Honeymoon's Over

In continuation...

So I got to visit Connecticut during the hurricane, and it was actually a much-needed break. I was very happy to see everyone and to be in my house again for a few nights.
The funny thing is, as much as I love home and miss everyone very much, I was kind of anxious to get back down to New Orleans. I missed the city and my new friends here, and my students.
So after 24 long hours in the car back down to the gulf, I arrived in New Orleans. Unfortunately I was greeted with a few pieces of unfortunate news, none of which could really have been prevented.

First, my house was broken into. In the evacuation, nearly everyone left the city, leaving homes and streets abandoned. I suppose this becomes a sort of free-for-all for those who feel entitled to do so, and my house was targeted. They took our TV, dvd player, phones, some of my jewelry (including some my mother had bought for my birthday, which pissed me off extra), an LL Bean duffel bag I bought earlier this summer, and a few other things. While the things my roommate and I lost were upsetting, the most bothersome part of this whole ordeal has been that someone felt they had the right (or I suppose at least the opportunity) to break into my home and take my things. What possesses people to think like this is, I suppose, why I am interested in criminology. I just cannot wrap my mind around it. Had they broken in to steal food or supplies, that would have been one story. But they took a tv. In the middle of a hurricane. Give me a break.

While the whole evacuation and robbery were stressful, I have not felt overly "stressed". Perhaps it is because my life lately has been stressful in a rather consistent fashion, or perhaps it is that you learn to let things roll off your back. I am not in any way throwing myself a pity party here but there are some pretty big issues in my life at the moment, and to allow all of them to sit on my shoulders constantly would make me insane. So I laugh when I can and I sometimes take an afternoon to go out with friends rather than lesson plan. In the midst of this is seemingly insurmountable task I've taken on (education), I have suddenly remembered that reason why I did improv for so long: you have to let stuff go and just laugh at life sometimes. In such a "serious" job, it's difficult to remember that at times. But never have I found that idea more true.

The other thought that inevitably always keeps me grounded and my stress in check is my students. Several of my students lost their homes in Gustav (something the media undoubtedly left out of their coverage...don't even get me going). So keeping my thoughts on me and my little troubles only lasts for so long. These kids need my help, and at the very least they need a place to feel comfortable and safe again. So tomorrow I go back to the job that seems impossible, the job I sometimes doubt if I will ever be good at, simply because those kids need me to be there.

That's it.