March 1st

Posted by S. , Tuesday, March 1, 2011 6:23 AM

Before anyone points it out: I know that February is, indeed, shorter than its counterparts. 2-3 days shorter, in fact. That disclaimer out of the way, I am pleased to report that amidst all the workworkwork overload, floor hockey bruises, pottery creations,  love-related  breakdowns, drama, and picking up puppy poop... February went by significantly faster than January, which felt like it was triple its length (93 days, indeed).

So, it's March now. Meaning: less than 4 months left of this year in the North, adventures, learning experiences, heartbreak, etc and all. I'll be home in 6 weeks ish for a 3 week break (I say ish as the exact date depends upon the arrival of the Geese. True story. I capitalized Geese, as they are now very important to me; their arrival in a timely fashion guarantees me a last few days of spring skiing and goggle tanning back home. Dear geese, please be punctual and don't dilly-dally. Dear Southern Quebec friends: please contact me immediately upon sightings of V's of geese heading towards me.)

Winter is a bit more lively up here than the fall period. Hockey tournaments, campfires, snowshoeing, Aashuumiih.... Winter Carnival is sometime mid-Month as well. Guaranteeing that next thing you know, I'll be dedicating a post to the 1st day of my birth month.

I've started clicking around the net, in search (hopes) of job offers in the Montreal, Townships, Laurentians, Ottawa, and upstate Vermont regions, for August. It still doesn't seem important, or real, that I'm actually already planning the post-North life (I do qualify for unemployment at the end of my contract June 29th, so I am debating a nice, relaxed summer if possible). It feels a little odd, taking myself only into account in these plans. If you rewind to my initial reason last fall for deciding to extend 4 months to 10, and get on the tipsy-turvy tiny plane back here in January... and the source of that great feeling of happy, goofy-smiled optimism I was feeling at midnight on New Year's Eve... I do have some.. regret tinging my summer/next year plans. I really didn't think I'd be alone; I thought the SomeOne I still have feelings for would be a part of the post-North life. Now I'm realizing: they will fade to someone I send the occasional MSN message to, as of June. Which kills me, if I dwindle on that thought. So, I don't. Or at least, I try not to.

Thoughts that elicit happier feelings: a summer off, not scraping by on minimum wage looking after spoiled brat coworkers. No night shifts, no early morning wake ups. No manual labour. All the time in the world to sip iced coffees, sit lakeside, rollerblade, enjoy terrasses, enjoy rollercoasters, play tennis, and....catch up with everyone I won't have seen (with the exception of some days here and there sprinkled over 3 brief visits home during the 10 months) in nearly a year. A YEAR.

Should I not find a teaching job by Xmas, I might come back up to the North lands, or head overseas (Korea, perhaps), come January 2012. But that is way too far in the future. For now, the question remains: what am I going to teach in French 3rd Language class tomorrow?