The plane touched down early morning Sunday to Buenos Aires in full summer: 26 degrees Celcius and sunny as ever. Though by now I'm more used to the transition between home in Maine and here, bright details like good weather ease the switch. So I'm back for my third semester at BAICA, after going home for Christmas and spending the full month of January in Maine.
Let me just say how invigorating winter is when the bookends are clear! When I know I've only got a month and a half of cold wind and slippery streets, of hot cocoa and wood stoves, of short days and long coats, I'm much more apt to enjoy it. And I did! We had a lot of time together as a family, the highlights: sledding with my nieces, dancing with my siblings, eating with my grandparents, running with my dog, skiing with my dad, and driving with my mom. Speaking of the last in the list, my mom and I made a second trip to Connecticut to visit my grandparents before I left. The drive there and back wasn't nearly long enough. We were hooked on the hit Podcast "Serial"and found ourselves circling around the block to finish the series.
The long, much needed break from work refreshed me with rest and fun in equal parts.
Now it's back to real life.
We started full swing on Monday with meetings and redecorating our NEW classrooms! Significantly bigger since knocking out the back and side walls, mine feels like a real classroom now.
Along with my new and very improved classroom, 3rd grade got two new students. We now have 13 total-- nine boys and only four girls. Already the boys are having a blast with it and the girls are learning to assert themselves.
By the way, space invading is not just for grown men. I now think it's inherent in the Y-chromosome, since even young boys tend to crowd with bony elbows, shoulders, and wide stances without realizing. I've caught the girls' annoyance when suddenly they're squeezed out of line or out of the circle. They politely say excuse me. They sweetly say the offending boy's name. Then, when ignored, my girls take action, jabbing hips side to side and making their bodies rigid to stay put in their rightful spot.
They get a thumbs-up from me.
Some other new things...
Courtney and I have a new roommate. Her name is Gina and she's a Pre-K teacher from Colombia working on her Masters in Childhood Education. She brought Colombian coffee to share, so she's pretty okay with me! Having three of us in the house makes space tight, but we're making it work and having fun in the process.
I brought way too much luggage this time (which is nothing new), including a laptop to sell, a guitar amp for a friend, about 7 pounds of stickers, and my longboard! Already it's been so nice to ride around my neighborhood and get that little thrill. The uneven street vibrates through my sneakers and makes me feel at home.
By the way, space invading is not just for grown men. I now think it's inherent in the Y-chromosome, since even young boys tend to crowd with bony elbows, shoulders, and wide stances without realizing. I've caught the girls' annoyance when suddenly they're squeezed out of line or out of the circle. They politely say excuse me. They sweetly say the offending boy's name. Then, when ignored, my girls take action, jabbing hips side to side and making their bodies rigid to stay put in their rightful spot.
They get a thumbs-up from me.
Some other new things...
Courtney and I have a new roommate. Her name is Gina and she's a Pre-K teacher from Colombia working on her Masters in Childhood Education. She brought Colombian coffee to share, so she's pretty okay with me! Having three of us in the house makes space tight, but we're making it work and having fun in the process.
I brought way too much luggage this time (which is nothing new), including a laptop to sell, a guitar amp for a friend, about 7 pounds of stickers, and my longboard! Already it's been so nice to ride around my neighborhood and get that little thrill. The uneven street vibrates through my sneakers and makes me feel at home.
Our kitten Almendra is now a well-cared-for cat, thanks to our neighbor who fed her over break and saved us from setting her loose. She roams the house freely, leaves out the open window to hang with the other alley cats, and comes back when she wants.
Last semester, my schedule filled so that I had at least one activity after school every day. I was teaching piano and private English classes, playing soccer with a group from church, going to Pilates, and practicing Ashtanga yoga. This semester might look similar, but I want to leave space in my schedule to spend more time with people. I also got a good taste of relaxation while home and it was delicious. So we'll see.
Here's a few goals I've set to enjoy this semester:
Allow myself more grace. Stop micro-managing myself and let myself be.
Decorate my room better.
Learn all the primary series postures of Ashtanga yoga.
Get back into the habit of writing.
Apply the following quote to my life:
"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change the way you think about it."
Thanks a lot for reading. Hasta pronto!
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