Summer 'break'

Hello all.


Imagine this: I'm sitting in a studio apartment in Brooklyn, in trendy fair trade pajama bottoms, eating indian leftovers with fresh avocados from the corner market. My army issue duffel bag is being used as a footrest. The sun is shining outside and soon I will leave the apartment to find a starbucks where I can continue to write my thesis... This is a good moment. so I thought I would share it with all of you.

School ended in a bang. Finals written, given and graded. Parents and sibling came, toured, helped me move house. I packed, moved, un packed (ish), repacked and prepped for summer.
The I got on a plane, flew to Fort Lauderdale, spent a lovely afternoon with family and friends, and got back on a plane and flew to Westchester.

A week late for grad-school and scared I would not succeed, I commenced a month of living on a couch, perfecting the intricate dance of sharing a car (I drop you off, pick you up, then you drop me off, watch a soccer game, I walk to where you are... and yeah.. we're good) daily for a month and reading WAY TOO MUCH Faulkner. (I get you, Faulkner. I do. You're pivotal. Good on you for defending desegregation in the South. But seriously, the South is like the moon to me. Don't really understand it.)
My thesis is actually good and actually being written, although it is a torturous process.

I ended that month with a holiday weekend jam packed with fun. I was allowed out into nature for the first time in a month- a rambling hike through Bear mountain state park was followed by, what else, a trip to Ikea and bbc television well into the night. next day was Cloisters museum in NY and a picnic on the lawn. (I pride myself on being able to pick friends who do awesome picnics).

Now I've started the long migration South.  I leave for Philly tomorrow, and from there, via Washington D. C., I'll make it to Georgia, and then florida and then, finally, back home to Haiti.


Being in the states and visiting friends is truly special. I've enjoyed it and look forward to continuing to enjoy it. Being able to finish a degree I've been fighting for is a good feeling.


But I miss home. I want to plant my little garden, I want to implement some new classroom ideas... I want to get a book group up and running. In short, I am enjoying the idea of having a home, and looking forward to being in it.

Next year, I'll be teaching ninth grade history and eleventh and twelfth grade english (American and British Lit, respectively) It's a good line up and I am really excited about continuing to improve my curriculum and my teaching skills.

My thesis, should anyone wish to know, is focused on highlighting the Flemish influence on the Canterbury tales, (actually more on Chaucer - but using the tales)
It's fun to research and write about, and my advisor has been absolutely brilliant about helping me out.


Two other things: If you are in need of good T.V. I recommend the following two series.
Salamander (netflix) a dutch detective drama
Miranda a BBC comedy series: If you're a single woman over a certain age, you'll identify more than you would care to admit. but you'll also laugh harder than you though possible.

and now, procrastination at an end,  back to my books.