Crickets Symphonies and Change

All summer long I have been thinking about seasonal trade off.  It's slow in coming, trickling into the day as I live differently.  But after 5 years of teaching, the trade off is clear.  I had a myriad of thoughts come to my again this morning about it, so I'm writing about it here. 

Trade Offs

• Sunscreen instead of perfume. (Lots of sunscreen.)
• Strapless sundresses instead of teacher wear
• Not caring one whit about jewelry instead of wanting to get dolled up every day 
• 'I don't know what time it is right now' instead 'You have 3 more minutes' (on every hour)
• Books about the 'why the humanities?' written by professors (with the summer brain power to actually understand) instead of 7th grade textbooks I know like the back of my hand
• Floaties instead of swivel chairs
• Bewildering writer's block instead of constant internal thoughts about world history and more
• More Augustana, less Rihanna (she helps me grade)
• Miles and miles of driving instead of my little route along the St. Croix to school
• Bare feet as much as possible instead of high heels and flats
• Thoughts about the world I don't share instead of 6 hours of constant talking (hello, tired September voice)
• Big picture dreaming instead of the small moments of intensity (there are many of these in any one's work day, no?)

What doesn't change is the coffee I drink and the general time I am up drinking it.  And the fact that I still like teaching.  No, love it.  And that lots of different kinds of people are important and fascinating.  And that I feel grateful for my life the way that it is happening.   

There is still time for summer.  I am not back to school for a while yet, and I definitely avoid the Target displays of school supplies until it is really time. (Why, July school supply displays?  Why?)  This time in summer is crickets and my dad and mom's birthdays and a wistfulness that stops me in my tracks sometimes.  Every year.  No matter if I am the student or the teacher. 

Back then, in the life of  a student it was 'I'd better get to cross country on time.  But why is it not cold running weather yet?'  Now it is, 'I'd better know what the heck I am teaching again.'  This helps me avoid dreams of real panic about curriculum that crop up at the end of this month.  Now I know how you start over at the beginning of the book.  With people who don't know you or your patterns or your excitement for it.  This is the time to rev that up again. 

What's more...it is almost time for Glacier National Park.  That's right.  After 6 years away from one of my most favorite places on this earth, I'm going back again.  This time Jenna and I will trek out there, through the Dakotas, across the entire expansive state of Montana itself to the northwest corner.  This place if you are not aware of it, is one of the most pristine and untouched and astonishing I've ever seen.  I feel like many people, our family included, KNOW Colorado.  But not everyone seems to know Montana. 

When Jenna and I went to Glacier before, we went with lots of other people, and we were in high school and college, respectively.  No longer.  We've already experienced lots of road trips together as adults.  This one should prove to be equally if not more exceptional.  More miles will be logged.  More coffee will be drunk.  We will literally be driving west into the sunset.  I don't think it gets much better than that while road tripping.  In March I went to the East Coast.  First time ever without a bunch of students behind me.  I felt wistful about the sea in ways that I could not see in this Midwest valley.  It was adventurous and singular and exciting to travel East instead of West for once in my life.  But I think I may love the West a titch more.  It's all expansive.  Singular in a very different way.  And I'm going there.  Oh so soon.

It's not the end of summer.  Yet.  Today I recognize this unique season, proven in every year of my life, which is always something especially wistful (that word again) and big and exhilarating.  Once again, I am ready for it.

Happy change of the season to you too!