Je Suis Libre!

Well, that's it! Finito! Finis! No more teachers, no more books, etc. I am now a free agent until mid-August.

I have lots of plans for my time. I've got several projects I really want to finish, such as the seemingly endless journal transcription and photo archiving. I have a probably unrealistic stack of books to read. There are some short trips I'd like to make. And there's one big trip, in July, that Dave and I have planned to Vietnam and Cambodia. I'm surprised I haven't mentioned it before now, but I think I've been trying to convince myself that it's really going to happen. And it is -- the tickets have been bought, the plans made.

So this will be a full summer, and yet hopefully a summer in which I wrap some things up.

The last day of school went well enough, although I still have the remnants of my cold and didn't feel so great. I got through first aid training (thank goodness that's over) and did you know that when you do CPR, you're supposed to press the person's chest firmly enough to go 3/4 of the way into their body? The instructors said if you don't break any ribs, you're probably not doing it right. Good lord! I hope I never have to go there.

I also got through the recognition ceremony for departing staff members, including my colleague Lindsey, who's been at the school 16 years. She and her husband and dog helped introduce us (and Olga!) to Hampstead Heath years ago, and she's been a lot of fun to work with. I'll miss her.

I did not go to the after-work cocktail hour because I had some errands to run, including picking up Dave's repaired sandals (which look great). And last night, sitting in the garden -- where I counted five ladybirds remaining on our cardoon -- I felt so relaxed knowing that there are no demands on my time for the next eight weeks!

(Photo: Street art along the Regent's Canal near Camden.)