A few days ago I realized that it is four weeks until Labor Day Weekend. On which I hope to go away with Rich, just like we did last year [here]. It also means that there are four more official weeks of summer left this year. Summer break even ends before. And it also means that there are a few more weeks of summer. Now that we have moved, we can finally settle down and I can relax, despite a few appointments.
Having time off in summer offers so many possibilities: I can stay in bed until noon and watch TV. I can lie on our rooftop terrace. If I weren’t so tired and lazy, I could even go to one of the city beaches. I can take walks and eat icecream daily. This week alone I/we went out three times for dinner with friends. First, I walked with my friend from Chinatown to the Village and had pizza there. On Thursday we met one of Rich’s best friends, who is visiting from Paris, also in the Village at a Mexican restaurant. And last night we met a small group of friends, yes, in the Village, for Malaysian food. So even though I am not allowed to leave the country (thank you, Green Card application!), we at least travel internationally when it comes to food.
As a teacher, summer is my favorite season. It is when I get the longest break and, usually, clear my mind. During teaching training in Germany I had a mere six week long summer break and not much money. Once I moved to and worked in Istanbul, my summer vacation felt endless – from late June to mid-September. Plus I earned a decent salary. I still remember when, during my first summer there, in 2016 I first spent several weeks in Denmark and Germany. Then I visited a friend in her Turkish grandmother’s village for a while. I returned to Istanbul (still remember a few good parties). When I felt antsy again, I flew to Bodrum and learned how to scuba-dive. Also, that was the vacation when Canavar adopted me and I took him with me to Istanbul [here]. And that was only one summer break.
Here in the U.S. my break is about 8 to 8.5 weeks long. Generally, that is a good amount. Since the pandemic started, I wish I had more time to come back down. Or at least, this year, that I wasn’t the only one of all my international colleagues who is not allowed to travel to Europe. I continue to enjoy the summer in the City – and that at least gets easier with every week off I have.
A few summerly things always help 🙂
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© janavar