Out of Pocket

I finished grading the midterm this evening. I made it difficult so I could see where the students are, and as usual, I'm pleasantly surprised with two-thirds of them and disappointed with the rest.

Tomorrow begins a week vacation. A few students whose hometowns are within a day's journey of Kangding have invited me to spend time with their families. I'm looking forward to sitting around on the grassland again. The days have promised to be sunny and the nights still.

It's been busy but good times of late. Tenzin and I went swimming in a heated pool outdoors yesterday afternoon, protected from the rain by a cheap awning. He told me it snowed the day before. We drank some beers and swam laps. The place was nearly empty.

Returning from the holiday will bring a real reorientation with respect to the class. My students, the Tibetan Department, and the Bridge Fund all know I'm not planning to return next year. Before the term ends, I will have two solid months of class (six days a week), which isn't too long to begin counting the days until I turn in their grades and submit my final report to the Bridge Fund.

I'm feeling good about returning to Louisiana. At this point I'm more confident about living deliberately than I have in years. In spite of that, I can't help feeling that rebuilding an American life is going to be more difficult than I remember. It's like I'm starting from scratch, and I am free.