So today begins the 5th week of school here in Istanbul. There's a gigantic feeling when one reaches such a landmark: a whole month of teaching, already behind me! It's that thing people say, "time flies." I've been teaching for a month, and when I stop to think about it I feel like much less time has passed.
But in reality it's easy to know how I'm fooled by that feeling. I'm learning every day more of how to teach inside this country whose language I don't know (as well as to understand that unknown language when it's spoken to me). I've gained a teaching experience that has made me twice the teacher I started out as. I've been depressed, defeated, relieved, overwhelmed, overjoyed, and everything in between. So how can I say time has flown? I've done so much!
My biggest regret is not being able to see my friends very much at all. Because of the illness that I'm only just recovering from (2 weeks - about time!) and because of how busy and surprising my work has been, I've only been able to see the friends I moved here for a couple of times. On Friday my parents, back in Istanbul, and I will go out for dinner with a lot of them, but I really wish I could see them more often. Why do I have to live so far away?! Sometimes it's a drag.
But I do like living far away from the city, it's true. After living 4 years in the heart of New York City I'm glad to be somewhere I can shut out the street noise at night.
And soon I might be able to get a handle on a life outside the school. But that still seems like a far off light on a foggy night.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I know how it feels Sam. I have had the thought many times that I moved here for adventure and to experience a new country, and all I really experience outside of school is my couch. And it's not even that soft. Looking forward to the day when school doesn't take so much out of me that I have to have a nap immediately after.
ReplyDelete