it's a pretty good crowd for a saturday

Taking a break from the yearbook, cover letter, lesson plans, etc. Enter Billy Joel's greatest hits and a new blog post. Y'all, it's May, and just like that, my two years are up. All of my things are sold to new teachers coming for next year, I've started purging unnecessary odds and ends from my bedroom and classroom, and at the end of this month I'll get on a plane. Last year, I was the only teacher one staying. This year, I'm the only one leaving.

I'm not entirely sure what I think about anything at this point. I'm incredibly excited to go home, though. I do know that much. I don't think I'm letting myself think about the wonderful people I'll be leaving behind. Not yet. I've got to make it though four more weeks of school without getting weepy. Becca came up to my room this morning and caught me packing. I claimed I was de-cluttering, but it's essentially the first stages of packing.

Please pray for me as I attempt to navigate the choppy waters known as repatriation. I will no longer be considered a foreigner, but I'm definitely going to feel like one in America for a while. I am looking forward to so many things, and being four weeks out, it's now just a waiting game. My dad used to tell me not to wish my life away. I would usually hear that after I yelled something dramatic like, "I can't wait till I'm 16 and I can go anywhere I want!" I don't want to wish this last month away, but at the same time, I'm so ready to go.

But anyway, here are some happenings of late:

I had a wonderful birthday, and my class managed to surprise me again this year. Then, my gal pals and I went for Italian and ice cream. It was lovely.

One day for snack, octopus happened. 

 A new cafe called Joma opened up nearby. It's kind of like McAlister's, but no sweet tea. This area of the city is booming, and I can't wait to see how it continues to grow. 

 The rain is starting to come regularly, so hopefully that means an end to a blistering hot season. When the generator is on at school, we can only use the fans. The kids don't complain, but they are pretty entertaining. 

We went out for Korean food the other night, and I continue to be amazed with the variety of choices in one meal.

 Last night was a real treat! I went to see A Midsummer Night's Dream which was put on by the Phnom Penh Players at a restaurant/outdoor theatre. Mangos kept falling from the trees and I feared for my head. It rained on and off, but in true Cambodia fashion, ponchos were quickly distributed all around. The play ended at 10, which is lightyears beyond my bedtime, but it was still a lovely little adventure. 

We just got home from taking traditional Khmer photos, but that'll have to wait until next time.

Countdown to America: 28 days

<3M