Home Sweet (temporary) Home

After five days of "Induction," I've moved from the Embassy Suites hotel to my new, though temporary, home here at Temple University. The suite-style dorm I'm in is pretty swank. We have a full kitchen and the rooms are generous by dorm room standards. I have one immediate roomate and two other suitemates. The four of us share two bathrooms.

Teach For America is *big* on reflection and feedback and my goal with this blog has been to do just that, though the last several months have been focused primarily on random life events as I prepared to move out here. I have to say, I'm feeling pretty good right now. Everything I brought with me is now in this room, except my two bikes which are still at Victor's place (Scott's friend). They have a bike storage room on my hall but apparently they're not allowing anyone to use them during the summer.

I have just about everything I need. I'm connected to the net. Have bedding and toiletries. My clothes are hanging up in a clsoet rather than folded into a garment bag in the trunk of my car. In the parlance of our times: it's all good.

I've been a little worried about the age difference between me and most of the people around me. I'm used to being a supervisor to "kids" (am I allowed to use that term now?) their age, so being their peer is awkward. I'm trying not to be the crotchety old man, but I'd feel better if the whole college party scene leftovers would dissipate. You've graduated folks, move on.

Luckily , everyone I've met is really cool. Those of us from the interview weekend bonded a lot and I'm looking forward to building more/deeper friendships with them all.

It's been a two month oddysey getting here. I moved out of San Diego June 1 and stayed with my parents a couple of days before spending four days in the Bay Area, then a day in Yosemite before flying to Philly for a week, Minnesota for ten days, then back to mom & dad's for a day before starting an eight-day cross-country road trip. Oh, then I moved into a friend of a friend's house for four days, the Hampton Inn for a day, the Embassy Suites for four days and, finally, Temple University. Home for five weeks.

And what a five weeks it will be. My days will begin at 5 am when I will wake up, eat breakfast and get ready to ride a bus to the school where I'll be teaching summer classes. I'll be team teaching with three other corps members and we'll all be working with various supervisors/mentors. At the end of the day, we'll head back to Temple where we'll have roughly one hour to eat dinner and relax, work out or whatever we choose before evening workshops begin. Our days officially end around 10 pm, though we'll have some group and individual work to finish to prepare for the following day. Needless to say, maintaining balance will be difficult.

I'm excited about diving into the process. At each step, I'm more and more impressed by Teach For America's approach, professionalism and forethought. I'm as interested in the company as I am about teaching. It's pretty awesome. At the same time, I'm concerned about the lack of free time. It's not like I need to sit on my butt and watch TV or something, but I'm used to training four hours a day and as it is, I don't think I'll get much more than a couple hours a week, and that will be on the weekends. It will be a good test of my organizational skills to carve out that time whenever I can.

A few of us were developing a training regimen for our hour off. It begins with changing into workout clothes in 32 seconds then running to the cafeteria and jogging in place while in line getting food. You can't sit down while you eat; rather, you should be doing lunges or stretching as you munch on carrots and such. Maybe a few jumping jacks. Loading up your tray will be like using free weights. Then, you run back to your room and shower in 46 seconds, get dressed again in professional attire, and get back to the program.

This summer is going to be a challenge, but there is tremendous energy and excitement and talent here and I'm looking forward to seeing us all apply everything that we are to this endeavor.

Maintaining this blog will be a challenge, too. I think taking 15 minutes each night or so to reflect on the day will be helpful in many ways, and will help keep the blog up to date. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to be up in six and a half hours!