A Midweek Brain Dump

It's been a month since my last post and I feel like it's been only a couple of weeks!

I am sad to be missing Blogtember this year. I followed it for a couple of years before I participated in its entirety last year. I had every intention of joining in this year, but it just hasn't happened. I've been working really hard, for once in my life, to let myself go more slowly than usual. And, for right now, that means no Blogtember. However, I am going to make the effort to start blogging once each week. First, I miss sitting down and having some "fun" writing time and, secondly, blogging is just a fun way of connecting with people. And, really, third, the English writer part of my loves having a journal to look back on and, in a culture of oversharing, why not make my journal public for the entire world to see, right?

Part of letting myself go slower than usual is choosing to focus on doing a couple of big things well and then make time for a few smaller things as time allows. My current graduate program (which I don't think I have ever actually talked about) has been much more challenging than I anticipated and I have not risen to the challenge on all occasions. This semester I am taking a class on literary criticism and, so far, I am really enjoying it. Lit crit was one of my favorite classes as an undergrad and I attributed it largely to my professor. Whether or not it was entirely him, I am really enjoying my second go at this class as well. Getting my Master's degree in English was something I never anticipated doing, but I am grateful for the opportunity as it has presented itself!

Maybe it's the fact I have started my sixth year of teaching and have finally figured things out a little bit, maybe is the nonconventional class schedule that actually gives me time away from students during the day (I promise that's not as bad as it sounds), or maybe I'm just riding a stroke of luck, but I am not feeling entirely overwhelmed by my job at the beginning of this school year. Things are not perfect by any means at all-- heck, I'm already dreadfully behind in grading in two of my classes and I basically flew by the seat of my pants this last week as (virtually) every free (and not-so-free) moment from Wednesday to Friday was filled with meetings of one sort or another.

After I stepped off the plane from Dallas, post-Poland, this summer, I was of the mindset that the next time I stepped on a plane better not be in the next decade. However, I have made it about two months before the Wanderlust and desire to "Go" has reared its beautiful head again. I fly to Pittsburgh next month for a work conference, so I'll get my airplane fix. But that won't satiate the desire to "go!" Although I did "go" to Grand Forks this past weekend to celebrate Kelly's birthday! Currently inter-continental travel destinations include Seattle and Banff National Park. Current global destinations include Iceland, Sweden, and back to Thailand. What I wouldn't do for some passionfruit, pad thai, and murgh makhani right now.

May your week be blessed!