It's not that I don't like it here, but I'm really looking forward to getting home and going to school. This further convinces me that I'll probably end up in grad school and maybe get my ph.D for the simple reason that I love going back to school every fall. The summer day when I wake up and think "I'll never be a full-time students again" shall be a very sad day indeed. Perhaps I'll feel differently by then, but for now, I am quite excited to get back into the academic routine.
One thing I've learned from being a teacher this summer, is that being a teacher and being a student are very different things. I don't think teaching English is my calling, in fact, I'm quite certain it is not. Maybe economics someday, but we'll see. Teachers have to do so much grading! Seriously, I think twice about assigning homework because I know I'll have to correct it. Same with essay questions- what a pain. I guess that's why our professors have TA's.
I'm currently sitting out on the balcony at SALI (where I pretty much live). There is an enormous mass of vines growing on the building next door that are blooming in a vibrant shade of purple. I'm glad because on these cold, cloudy days, it's nice to have some life to look at. I hope it's oppresively hot when I get home.
Just a little more than 2 weeks left down here, south of the equator. I'm still taking my spanish classes though now that I'm not going to take spanish this semester, it seems like a bit of a waste. Still, Noemi, my teacher, is so kind, and we've started reading the Bible in Spanish for practice. I understand a lot, it's encouraging to have spanish class if for no other reason than it makes me feel like I do actually speak spanish. I hope to watch spanish movies to hang on to what I've learned so next time I can start a little further along than when I arrived. Maybe I'll go to Spanish club, we'll see.
I can't believe how fast the summer disappeared. I guess I've done a lot but since I tend to gage progress by how many books I've read, I feel like I haven't done anything. When I get home I'll read, though there are so many other things I want to do too. In any event, I feel like I've had a huge attitude readjustment lately and I'm feeling very relaxed. I look forward both to being social (and 21) and having some quiet afternoons/nights with a book. I resisted the urge to put an extra class in my schedule, though so many looked interesting, especially the Middle East film class on Monday nights.
It's not what I expected but I'm starting to reevaluate my supposed love of latin america and moving here after I graduate. It definitely has its charms and I don't mind going without some of the luxuries of the West, but I don't know if I'd ever feel at home here. I'm pretty sure the language barrier has a lot to do with it since it's hard for me to make real deep relationships without enough spanish. Still, I'm not going to run full speed ahead towards such a specific career. I'll see what comes along.
Jenny and I were talking today about state/city pride and we decided that Connecticutians just don't have it. I think I'd like to live somewhere that does, where people are more invested in making their city/state something they can be proud of. For example, people in Boston have Boston pride, as do people in New York City. A lot of southerners I've met down here also have state pride, in Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee. I end up defending CT and feeling proud to be from there only because other people feel so about their homes. It's an interesting dynamic. Living here has also allowed me to test out city life and thus far, I think I can handle a small city. I'm definitely more of a Trujillo girl than a Limanite; more of a Boston girl than a New Yorker. I like the accessability of a city and the community it fosters.
Alright well I guess I should go do something that's actually productive. I taught this morning from 9-10:30 and I don't teach again until 5:45 so I have some time. Perhaps a book? Que bueno!
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