blog on travels

I am settling in again after my late-winter traipsing 'cross country. My head is still reeling, though it was only 3 states in 3 weeks. (What will happen this summer?) The cabin in TN seems like a long time ago, but that was a special weekend. Then I headed up to Alaska, and after one cra--azy week took my 16 eighth graders to DC. We got back last night.

Alaska was Awesome. I loved it so much, I didn't want to come back. I got to go on a dogsled, and we went skating on a pond, which is so much fun. We didn't do any snowshoeing, or skiing because the snow was old and had frozen, but it snowed for us the last day, and was really pretty, and it was much fun to skate through the snow on ice. I really love the northwest. So, I don't know that I'd ever actually live in Alaska, but the trip made me come home asking the question someone up there asked me: "Why do you live in Atlanta?"

But if Alaska asked that question, DC answered it. I love my students! so much! I had such a good time with them in DC. The whole trip went so smoothly. It was such a blast. We flew up and spent 4 days sightseeing. We were blessed with good weather, health and smooth travels. And we also had an excellent tour guide. We got to see so much (more than last year's trip) and I enjoyed it and learned a lot too. Mostly it was just so much fun to be with my kids. They were eager to share things with me that they found interesting, and quick to listen to things I wanted to share, and to the stories the tour guide told us. They were flexible in riding the metro, and 1/2 of us staying at my sister's house (!) and they didn't complain too much for the cold. Mostly it was such a blessing to see them interested in learning, eager to share and take in, and kindspirited toward one another.

But the fact is, that for the last 5 days straight, and nearly the last week and a half, I have been operating completely inside the work/teacher box. It hasn't felt like work or being a 'teacher' because I was just having a blast with my kids, but I feel stuck in a work-bug, but I'm happy here. I had a pendulum swing 2 weeks ago - I did no work in Alaska, and then I returned to crazy hours (getting everything set up for the trip) and since then, I've just been riding on that steam. I supposed I need to come down off the ride, and answer my emails, and keep up with friends, and all that stuff.

but I have grading to do. nothing like grading to set me back on my feet again.