Keeping One Quiet Evening for Myself

yǒu有yī一duàn段shíjiān时间，wǒ我jīhū几乎měi每tiān天wǎnshang晚上dōu都yǒu有ānpái安排。

For a while, I had plans almost every evening.

bù不shì是hé和péngyou朋友jiànmiàn见面，jiùshì就是cānjiā参加gèzhǒng各种kèchéng课程。

I was either meeting friends or attending different classes.

shēnghuó生活kànqilai看起来hěn很fēngfù丰富，wǒ我què却zǒng总juéde觉得méiyou没有xiūxi休息hǎo好。

My life looked full, but I always felt that I had not rested enough.

Xīngqīrì星期日wǎnshang晚上，wǒ我shènzhì甚至kāishǐ开始dānxīn担心dì第èr二tiān天de的gōngzuò工作。

On Sunday evenings, I even began worrying about the next day's work.

hòulái后来，wǒ我juédìng决定měi每zhōu周liú留yī一gè个wǎnshang晚上，bù不jiēshòu接受xīn新de的yāoqǐng邀请。

Later, I decided to keep one evening each week free of new invitations.

dì第yī一cì次zhèyàng这样zuò做shí时，wǒ我dānxīn担心zìjǐ自己huì会juéde觉得wúliáo无聊。

The first time I tried this, I worried that I would feel bored.

kěshì可是，mànmàn慢慢chī吃wán完fàn饭，zài再bǎ把chuāng窗biān边de的zhíwù植物jiāo浇hǎo好shuǐ水，shíjiān时间jiù就guòqu过去le了。

But time passed as I ate dinner slowly and watered the plants by the window.

wǒ我hái还dú读le了jǐ几yè页yīzhí一直xiǎng想dú读de的shū书。

I also read a few pages of a book I had long wanted to read.

nà那tiān天wǎnshang晚上，wǒ我méiyou没有wánchéng完成shénme什么tèbié特别de的shìqing事情，què却shuì睡de得hěn很hǎo好。

I did not accomplish anything special that evening, but I slept very well.

xiànzài现在，wǒ我réngrán仍然xǐhuan喜欢jiàn见péngyou朋友，yě也yuànyi愿意xuéxí学习xīn新dōngxi东西。

I still enjoy seeing friends and learning new things.

zhǐshì只是ānpái安排huódong活动qián前，wǒ我huì会xiān先kàn看kàn看zìjǐ自己háiyǒu还有méiyou没有jīnglì精力。

I simply check how much energy I have before making plans.

ānjìng安静de的shíjiān时间ràng让wǒ我gèng更qīngchu清楚de地zhīdao知道，nǎxiē哪些ānpái安排shì是qīdài期待，nǎxiē哪些zhǐshì只是xíguàn习惯。

Quiet time helps me see which plans I look forward to and which I make merely out of habit.