The Future

I have some news for the future to report to everyone. I have accepted an offer from Queen's University in Kingston to do my MA in History. This is a pretty exciting choice for me and I am looking forward to it beginning in the fall.

One thing that I have spent a little time doing lately is thinking about the end. This has been brought on both by this Queen's business and by receiving the details for my flight to Akron for July. I have to admit that at this point I am not particularly looking forward to leaving. There are a few reasons for this. For one, every day here is filled with tremendous meaning and purpose. I wake up and I get to go to work at a place I enjoy, doing work that I find important, and get to see some of the impact of that work as people gain skills and become more comfortable with different tasks. I will also miss the tremendous reception that I have received here. No where else will people clap in excitement when I show up or come running to meet me in large numbers. I have also really gotten to like working with the students that I work with now. My new Grade 8 class was a bit rambunctious at the beginning but since have settled down to an appropriate level yet are still very enthusiastic and eager. I have gotten to know a large number of them outside the classroom as well which has added to my experience. So I will miss my students and fellow staff members as well.

Fortunately there is a long time till the end. On the other hand, this term is almost done and I'm not even here for the full next term. I know full well how quickly the time flies by and it is saddening to think that the end is, if not on the horizon, then just beyond. It is also nice to have a concrete and exciting plan to look forward to after Zambia. I won't be going back to an empty nebulous of not knowing what to do.