I hate drama

Not that there is any in my life, but wow.  Everyone (including me) has their own idea of how things should be done.

People that know me, know that the "Well, if it was me..." argument just drives me up the wall.

You aren't me.

It's an odd time right now for me.  The past year has gone so quickly, and I'm only realizing now how very diffferent my life has been for 11 months.  Actually 11 months to the day I left for London.

Yes, the house and school and my lifestyle has been different, but I've been different on the inside too.  I've been able to be selfish.  Not worry about anyone else's wants, needs or desires.  I do what I want, when I want, and how I want.  How easy it would be to be absolutely set in my ways.

Last year at this time, I was so excited about my exchange; what would it be like?  Would I make friends?  Would I do a good job?  What would I learn?  What would I see?  Where would I travel? 

Now, it's back home.  I miss my family, my friends, my Charlie-boy... I'm ready to be with them.  I'm ready for my life to be easier too; from washing my clothes to taking a shower to getting to work.  Work itself is easier.  So much easier.   Not just because I'm used to it, but because I'm required to do less than British teachers.  I've been astonished at the amount of work expected of teachers here.  More work with more student contacts, more lessons/classes to plan, and much less planning time.  Yikes. 

However.

Every time I want to see a show, or go to a 600-year old church or see a world-class museum (for free no less!),  I hope on the train or the subway, and I'm there.  I've not taken it for granted, but I've gotten used to it.  Santa Barbara is beautiful, and I love it; I don't want to live anywhere else right now, but... it's not a big city.  It doesn't have an endless amount of things to do and see.  I love the beach.  Have missed it terribly at times here, but exciting it's not.

Maybe that's it.  My life, for better or worse, has certainly not been boring this year.  At school I've heard people say that "The only people who get bored are boring themselves."  It sounds like something my friend Torn would say.  There's also the Chinese curse about "May you live in interesting times."

It's a fine balance between interesting and difficult.  No, my life has not been difficult here, but definitely challenging at times. As I'm getting ready to go now though, I'm a little nervous.  Have I changed at all?  Will this just become a memory that a few people hear me talk about once in a while?  Will I bore people with my stories?  Will I be like that character on Friends who comes back from England talking about her mobile phone and her flat with a horrid English accent? 

Okay, don't worry about that.  Even after a year, I can't mimic a British accent to save my life. 

What have I learned from this year?  What will I take back with me? 


I can't answer that yet.