Today was a good day.
I want to take a moment to remember that this happened, because so many days are such struggles. It doesn't take much, really. I woke up and read the New York Times (the government is still shut down? How embarrassing.). I Skyped with my dad and a friend (she is getting a dog!). I swept and mopped my floor, and I did some yoga. I learned a couple new Chinese phrases. I can now ask my Chinese friends if they want to go somewhere with me. Just before class, I did some last minute tweaks to my lesson plan, and then I taught three classes. The kids were great today. They were involved and they did what I asked them to do. I bribed them into participating with some candy, but at least they decided that candy was worth speaking in class! The headmaster took me out to a lovely dinner, and he kept trying to play drinking games with me. Taught three more classes after dinner, and they were even better than the first three. These kids are my super enthusiastic group. I didn't even have to bribe one of them! They just up and volunteered!
All around today was a good day. I was content. I did not want to hop the first flight out of here. I did not want to run away and hide from the children. I didn't feel displaced. I didn't feel like the worst teacher in the world. The day turned itself around, even though I woke up with a pounding heart from some ridiculous anxiety dream about packing for China.
I need to remember what days like this feel like, and more importantly, I need to remember how to get to this place. Days like this will be what makes it possible for me to stay. I can't just live for my weekends, when I can see friends and socialize. I need to be content where I am. I'm too much of a homebody for it to be any other way. The more days I can have like this, the closer I will be to contentment, and that is all I can ask for.
