Yesterday, Mitch and I celebrated Independence Day by visiting our friends on Cayuga Lake, which is the second-largest of the Finger Lakes. Growing up in the Finger Lakes region means that we tend to take natural beauty, wineries, and freshwater for granted. We spent last July Fourth with the same friends on the same lake and it was a lot of fun to do it again.
Here are a few snapshots of the day, mostly from the area in and around the wineries:
Happy birthday, America!
Well, I’m certainly not going to win any points for blogging this summer! Life in Rochester at the moment is certainly much calmer and quieter than life travelling around Southeast Asia and trying to teach at a school trying desperately to prevent teaching. It’s certainly been a welcome calm.
Mitch has been interviewing for jobs across the country and I’ve been getting ready for my move to Singapore. I’ll be teaching three new courses come August. I’ve taught pieces of two of them before and none of the third, so I’m trying to get as much basic content work as possible completed before I go so I can focus on pedagogy and resources when I’m there. I didn’t plan to spend this summer working on the boat again, but one of the captains called me and begged, so I’m doing that, too.
And yes, my summer “office” is gorgeous.
Otherwise, this has been another chapter in my journey to find out who my real friends are. There are people in Rochester who I no longer feel the need to see, and people I wish were still interested in keeping in touch. On the other hand, there are people in Malaysia with whom I’m still in touch. I’m also in touch with friends who left Malaysia months ago, both of which make me happy. I’m trying really hard to focus on people who care about me now, not people who cared about me (or who I cared about) back in the day.
All this to say, I know I’ve been neglecting my blog. It’s not really been on my radar at all, with all this focusing on the here and now. Except a whole host of updates and regular posts when I get to Singapore in a little over two weeks. For now, enjoy the pictures of the Erie Canal! And, as always, thanks for reading.
It has now been 11 days since Mitch and I returned to Rochester. In that time, I’ve marveled over American efficiency, enjoyed much-missed diner breakfast, remembered why I like running, visited my old “stomping grounds” with friends, and spent a great deal of time with my family. I also made a decision about the future.
Over the weekend, I booked my one-way flight to Singapore. I called Mitch before I clicked “submit payment” and he encouraged me to go for it. For a cost, just about anything is reversible. (Not that I plan to incur that cost, but it’s a comforting thought.)
For the time being, I’ll remain mum about Mitch’s plans and prospects. Don’t want to jinx anything. In a likelihood, we’ll spend a year apart in order to make some money and gain some experience before moving forward, wherever that happens to be.
By Rebecca Michelle 