(From August 24th)
Today brought a mixed bag of emotions. I awoke thinking about a year ago and waiting to hear if our family was going to be blessed with a little boy or girl, and then our lives changing completely by meeting my niece Caitlin! Happy Birthday to the sweetest little girl! I had a bit of sadness this morning, but also lots of excitement and restlessness as it was the first day of school. I spent yesterday at school prepping today, as it had been a busy few days before. And this morning, after a fifteen minute tram ride to catch the bus to Nagykovacski, where our school is located, and another twenty minutes on the bus, I arrived to the energy-filled first day of school. I loved walking by the elementary building and seeing a father taking a picture of his little boy in front of the school. I hope that every little kid keeps the enjoyment of school they feel as a child for the entirety of their education!
Our school schedule is a bit different than my previous schedule back home. We have eight blocks, and five classes a day. Essentially, each class meets three times a week, a la college style. I was greeted with some really wonderful, polite, and enthusiastic students! But, you teachers out there also know that we recognize right away the classes that require seating charts :). I had to chuckle at myself first period as there was no bell when the clock showed that it was time for the students to leave. I had to ask my kids if we had bells at AISB! Just one of those small details that I never thought to inquire about. For the record, we do have them, but it was just a different schedule, so they were not ringing at the correct times to start the day. After a full day, I was thankful to be able to work out in our school facility, and then arrive home. One positive about taking public transportation is that I actually get to pleasure read! I have read three books already since I have been here, and that is more than I had read in the last year. It is a nice way to tune out and relax—there is definitely always a positive side to everything! :) Not so positive is that the tram I usually take won’t be running Thursday and Friday, so I’m going to have to be creative in finding a way to school those days! ’Tis the life of a non-car owning foreigner!
Yesterday (Sunday) was a well needed rest day after a busy social Friday and Saturday! Friday was our school’s annual boat cruise to kick off the new school year. We all chipped in a bit of money, got to dress up, and went on a two hour cruise down the Danube, soaking in the tireless views of this beautiful city by night. It was a great way to get acquainted with new co workers, and have some fun. We ended the evening at a restaurant called Kiosk, with the late-night crew. It was a bit different, for better or worse, than starting the year with a back to school barbecue like back home!
Caitlin turns 1!
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