It was the day before Thanksgiving, and I was getting dinner with some friends in Middletown. As Jeannette cooked us a fantastic barbecue meal in the restaurant kitchen, we talked about high school and everything that had happened since. Some of us still lived in the area, but others took trains and buses from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. I had quite the story to share, as the freshness of quitting my first student teaching placement was still weighing heavy on my mind. At some point during our conversation, my friend Christine mentioned what she calls her "accidental gap year". She missed graduate school application deadlines the year before, so her first year after graduating college was spent at home with her parents and brothers filling out applications and waiting for the next semester to start. It happens to so many of us, the confused generation graduating with only a vague idea of what career we'll pursue. Young adults will inevitably stumble, but not everyone recovers from the stumble smiling and without looking back.
This year, 2013-2014, is my accidental gap year. I have plans to student teach in the fall, but right now it's April. It's been a long year. I've been substituting and tutoring, so I'm working, but I thought I'd be looking for a salaried teaching position by now. And I'm not. I will be leaving for Copenhagen on Monday evening, however.
Laurel is studying abroad, and my parents have had plans to fly out and meet her for several months. Six weeks ago, I realized that I have a really flexible work schedule and I have the money to go to Europe. My trip is significantly longer than the trip my parents and grandparents are taking, but I will be meeting them in the middle for a large portion of the trip. The rest will be done solo. The departure day is quickly approaching, and it's been nearly two years since I've planned my own adventure of this scale. I'll be writing about my days spent in Europe here, in this blog. It feels good to be back here, where I can record my thoughts on my trip. Admittedly, the excitement of an approaching trip is sometimes nearly as good as the trip itself. That said, the trip is where the learning and the stories come from.
This year, 2013-2014, is my accidental gap year. I have plans to student teach in the fall, but right now it's April. It's been a long year. I've been substituting and tutoring, so I'm working, but I thought I'd be looking for a salaried teaching position by now. And I'm not. I will be leaving for Copenhagen on Monday evening, however.
Laurel is studying abroad, and my parents have had plans to fly out and meet her for several months. Six weeks ago, I realized that I have a really flexible work schedule and I have the money to go to Europe. My trip is significantly longer than the trip my parents and grandparents are taking, but I will be meeting them in the middle for a large portion of the trip. The rest will be done solo. The departure day is quickly approaching, and it's been nearly two years since I've planned my own adventure of this scale. I'll be writing about my days spent in Europe here, in this blog. It feels good to be back here, where I can record my thoughts on my trip. Admittedly, the excitement of an approaching trip is sometimes nearly as good as the trip itself. That said, the trip is where the learning and the stories come from.
No comments:
Post a Comment