Category Archives: On My Mind

On My Mind

I wish I went to Hogwarts

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As you might remember from being a student (or maybe you are a student), the school year goes in cycles. There are a couple weeks in which nothing is due and then a couple weeks in which everything is due. Newsflash: It works the same way for teachers. When I assign work for my students, I often forget that it all eventually rolls back to me, which is why my 26 seventh graders turned in projects on Monday, 76 ninth graders turned in essays yesterday, and 24 eleventh graders will turn in essays tomorrow. Oops. Being a teacher means that I take work home, and I take work home often. Mitch and I (Have you noticed that I’ve been using real names? Maybe it’s because I’m beginning to trust you, oh ye nameless, faceless other worldly beings readers.) argue about that fairly regularly, or at least every couple weeks when I do this to myself. Do teachers bring more work home than the average worker? I say yes, he says no. Regardless, I still want to be done with my essays, which brings me to an Exciting Event that happened today:

I ordered a new phone case a couple weeks ago and it finally came! Amazon told me that the estimated delivery time was March 19-April 4, and here we are on March 19. Magic. (Wait for it, magic is a theme here.) It came from Hong Kong, which was a surprise, but does explain why I ordered it February 23 and just got it, why the order was not trackable, and why it took so long. Definitely worth the wait, though.

Old phone case (hand-me-down from my mum embellished with a sticker from my large collection of stickers, which dwindles every time I assign essays):

Old Phone Case

New phone case (that truly expresses who I want to be when I grow up):

New Phone Case

It’s the little things in life, right? Not bad for $8 on Amazon. So, the moral of the story is that I really wish I went to Hogwarts. I’d love to be a witch when I grow up. Hermione and I could be best friends. (One of my students told me I looked like her when I chaperoned our Winter Formal last Saturday. I was delighted!) I have a thing for Dumbledore. Who doesn’t love eccentric older gentlemen? Castles have to do with history and therefore are awesome. I bought a pack of Bertie Bots Every Flavor Beans once and tried every flavor. Yes, one tasted like earwax. I have a Hogwarts hoodie. And a Gryffindor scarf. And now a Marauder’s Map phone case. When I need something far away I routinely think Accio! I’m a nerd. Or a wannabe. But I’m proud enough to own it.

Hopefully you still read/like my blog now that I’ve admitted all that.

On My Mind

Musings While Shoveling Snow

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I’ve been thinking a lot lately about time. There are only a few months until I move for my new job and there are so many things I want to do before I leave! Five months is definitely not enough time to do all of them, but I’ll be back. This is home, after all.

There’s also a lot that I’m going to miss when I’m gone. I don’t really know what I’m walking into all the way around the world (honestly, why couldn’t I just get a job halfway around the world?) but I do know that it’s nothing like what I have here. It’s probably easier if I make a list of what I won’t miss:

Things I Will Not Miss When I Move
-Shoveling snow (the act of which led me to brainstorm and write this post)
-Bitter cold winds
-Weather that goes from beautiful (yesterday) to trapped inside because of a blizzard (today)

I honestly think I’m going to miss everything else. Someone remind me, why am I going?

To teach at an international school. Right. Got it.

Things I Will Miss When I Move
Anything not on the first list including, but not limited to, the following:
-My books
-Having a roommate (Shay, Mary, Emilia, it’s been pretty great)
-Shabbat dinners with my family
-My family
-Living in a 1920s house with stained glass windows (at which I am currently staring), a window seat (on which I am currently sitting), and a front porch (on which I wish I were sitting)
-All four seasons (though not the windy, shoveling parts)
-Wegmans
-Being anywhere in town in 20 minutes or less
-The Genesee River and Erie Canal
-My current jobs
-Friends who are close by
-Friends who are not close by but will be even farther away once I move
-Cute winter clothes and boots

I could go on, but I think you get the point. I don’t know yet what I’m going to have or have access to abroad, so I guess I shouldn’t pontificate about what I’ll miss; for all I know, there are more similarities than differences.

Something tells me I’m wrong about that. But I also know that I’m going on an adventure. No one says I have to stay forever. I’ll be gone two years and four months, and then I’ll either come home or go somewhere else. I’m 24 years old, my family is grudgingly supportive, and my boyfriend is actively job seeking. A friend mentioned that stars don’t align by accident.

I really hope she’s right.

On My Mind

2.14.278

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Yes, 278. That’s the year St. Valentine was beheaded; he was Christian and Christianity wasn’t legal until Constantine signed the Edict of Milan in 313. As I’m sure you’ve guessed, St. Valentine performed Christian marriage ceremonies and was imprisoned . . . and then Hallmark turned Valentine’s Day into a holiday.

Even before I had a Valentine, I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day. When I lived at home, my mum would prepare these Valentine’s Day goody bags for us and leave them about places a the kitchen table. We used to take the candy to school for days. It made Valentine’s Day a day about saying “I love you” to anyone and everyone, which was a very important lesson.

At work today, many of my students complained about feeling lonely and unloved. I asked, “You love people, don’t you? And they love you, right?” For the most part, they smiled.

And that’s what’s important. Valentine’s Day isn’t about chocolate or flowers, though those are nice. It’s about family and friends and reminding those around us that they are loved.

Admittedly, I do have a Valentine. He left me a beautiful surprise on my porch this morning, and I’d like to share it with you. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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