Gasp. I woke up with a back-to-school nightmare this morning. It got me out of bed fast.  School started yesterday in Walla Walla and I think this may have something to do with it.

Kids were out and about in my neighborhood in their first day of school best and lugging backpacks behind them. The student crossing guards were out with their flags and yellow-orange reflective vests helping younger students cross the street.  Around schools even the cars had slowed down from their regular 30 miles an hour to 20 miles an hour between 7am and 4pm or so.  And the back to school ads on tv and in the news paper have dried up. School's started.

It turns out that I no longer dream about forgetting my high school English homework, missing a final exam at university or finding a fellowship application on my desk under a folder after having mailed in the others the day before.  Apparently what I dream about teaching--an out of control classroom, not having photocopies for the first day and not being able to remember anyone's names.  <!--more-->In my nightmare this was all topped off with a feeling of helplessness and frustration.  Luckily about the point in my dream where I felt like my only option was to yell at my class, I realized that I could also wake up. So I did that instead.

Phew. I don't even need Freud to tell me what's going on. It's back to school time and my anxieties, worry and nervousness about a new school year with new students and all of the work I've got ahead of me is rearing it's ugly head not in my day to day life but in my dreams. But seeing as I am in Walla Walla and my classroom is in Sofia there's not a lot that I can do about any of this right now.

I mean, I've done what I can do until I find myself back in Bulgaria and with a set of my classroom keys next week.  I picked up some index cards, some colored cardstock, sharpie markers and a large classroom calendar.  At this point it is what it is.

I have a hunch that this dream is also a subtle or actually not so subtle reminder that my summer is coming to an end. Two months of travel and eight countries later apparently it's time to get back to work. I've caught up with my family and friends. I've eaten my way through the summer.  And I've plowed through one book after another on my Kindle.

So I find myself in the lucky position to be able to say I couldn't imagine a better summer and I guess now, I am ready to get back to work, to have a routine and to catch up with my Sofia friends! Looking forward to seeing the city and everyone it holds very soon.