There was a little girl from Nebraska named Ann.
She went to Saint Olaf College and then became a high school English and theatre teacher in Andover, Minnesota, a northwestern suburb of Minneapolis. Even though she adored her students and (most of the time) loved her job, she knew that this wasn't all she
wanted when she grew up.
OK, that's all for story time with Ann. I decided over Winter Break in 2009 that it would be a really great idea to broaden my horizons and move to London. Traveling abroad was something I always regretted missing in college, and it really seems to me like there's no time like the present to remedy this situation. The last decade of my life has been spent doing a job for which I was initially woefully unqualified, but with the help of very kind and generous students and a lot of luck, I eventually grew into it. The problem with having a job that I adore and with having lots of students who depend on me (which I also adore) is that I have learned to define myself only in terms of that job. I have very little idea of who I am anymore without it.
Cue existential crisis. I decided in December 2009 that I would pursue my dream to live in London. It seemed easy because the distance from Dec. 2009 to the beginning of the 2011-2012 academic year seemed an eternity. It turns out that it wasn't an eternity. The day in March that I had dreaded for over a year came and went, and breaking the news to my theatre students that I wouldn't be back in the Fall was, indeed, one of the worst days of my life. I have learned more from them than I can say, and I'm completely proud that I have any tiny part in their growth. I stand in awe of these young adults, and I cannot wait to see all the wonderful things they will do in the world. If there is any part of my legacy at Andover High School that I will treasure, it is in these amazing humans.
But now it's my turn. I'm moving to London and I'm more excited than I can say for a number of reasons. First, travel is one of my greatest loves and I'm thrilled to get to live in a new place for a year. Second, theatre IS my greatest love and moving to London is one of the best places for that--sorry, NYC, but I get to visit you more often; it's London's turn. So I moved out of my apartment and into a storage unit, and I currently reside on my (very patient) friend Dave's couch.
Tonight Dave and I made lemon fusilli with arugula (Ina Garten's--recipe here), drank viognier, and got a chocolate peanut butter cup pie from Baker's Square. That may sound ridiculous, but it helped to spur on further existential crises, as have the 40+ people I've seen to bid farewell this week. We also spent part of the evening discussing the recent rash of hate-mongering in the political sphere: today I saw that Linda Harvey believes there is no such thing as an LGBT person and that the gays are responsible for hurricane Irene. I won't lie: there are a number of things I really dislike about America. But then we watched "The American President," a movie guaranteed to ignite any patriotic fervor I may have. Teaching in Michele Bachmann country for a decade has taught me a number of things about myself and my patience with bigotry. There are a number of things I will miss about my job, but the climate that led to Anoka-Hennepin's long history in the culture wars isn't any part of it.
The long and short of it is this:
- I love my students and will miss them more than I have words to express.
- I am so excited about all the new things this year will bring.
- I have no idea what the future will bring and where I'll end up in my career or personally, but it's time for another adventure.
- I'll try really hard to update this blog with my stories, whether good or bad.
