check out stuff on my phone for about 15 minutes. It’s usually the first time all day that I check Facebook, read the news, watch stupid YouTube videos, or play word games. Then I put dinner in the oven around half past 7. I wash up right after I eat, or I’ll leave the dishes for days. I do a bit more stuff for class, and then I hit the sack at about quarter after 10. I hardly ever go to sleep after midnight anymore. No more watching movies or texting friends until 2 am.

Whoa, that sounds hard. When’s the last time you had a vacation?

A real one? Not just a stay-cation? Probably 2 years ago. Went to Jamaica with some university friends. We had a blast. How about you?

Oh, I went on vacation last Christmas, to the Dominican Republic. The resort was fabulous. But my boyfriend and I almost didn’t go because he’s got a crazy work schedule too, crazier than yours.

Oh really? What’s his day like?

Raj is a security guard at the hospital, so sometimes he works overnight. Fortunately, for this month, he’s working the day shift. He gets up at 5. Then, since he’s not much of a cook and is too tired to whip something up, he usually just grabs a banana, has some toast, and downs 2 cups of coffee. He leaves his place at quarter past 6, and he clocks in at the hospital at 6:30. His shifts are usually around 12 hours.

12 hours? I’m starting to feel more grateful for my job.

Yeah, 12. Because the hospital is short-staffed, but at least they pay him well. Anyways, when he finishes work at 6, he sometimes has a beer with a friend from work and stays out until 9! When he gets home, we watch something on Netflix, and then he calls it night around 11. He sleeps like the dead.

Oh, so you only have a few hours together before he goes to bed to start his routine all over again.

I know. We’re all a bunch of workaholics. But the hospital is supposed to be hiring more guards, and that’ll make a big difference. Hopefully, we will plan another vacation soon. The Dominican beaches were beautiful.

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