Last Day of Work

Well today was my last day at work. After a bit of a rush and being super-last-minute-productive, I got everything done. Cleaned off my desk, was interviewed by a guy working on his dissertation, finished correcting finals, wrote up student comments and summer homework, and took some pictures!

I took 4 pictures of each class. Two serious and two silly, both with and without me. I would upload them all but my interwebs are being so sloooooow today. So I am just putting up the two serious ones with me. Look at all my lovely students! (You can click on them to make them much bigger.)

Here is me with grade 10 class 1.
And this is grade 10 class 2.
I look like Godzilla or something next to them. Notice that I am about the same height as the students standing two steps up from me.

I am currently drinking my third cup of coffee tonight and trying to stay awake. I have a few reasons. One is it makes it easier to get over my jetlag if I deprive myself of sleep before heading home (and after making this stupid time change 9 times I have a bit of experience with jetlag). Another is the only way I can sleep on a plane is if I am completely exhausted. The third is that I am ultra paranoid that I will miss my alarm or something. I have a bad habit of sleeping through my alarm when I am very tired and I don't want to miss my flight. Must...stay...awake...

I did the math and figured out that from door to door, apartment to home back in CT, this trip is going to take me about 28 hours. My cab is picking me up tomorrow at 5:30am (or today I suppose, since it is currently 1:20am). I have a flight from Shanghai to Beijing and then from Beijing to JFK. Should be arriving in NYC a little after 2pm EST (2am China time). Have to go through customs and baggage claim and all that jazz and then wait for my shuttle bus to Hartford. Should arrive there a little after 9pm. Then my friend is picking me up and driving me home. I only live a few minutes out of Hartford so will hopefully be home around 9:30pm or so EST. Exactly 28 hours.

I hate this part of traveling. The part right before everything actually starts. I worry. I worry that my luggage is too heavy. That I forgot to buy or pack something. That I'll get stopped at customs for some reason. Since I am leaving my apartment for two months I am afraid I am going to leave some sort of mess and come back to a horrible smell or tons of flies. I think the place is pretty near spotless after all my work tonight, but I am a worrier.

There's really nothing left to do. Dishes and laundry are done. The apartment is swept. The water heaters are off. The fridge is turned down. My sheets are clean. My bags are packed. My carryon is full of books, knitting and sudoku. I just need to put on my sneakers and pack my laptop and I'm good to go.

I suppose I should go watch a movie or something...

See you in about a little over a day, America.

-Stephanie