29/07/2025
**How I Sleep to Work**
*Going to work never felt so strange.*
I woke up early, around 4 a.m., to prepare for my workday. I needed to cook pasta to take with me, as I hadn’t done it the night before. I must admit, I woke up feeling quite hungry. While I sometimes go to work without breakfast, today felt different; I worried that I might faint or feel terrible if I didn’t eat, as a voice in my head warned me.
So, I got up and headed straight to the kitchen. It was already 4:30 a.m., and my bus was scheduled to arrive at 5:46. Knowing I was short on time, I hurriedly cooked the pasta and packed a portion to take with me. However, I started to feel sleepy, unlike when I first woke up. I decided to run back to my bedroom to make the most of the remaining 30 minutes, knowing how refreshing it would feel.
I jumped on my bed, but I was unable to fall asleep because, deep down, I knew I wouldn’t be able to wake up in time to catch my bus. Instead, I relaxed on the bed with my eyes closed. It felt good, but also strange. Before I knew it, those 30 minutes passed in what felt like no time at all; suddenly, it was 5:40 a.m. Thankfully, the bus station was not far from my house. I quickly jumped out of bed, still half-asleep, and ran to the door to head to work.
I made it to the bus station on time, and the bus arrived just as I did. I was the third person on board, joining the driver. As the journey began, I felt a cold breeze from the open window and realized I was in trouble. My eyes started to close, even though I tried to keep them open. I pulled out my phone to check Facebook in an attempt to stay awake, but it didn’t help much. Each time I began to doze off, I would jolt back to awareness as my head tilted downward.
As more people boarded at each stop, I grew sleepier and more self-conscious. I struggled to maintain my posture and keep my eyes open, trying to mimic the relaxed state I had felt just before leaving home.
However, I managed to hold my composure until I reached my stop, and I immediately felt awake and better. How I regained my focus and completed my tasks at work without any mistakes is a story for another day. Meanwhile, I now understand that one cannot override nature, which plays an essential role in our existence: going to work has felt so strange. To be continued...
