End of Term Reflections.

I have been here (on a side note: as soon as I started writing the blog I realized that maybe it should be called "over here" rather than "over there" but no mind) for a whole term now.  I am in the middle of my holiday currently and the Christmas term will start on November 5th.  Like every time we start a new part of our lives, this makes me want to exclaim loudly how it seems like I just got here and also like I've always been here.  But I won't get into a discussion about psychological time here.  What is my evaluation of having lived here for one term?  I love it.  I really, really love it.  I love it so much in fact that my eleven months in England project has turned into a stay here until I'm done learning everything I can project.  I have decided that I will return next year for another year and after that?  We'll just have to see.

My gang.   

And to sum up the most exciting 2 and a half months of my life: 

We have bonfires.  

In front of Anne Boleyn's childhood home.
Note how cool and European I look in my fanny pack.

I am making wreaths with a small group of students.  Each of the co-workers has to work on a small group craft project as part of our course evaluation.  Mine, of course, is inspired by my wonderful father.  And also probably Euclid who gave me a strong love for circles.   

OCCASIONALLY, I even leave campus and go out without the students.  This is Dover Beach.  As if this was not cool enough, I  found a copy of the selected works of Matthew Arnold for 50p at a charity shop there and was able to read "Dover Beach" ON Dover Beach.  Score!  After I took this lovely photo, I turned around to take some pictures of the majestic White Cliffs and my camera died.  Go figure.     

Rudyard Kipling's House!  There is a tiny room full of tiny jungle animals
that I'm sure was not there when he lived there, but it was still really cool.

I told you this has been the most exciting time of my life and then I showed you pictures of students with twigs.  This may seem incongruous, but I assure you it is not.  I could write forever about how I love it and how it's hard and how it's lonely and how it's fulfilling - but none of that could really do any of this justice.  So instead I'll just tell you one of my absolute favorite things.

Every night before bed, I set the breakfast table with one of the students.  It's a simple task - setting bowls and spoons and cereals on a big table, but I cannot tell you how comforting it is.  There have been times in my life that the darkness of night seemed unceasing.  This is still the case sometimes.  But when you set the breakfast table, all those shining little bowls sit out and seem to promise morning in the most unassuming but comforting way possible.  The days are linked through our table, set for ten.  There is a place set for me - my name staring up at me from the label on the napkin ring.  This is your place in the world - right here.  Morning is coming, promises the table, and when it does the Muesli will be waiting.