easy come, easy go

but not really. after an epic 3 week vacation, I have to leave my beloved Michigan and head back to St. Louis for school. The end of breaks are no better as a teacher than they were as a student. It doesn't help that this break was absolutely perfect - I started and ended the break either visiting my closest friends or have them visiting me...and in between there was lots of family, relaxing, sledding, reading, and sleeeeeping. I'm going to miss the epic chats that I've had with friends until 2/3 in the morning, walking my mom's dog down the snowy road every day, charging groceries on the family account at the local store, and just not being on a schedule. I love my job and the people I work with, but it's always hard. I try to remind myself that I'm incredibly spoiled and lucky to have a family home in a place that is essentially everyone else's vacation-land, and that it draws so many lifelong friends back each year.

It's going to be a long drive tomorrow, followed by a rough week of readjusting to a 5:30 wakeup every day, teaching, getting reorganized in my apartment, etc. More January adventures to come.