Summer is around the corner!

Yea! Classes are finished for the year, just exams remain. There is still plenty to do next week and this weekend will be busy, but it is good to see the end in sight.

It has been a very long year, full of ups and downs and challenges with classes, students, and life in general. It will be good to have a break so that I can gain some perspective.

Tonight I asked my son Nat what he thought about when he thought of us going to US soon and was actually relieved to hear he didn't have any expectations. Oh, I know he hopes to buy some air soft guns and would be totally amazed if he could somehow buy some kind of computer game that is the rage now. But nonetheless, it was good to know that he didn't have some expectations I might have to try to live up to. I've often thought it's better to go into a new situation without any preconceived ideas about what will happen. I think it's best to just go and enjoy whatever happens.

I was reading a student's paper on American consumerism and could so identify with US being seen as one big shopping mall. I must confess, I have a long list of purchases I hope to make. We tend to try to buy clothes for the next few years since most things purchased in Nigeria are not qualitative and never last very long.

When I think about what kind of memories I want to create for the kids, I think of going to the public library, hanging out with my mom and hopefully other members of my family, being there for Vacation Bible School, hiking and playing at the lake, and yes, shopping is on the list.

But most of all, I look forward to having a break from school responsibilities and being able to focus on the kids and being an American in America for a little while. As I reread that I realize that I do need some other projects to keep me going so it's good that I have to read a book for renewing my teaching certificate and revise my curriculum for one class I'll teach in the fall. Apart from that, I need to encourage Nat and Annette to be reading more, that's why the library is on the list.

So I guess that means that the next time I write I may be in the US! I might have time next week, time will tell. One thing is for sure, it will be a very, very busy next week!

Dorthea