Putting on the brakes

I have stomped on the brakes, and stepped into spring break. The lawn is still dotted with pockets of snow, even though the bitter cold has finally broken. I longed for warmth that didn’t involve putting on so many layers I felt like a toddler decked out in a snow suit, unable to move. So the three of us — me, Math Man and his golf clubs — went somewhere warm, driving to the airport in a bubble of early morning fog and mist, by lunch we were having lunch and watching whales breach from a perch on the cliffs in a warm place with cool breezes. Like magic.

No email, I told Math Man. No desire for a mad crazy sightseeing schedule. Beach walks, good meals and rest. I realized by the second day that I had activated my “retreat” mode. Rest, pray, read. Walk. Repeat. Lean into the quiet and the sound of the waves. Float. Take some advice from Ireneus: rest in the hand of God.

When we return there will be 7 weeks left of my teaching career. Then I will be stepping on the brakes again, far more firmly. Eighteen more lectures to give, four more recitation sessions to run. A final exam and on the 5th of May, after the final exam, it’s a wrap. Except for the grading. And the packing.