I’m back from India and have mostly slept and run errands as I’m leaving for a family reunion in Indiana today. India was quite an experience. I have mixed feelings about whether I’d go back, but I definitely think it was worth seeing, not just for the monuments and sites, but for the culture. Being an informed and educated person, I, of course, knew a little something about India and its politics and culture, but seeing it up close gave me a new appreciation for its potential and its challenges. I also have a new appreciation for what we have here in the US. The poorest of us is in better shape than the poorest of India’s citizens. We really have too little respect for how much we have. I felt, and feel, a little guilty about the amount of sheer crap I own. I also feel bad about how we have no sense of history, and the great things places like India and other parts of Asia accomplished long before we were even a concept. Honestly I’ve been in a little bit of reverse culture shock being here. Women in shorts and spaghetti straps? What? Men in t-shirts and not collared shirts? Weird. I think I have more to say, but instead I’ll resort to pictures. Here’s my Flickr set:
Leaving in less than 24 hours. The last couple of days were crazy. There were last minute details to deal with. Grades to correct. I can’t even remember all the little things I did yesterday. Today I finished up my curriculum map, took a departing colleague out to lunch, and then ran around packing, emailing, calling my parents, etc. I think I’m mostly done. Mr. Geeky and I are going to sip wine and have a leisurely dinner. I’m trying to keep the anxiety in check, but I’m sure sleep won’t come too easily. See you on the flip side.
I leave the day after tomorrow for India. I am beyond excited. I didn’t really have time to think about the trip during the chaos of the last few weeks, but now I’ve spent some time checking out the itinerary and scoping out the hotels online. I never thought I’d get to go on a trip like this. It’s going to be such an adventure for me and the students traveling with us.
I have set up a separate blog to chronicle the trip. I will post here some as well. Stay tuned.
Geeky Girl has hit the teenage years! And, yes, if you’re keeping track, that’s two birthdays in the span of three days. Today was also commencement, which meant a very busy day indeed. Geeky Girl is living up to the geeky in her name, but she’s still in denial. She likes Star Wars and playing minecraft. She participated in robotics this year and was quite good at it, but she says she’s not going to do it next year. That makes me a little sad, both because I enjoyed the time with her and the shared experience and because I feel she’s missing out on an opportunity. But she’s her own person, and I have to respect that.
She’s also cultivating the girl side. She enjoys painting her nails, getting dressed up for parties, and watching girly tv shows. But she’s not obsessed with hair and makeup the way I’ve seen some girls her age get, in a desperate attempt to just grow up already. She’s still a kid, and still enjoys some kid-like things. She’s gotten herself a piñata for her birthday party and likes to play games.
She’s very different from Geeky Boy. She takes school very seriously, for example, but doesn’t yet take politics as seriously, she does share many of his traits. She’s kind like he is, and makes friends easily. She’s open to being friends with anyone, and doesn’t really think about who is popular or not. She will likely be quite different in some ways four years from now, but you can see the seeds of what she is likely to become. It’s a long road ahead. I hope it’s mostly smooth.
Geeky Boy is 17! I can hardly believe I’m old enough to have a 17 year old. How did this happen? It’s been a challenging year for him, dealing with depression. It’s definitely gotten better, though we’ve had some backslides. He’s had some friends really rally around him, and we’ve gotten good support.
Looking forward, he has a relaxing summer ahead, with family trips, college visits, and sitting by the pool. He’s chosen not to get a driver’s license for now, and instead walks, takes the train, or rides with friends. He’s hoping to do some babysitting this summer. He’s great with kids and even took a child development class last year. I hope he does get a few gigs, so he can maybe continue in the fall.
He’s thinking some about college, but we are certainly thinking about it more. I am trying to keep in mind that everything will work out without trying to feel anxious about whether he can get in anywhere and whether we can pay for it. And then I worry whether he’ll be okay out there on his own. And we all worry about whether there will be a job for him on the other side of college. That’s 2017. We’ll be long past the next president and into the one after. Who knows what that will bring.
I’m really proud of him in so many ways. He frequently pops his head into our room and starts off with, “I was watching this documentary on . . . “. Yesterday it was microcosms. Today it was dark matter. The first thing he said this morning was, “Are you going to watch the venus transit?” He’s always thinking. He lives our values better than we do. He’s a vegetarian, a borderline Buddhist, and worries about global warming. He is kind and thoughtful, and a generally good person. Whatever happens in the future, I feel confident in who he will become.
Let’s just say I had no idea what I was getting into 17 years ago.
Recent Comments