En Route to Cairo: A Prelude and Farewell

Hello to all my lovely people at home!

Well after many suggestions to start a blog I have decided that you are all right, it is indeed the best way to let everyone know what I am up to and to share some pictures that I take along the way (while avoiding the problems that mass emailing has caused me in the past). So here it is! I present to you...Melissa on a Camel (acknowledgment to Hunter for the title amendment) I still feel like there is something slightly presumptuous about assuming that anyone will want to read my rants but here it is (ZV you know that this means you have to start yours now - we had a deal after all). I am sure that by the time I arrive in Cairo my mother will be the only person still reading this so....Hi Mom!

The last few days have been a whirlwind of errands and goodbyes: some were quick, some were emotional, some didn't get to happen (as it turns out it is impossible to say goodbye to everyone that is important to you). One thing I do know, however is that the type of goodbye or even whether we had that chance is not what matters. You know who you are and you mean the world to me. I am sitting in the airport right now waiting for my plane to New York. I am mostly all nerves: How do I meet the needs of all my students? How will I push them further? How will I inspire them? What will the parents be like? Will they learn to read? (because I really don't think I know how to teach!) I keep trying to tell myself that these are all normal concerns that new teachers have. I realize though that most of my hesitations are about the room full of six year olds I will be facing shortly and not so much about this huge move - a good sign I think. Aside from the part of me that is thinking about how unprepared I am for my own classroom and the huge part of me that is thinking about how I am still not entirely certain that I am capable of living without a certain little black dog, the rest of me is overcome with thoughts of how lucky I am. I have such wonderful people in my life who build me up and support me ...and make adventures like this possible. So thank you. And we will talk soon.