this week is school vacation week in massachusetts, and i think in other new england states, as well. one year ago i was in the final stretch of grad school; i remember i spent every day at the BU library trying to get all my final projects done. the countdown to graduation was at about 4ish weeks, but that didn't mean as much as the undergrad graduation, anyway. i was ready to pull my hair out on a few things, and was anxious to see how it would all get done.

who knew that one year later, i'd be sitting on my used couch at my apartment in guatemala city, enjoying "shrek 2" with spanish subtitles, hopeful over the boston sports scores of the night, inhaling chicken marsala and soft polenta whilst basking in the cool breeze shuffling through the curtains?

i had nothing on the job front at this point last year. i had already left my tenured teaching position to be a full-time student and to work part-time as a one-to-one special education aide at my same school, and i knew that i didn't want to stay at my old district after i finished grad school. i had an application into the deparment of defense school system which, in retrospect, probably wouldn't have been a good match for me overall. i had no idea what was in the future.

but now i'm here. in guatemala. in guatemala city. still confused by "Lost," still enamored with polenta and how bizaaaahh.