Summer Plans

And so it is Summer…

Usually the first week of summer vacation is hard for me. I miss my colleagues, I miss my kids, I miss the routine of my school life.

But this week hasn’t been bad, and last night as I was catching up on some Hulu, I tried to figure out why I haven’t felt my usual sense of despair. Here are some possible reasons:

1. Twitter. Twitter has kept me connected with some of my dearest friends from school, so it doesn’t really feel like I haven’t seen/talked with them in a while.

2. 5K Training. My crazy friend Kim decided she was going to train for a half-marathon, and in doing so has become an ambassador for running. So I agreed to train in baby steps: 5K this fall, 10K next spring, and if I survive those, a half-marathon next summer. At any rate, having a training program and not wanting to run in the heat of the day has kept me on a modified routine where I’m up no later than 8 AM. And I’m sure all those side-effects of exercise (endorphins, improved mood, improved sleep, endorphins, endorphins, endorphins) have contributed to the lack of summer despondency.

3. Plans. Right now, my apartment has a ton of boxes that I should be packing, as I’m moving in two weeks. And 10 days after the move, I leave for Amherst College for the summer. So instead of staring down 2 1/2 months of emptiness, I’m relishing the chance to relax and slow the pace for a finite period of time. Because that class at Amherst is gonna kill me slowly. Beloved! Billy Budd! Eichmann in Jerusalem! These are not happy titles, my friends.

4. Purpose. I still have some schoolwork I’d like to take care of (plan out my English classes) and some writing I need to do for a research project I’m still involved with from grad school. Granted, I need to actually DO these things instead of just write ABOUT them…

5. Time. This is my 10th year teaching, and maybe summer gets easier to deal with over time.

So the first week of summer break = success. One week down, 10 weeks to go…