I can't believe it's almost here! Next week at this time I'll be packing my bags, visiting with my parents one last time, eating my last Mexican food meal at my favorite local restaurant, and preparing myself to say goodbye to my husband and my dog for three weeks. Leaving for three weeks , exciting as it is, is going to be harder than I ever thought it would be, I must admit, for so many reasons. I'm not the intrepid traveler in reality that I am in my dreams!
As hot as it is in Houston, I'm still spoiled by the comfortable temperatures at home and at school, thanks to a/c. There is no a/c at the school where I'll be teaching, so I've been frantically shopping for sleeveless dresses and surfing the Web for ideas about "how to keep cool" (not much luck there, naturally). I've also prepared three weeks worth of lessons that I may or may not actually use, depending on the skill level and interests of my students. I sent some of the lessons to a fellow volunteer, who told me that perhaps Walt Whitman was a little heavy for summer. We'll see; from what I read in the volunteer manual, the advanced speakers will be interested in analyzing American lit. Just in case they're not, though, I've collected some other lesson ideas, and I'll be relying on him to help me come up with some fun learning activities, too. I'm afraid the old habits of teaching AP English are still with me. I think and plan like an AP teacher, and I probably always will. At times like this, I think that might be a bad thing!
I've been saving a few books for the long plane ride to Romania that I'm excited about reading. I bought a travel memoir by a woman who volunteered in Transylvania and a romance written by a Romanian writer and set in Romania. I need to have something to look forward to; eight hours plus in a plane isn't very appealing.
My husband says I should have gone on this trip at the beginning of the summer, and I have to agree with him. I've had too much time to spend online reading airline and airport reviews and European travel advice; I think getting on the plane next Friday will probably be a relief after all this preparation and pre-travel anxiety. I think also that there comes a point when knowing too much just causes more stress. I really didn't need to know that Continental arrives at Newark on time 80% of the time when I have a two hour window to make my connection to Rome!
I've never had a problem flying before, but our Turks & Caicos trip a few weeks ago wasn't as smooth as our trips usually are. We made our connection in Atlanta and were on the runway when the pilot turned us around. One of the A/C units had failed. We waited two hours for a new plane, which, miraculously, we got, probably because fewer people are travelling this summer. The people in Turks & Caicos waiting to go home missed their connections, however; what a nightmare for them (need I mention that the airport is very small and not airconditioned?)! On the way home, we were pulled out in Customs for the special TSA bag search. We had an hour and a half to grab something to eat and to make our connection, and getting our bags thoroughly searched by a guy wearing gloves was not something we had anticipated. Fortunately, he was a nice guy who chatted with us the whole time (not that I was really listening--I was too anxious). Needless to say, that experience was a little stressful. I used to love flying; now, not so much!
My goal for the week: rest, relax, watch cheesy movies, walk in the park, and breathe deeply. Ready or not, it's almost travel time! I'm just hoping it will go smoothly this time.
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