'Cuz I'm Leaving, On A Jet Plane...

It is 22:13 on Tuesday night. I have actually finished working and it feels very strange. I taught my last preschool classes this morning and I was very sad. I teach 4 groups of preschoolers and explained to each one that "aujourd'hui c'est mon dernier jour avec vous" or en anglais, "today is my last day with you". Three of the groups didn't seem to be able to grasp the concept that I was really leaving, but the fourth group is my expert English speakers (or as expert as a three or four year old can be!). When I told them it was my last day, a few of them nearly started crying and one asked, "Why are you leaving us?" It broke my heart and the only good part is that many of them are going to Champittet where I will be teaching next year so I can see them again. I miss them already. I headed back to the main school to fill in the rest of my paperwork and drop off some books, then biked home feeling quite a bit lighter. 


I packed this afternoon, doing no online work and instead choosing to get everything together for my trip. Packing was difficult. I have almost 2 weeks in the U.S., a wedding shower, a wedding, and a honeymoon in Jamaica. I just couldn't choose what to bring. I did a terrible job of packing lightly. So I just decided I'll pay for the extra bag home and not worry too much about it. I may regret this during our several customs stops and loading and unloading baggage, but at the moment I am okay with my one 18kg bag.


Later in the day, I went to my tutoring job, spent 2 hours there, then headed home. By 8pm I had turned in my timesheet to all three jobs and have officially started my vacation. It feels strange, very strange. Normally I have so much work to do that I never have time to do anything wasteful. Paul plays online games sometimes to relax and I don't understand that. Why would I spend time doing something like that when I have work to do? Reading is usually what I choose to do if I have 10 minutes to spare before I go to sleep. I don't spend nearly enough time drawing, playing guitar, or just sitting on the balcony enjoying the view. I'm hoping that once I finish the middle school curriculum I will have more time to just relax. 


So I will be waking up in 6.5 hours to get on a train and head to Zurich. It will be a long day traveling and I am not particularly looking forward to the long flight from Philadelphia to LAX. I am sure that the food and the movies will all cost extra, but I have to remind myself that these flights were a good $500 cheaper than the other flights, so I can splurge a little on the plane. I will pay the extra $10 to watch movies if needed. 


I should be able to get to America no problem, but I am slightly worried about my in-laws, friends, and Paul. A volcano in Iceland has started erupting, putting ash back into the atmosphere again, closing airports in Scotland and northern England. What would happen if Paul can't make it out to the wedding? I guess we will cross that bridge when we come to it.


I am looking forward to these next few weeks, but I guess I am really just trying to focus on today, on right now. Every bride I have asked advice from has told me the same thing - that it goes by too fast, enjoy the moment. I think that even this first year of marriage has gone by so fast. I don't want my entire life to fly by like this. Time flies when you are having fun right? Well I am having a great time, so how do I slow things down? I try to do things one at a time, focus on what I am doing right now, and, of course, write in my blog when possible to remember all these wonderful, important little moments.