Orientation Week

This has been Orientation Week for everyone at every college of the University of London, but I've been mainly occupied with the International Students events.

The moment this summer when I felt the most relief (and the most tangible sense of reality for my impending move) was when I found out I had a dorm room.  My mom claims this is the moment when she stopped waking up in a panic in the middle of the night, and, I'll confess, I also slept much better after clearing this hurdle.  Now that I'm here I'm doubly glad about this.  My room is small and I mostly ignore the 17-19 year olds in the hallway and dining hall, but I have a couple of new international friends who have not yet found a place to live and are entirely focused on that.  I can only imagine; the living situation was at the top of my mind, but I got to sit in my familiar home surroundings and contemplate it.  Being here and staying in someone else's space that has to be temporary would be disquieting at best.  That is among the highest on my list of blessings this week.

Also at the top of my list this week are the new amazing people with whom I find myself surrounded.  I have new friends from Norway, South Africa, Brazil, Canada, Spain, Argentina, the Netherlands, and other parts of the US.  Our commonality is that we're all International Students, so we're almost all studying different things (I have yet to meet anyone else doing literature), we're different ages, and we have very different backgrounds.  All of that acknowledged, more than once this week someone has commented on the similarities we've found.  I've always known that the best part of travel is the understanding that can be gained of other cultures, and that has been brought forcibly to my attention this week.  When your goal is understanding and friendship, it's much easier to see the things we all share as humans and to treasure the unique ideas that different people bring.  This is why it's always been so important to me to travel with my students and why I feel so lucky to have this experience now.

Finally, good heavens, I love this city.  The history, the architecture, the theatre, the restaurants, the diversity...seriously, I have to look around in wonder every time I leave my dorm.  Virginia Woolf lived in the block of buildings where I'll have my classes.  Yesterday our guide pointed out places where Charles Dickens worked or Shakespeare stayed at various points.  This city is marvelous, and my literature-loving heart is a bit overwhelmed.  I know there will be more words on this topic later; I'm still working on how to articulate my thoughts.  For now, enjoy the pictures. We've been lucky to have amazing (and hot!) weather so far, so some of these have improbably blue skies behind them.  I promise, they're authentic.

Andover Theatre, this is for you

Whether you were a student under my direction in Andover Theatre or merely a repeat audience member, you probably know the mascot: Cardinal Gibbons. Those of you familiar with Andover know that one of our neighboring high schools has the cardinal as their mascot and you may be confused that the Home of the Huskies would adopt such a thing. However, since the inagural production at Andover High School, "Once Upon a Mattress," Cardinal Gibbons has appeared in every single show. Sometimes he's out in the open for people to see (sitting in a bird cage, being shot by a gangster, hovering during a traffic report), sometimes he's in a less obvious location (hiding in a rose bush, being squished in a laundry cart, perching precariously in a hat), but he's always there. His full name/title is Cardinal Licorice Gibbons, and he's become an indispensable member of the Andover Theatre family.

When I decided to embark on my journey this year, I knew I wanted to carry a tangible piece of this amazing family with me. I could not, however, see my way to bringing Card Gibb with me. He's far too important and, frankly, far too fragile to make the journey. So I found him a little friend.

Let me introduce you to Bishop Sunshine Gibbons. (Obviously he started his journey at the World's Largest Time Capsule in Seward, Nebraska.  I'll expect you all there on July 4, 2025 for the opening. If you don't know it, read the whole story here; my granddaddy was a pretty cool dude.)

In the grand tradition of Andover Theatre, the students took it upon themselves to come up with a name and backstory for my new traveling companion. Here is his story as it was told to me:

Sunshine (Maybe Sunny for short?) is Card Gibb's cousin and apprentice. Having seen his older cousin perform in so many shows, Sunshine longed to do the same. He heard that a wonderful director by the name of Ann Johnson was going to study in London, England and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to further his education as well...and to save money he thought he could bunk with her. 

Get it? He's a step down from a Cardinal...he's a Bishop. Here are a few things I enjoy about this new name:  first, I think it's perfect. He has a first name that is both a name and a title; that's fantastic continuity. His middle name is a clear reference to me (because I'm a ray of sunshine. No. Seriously.) Second, I never would have come up with it myself. I am reminded, again, that I get to work with some of the most delightful children in existence. I know you other teachers think your kids are pretty great.  I'm sorry, but you're wrong. Mine are the best.

Anyway, I wanted to introduce you to Sunny before my travels really begin. He's going to be my own version of the "Roaming Gnome." Even if I don't manage pictures of myself in the amazing places I visit, Sunny will certainly show up there. Look for him at many of the famous landmarks of London.

On the eve of departure...

Tomorrow I fly to England.  As with any major project or deadline in life, though I've been obsessively planning and considering it, now I feel caught a little off-guard.  How did the time sneak up on me so quickly, even while each step moved at an interminable pace? 

What has taken me a little by surprise is this:  I feel right now the same way I did when starting at St. Olaf just before I turned 18.  One of my oldest friends helped me clarify my fears on the phone this week.  What if the classes are too hard?  What if I can't keep up?  What if I get lost on the way to class?  What if I don't make any friends? As a teacher, I hear recent graduates express all of these often and my usual response is to smile sympathetically and assure them that their fears are baseless.  Why haven't I offered myself the same assurances?  I think it's because we're always so much more capable of seeing the possibilities and strengths in others we're blind to in ourselves.  While I'm generally good at seeing my strengths (I'm cute, fun, smart, hilarious, modest...just ask if you want more), this move does play on all of my weaknesses.  It's been a while since I've had to make a first impression with everyone at the same time.

All of that said, I'm super excited to wake up Sunday morning in one of my favorite cities in the world.  I get to go to a full week of International Student Orientation activities for which I'm actually thrilled; my time in London will begin with the touristy side of the city--the part I already know.  I'm sure it will be a nice way to acclimate to the new place and people.  I'm certain that there will be much more blog fodder in the days to come.

Once upon a time...

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.

That's all for now. Because I can't handle any more crying at present, we're watching "The Money Pit" and laughing at Tom Hanks getting stuck in the floor. Classic.