MIA

I feel like I've been MIA for the past two months. As you all are probably tired of hearing me say, student teaching is the most mentally and emotionally difficult job I've had in quite some time. I'll admit, my jobs for the past few years have been pretty easy, mentally speaking. At Metro, once I had the "speel' down, it was just a matter of repeating it hundreds of times (oh, and learning how to drive a manual transmission, of course, but that wasn't mentally taxing, necessarily, just stressful!) Making lattes at Starbucks didn't require a lot of thought. The hardest thing I did at the United Way was the daily crossword, and the American Red Cross was basically crunching numbers and pressuring people to give blood. Peru was mentally and emotionally taxing, but nobody was evaluating my performance. I had only myself to answer to there.

So, in response to feeling a little overwhelmed, I've turned into a bit of a hermit. Few things make me happier these days than a quiet night at home. For whatever reason, I don't feel like hanging out quite as much as before. My mind seems to be consumed with thinking about the next novel I'm teaching or evaluating my job as a teacher and wife.

Why am I rambling about such things? Because chances are, if you're reading this, you're someone that I value having in my life. You're someone that I've laughed and cried with. Your someone who has listened to me for hours on end and given solid advice. You're someone that I enjoy having dinner with, working out with, going on a walk with, watching TV with, shopping with...seriously, the list could go on and on. All this to say, thank you for bearing with me during this odd-feeling season that I'm in. I appreciate it more than I'm sure I think of to tell you.