work family.

a quarter into my 2nd year of teaching and i've found this year to be much better than last.  i'm less overwhelmed with the day-to-day lesson planning/grading and can focus more on refining my teaching skills and enjoying the students.  i've taken on additional roles as student council advisor and UNICEF club advisor which fills more time, but brings much reward. i feel a greater investment in the school and, dare i say it, a greater sense of belonging.

this, no doubt, is due to my work family.  

with the closest member of my immediate family over 1,000 miles away, my coworkers, along with my aunt and uncle, have become an additional family-- one i have truly come to rely on.  when students threaten my sanity, they are there to help me keep it together or, when circumstances demand, just lose it with me.  each school day is filled with an amount of laughing that is borderline illegal-- so much that i frequently ask myself, "are we allowed to have this much fun at work?"  but beyond the fun, i can't imagine taking on teaching without their support and guidance.  you would have had to pull me out of a ball in the corner long ago if it weren't for my work family. they have become teammates, mentors, role models, running partners, therapists, and above all, friends.

i have never been very good with words, especially when trying to express emotion.  it may come across as me having, as hermione would say, "the emotional capacity of a teaspoon," but i assure you it is not the case.  i couldn't be more grateful to have my work family.  

many, many thanks.   

happy bdiddy.

i'll be honest.  birthdays are not my favorite days, and it's not because i mind getting older (not yet, anyway).  i feel like birthdays are full of pressure to make the day the best one of the year.  it's crippling, really.  plus, there's so much attention which makes me want to go climb in a cupboard.  however, i do like my birthday because, like new year's day, it provides an opportunity to reflect on where i've been during the previous year and where i'm going in the forthcoming one.  it's a recalibration, of sorts.  while the past year has been full of great times (2 trips to europe and survival of 1st year of teaching) and some not so great times (the longest depressive stage to date), i've learned much about myself.  i'm looking forward to the year ahead.  a marathon (only appropriate for being 26), new zealand (crossing fingers), and grad school (also crossing fingers) make the next 365 look pretty darn good.