Weekends

ahhhhhhh, it's nice to know I don't really have to do anything if I don't want to. I just could sit and relax. Just not having to drive is a benefit. But I actually do have some work to do. I need to prepare a PowerPoint about Chuck Close and actually formulate a lesson plan for the principal who will be giving me a "formal" evaluation sometime next week. I don't know exactly when, but it could be Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.......... I'm ready, lady, so bring it.

Some of my friends made their way to Thailand this week for a job fair. The problem with all of that is how will I be able to visit them? I know for sure a couple will be in the Philippines, and I already know people in Thailand and China and Singapore. I would love to be able to go visit them next year. But I guess it depends on my situation as well.

I still realize that it is travel that is my obsession. I really am addicted to it. Even when it seems like it's harmful to me, I want to do it. Living in other countries is an adventure like none-other. It's an incredible journey that allows you to soak up the true culture of the region, be it good or bad. I had many bad days in Egypt, but I also had many good ones. And in hindsight it was all worth it. It gives me a broader perspective of the world I live in. I DID learn a lot about myself while I was living in Egypt. I know more now what it truly means to be a flexible and more open person. Which is closer to the person I want to be. Traveling to another country, or even another state puts you in a vulnerable position. You are at the mercy of people who live a certain way, you need to learn, you are the one that needs to be flexible and change your habits to assimilate. Or at least accommodate. And I guess we all do that a little bit each day in our own home or country, but on a different level. A more gentle level.

I often tell my students that you have to try to see other's viewpoints, even if you don't agree with them. You have to try because it will at least teach you something about yourself. It's so hard for them to do that. Being that they are already in a tough position. They protect themselves, and don't really understand why they do it. They live under a blanket of fear, really. So many kids come into the D-home with certain attitudes, and if they're there long enough, you can seem them unwrapping themselves. They reach a comfort level, a certain trust. And then they go, and you hope that they can pull themselves away from their past. But, I know that's not completely realistic. They go back to the same homes, the same way of life, the same school, and the same friends. They don't have the back up or support they need to realize the changes they made when they were in the D-home were worth the time, patience and effort. They fall back into what they were used to.....

Whoa-- sorry that was a tangent.

Ah-- the weekend, it leaves time for the mind to wander and think.