The monsoon is over. The air is no longer murky with clouds (most of the time), and the rain comes only in nighttime thunderstorms or in occasional afternoon shower. I'm not sure how everyone else feels, but I know that a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. The sun is out consistently, especially in the morning, and if it stays out in the afternoon, I can watch the sun go down from my balcony. I feel like I have the best spot on the mountain to watch the sunset.
In other exciting news, a second student teacher has arrived! Faith arrived a couple weeks ago, most recently from Vancouver. She spent the summer working for Missoula Children's Theatre, which I was totally excited about, because I participated in MCT for many of my elementary and middle school years. She arrived just in time to work the auditions for the spring musical, Urinetown. The auditions were great fun, and there's a wonderful cast ready to go for the spring semester.
It's hard to believe that I've been here at Woodstock for 9 weeks already! My student teaching has been going quite well; my supervising teacher is incredibly supportive of my growth, and I'm just itching to get into my own classroom next year. I'm already starting to look at international schools in a variety of countries, and I'm sending in applications and registering for recruiting fairs. I'm exhilarated by the possibilities ahead of me, but I'm also terrified.
In the nearer future (i.e., a week and a half from now), I'll be heading out for Activity Week. Activity Week at Woodstock means different things for different grades, but for me, and for the 10th grade, it means a 5-day trek in the Himalaya! I know that many of the students on the trip- well, mostly the girls- are less than enthused about the lack of showering and the bathroom situation, but I can't wait! I've been waiting to see the snow peaks of the Himalaya, and I've heard that our particular trip is beautiful.
Then, if it could get anymore exciting, I'll be taking my first solo trip in India the week afterwards! Quarter break falls immediately after Activity Week, so, after a return bus ride, a quick shower, and a repack, I'll head down the mountain and hop on a train to Varanasi! Varanasi is one of the oldest and holiest cities in India, and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to visit a place where, as Geoffrey Moorhouse says, "superlatives are as much in order as adjectives anywhere else." I'll be there for four days before heading back to campus for parent teacher conferences. I'll post more details about my itinerary as the date gets a little closer, but suffice to to say that I have train tickets and I'm booking my hotel tomorrow! I am so excited to explore India on my own for a little while, and I'm thinking of this trip as my "test drive" for my month of traveling November.
So this life thing. Pretty crazy, no?
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