School starts tomorrow!

Here I am in Washington, DC, a day before my students start school. Am I ready? Not quite, but I've gotten a lot of preliminary work done to make the transition easier.

I moved here in mid-July and spent the first two weeks sleeping on friends' floors and looking for housing. Through a tip from my friend Verena, I landed in a great group house in Mt. Pleasant, a predominantly Latino neighborhood. The place is huge, with three floors, seven bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths. Nestled in among a set of historic row houses, our place is renovated and well-maintained. My bedroom is spacious and beautiful-- it has hardwood floors, deep blue painted walls, white trim, and a fireplace! There's also a model sailboat sitting on the mantel, which combined with the blue and white theme, gives the soothing feeling of being at the ocean.

I haven't summoned the courage to introduce myself to many of the Spanish speakers in the neighborhood yet, but that's in the works. My housemates are friendly and fun, and I'm looking forward to introducing them to all my friends from Berkeley, Houston, and Chicago that now live nearby. Once I've got my teaching under control, I'm looking forward to exploring the city more.

Speaking of teaching, I've already been going into work for a week and a half already. Wow, life looks a lot different when you have to get up at 6am every day! Everything here has been as good or better than I had hoped. The facilities are outstanding, the administrative is responsive, and the faculty are bright and enthusiastic. I've already introduced myself to the entire foreign language department, so I'll be able to speak plenty of Spanish both at home and at school. I've spent a lot of time so far cleaning, organizing, and cataloging the materials in my classroom, but now that it's done, I can turn my attention to developing my lesson plans. My environmental science syllabus is ready, and I'm working with my colleagues to develop my physics curriculum.

One thing I was very concerned with upon moving here was my commute to work. I wanted to live in the district to enjoy all the city had to offer, but I didn't want to be so far away from school that my commute would be terrible. As it turns out, I've got a great set-up here. In the mornings, I can take public transportation or hitch a ride with one of my colleagues, bringing my new folding bike and bike clothes with me. Then in the afternoons, I take a glorious, one-hour bike ride home, following tree-lined bicycle paths the entire way. I am very pleased!

It took me a long time to get to this point, but the effort has paid off. I'm very, very happy here. I still have lots of medical issues to deal with, but luckily I have better insurance to pay for it all. Next week, I have an appointment with a Georgetown University neurosurgeon that my sister recommended. He's going to check on the status of my spine, and I would appreciate your prayers that he has good news for me. Also, I've got a physical therapy evaluation at National Rehabilitation Hospital, where I hope that they'll be able to help me walk without a limp by Christmas. I've noticed that my right knee and hip are starting to hurt as I compensate for my weak left leg, and I don't want to create more problems where none existed before.

I hope you can come visit me here! My weekends are generally free, and I'd love to introduce you to the newest chapter of my life.