Journal: 10/09/05

I spent most of yesterday in a state of total and pleasant idleness. After returning from the fatiguing four-day trek in the White Mountains with my 8th grade students, I wanted to do nothing more than allow my body and mind to relax. I felt like I needed to float instead of climb, to play instead of work. I had experienced more hard labor in those few days than I had experienced in the last few months, and I desperately needed a rest. So … I did a lot of “nothing” all day long. I went to school and puttered around in a lazy, happy way, grading papers and setting a few things in order. A tranquil rain was falling, and the music of it added to the feeling of relaxation in the room. Later, I met Jaimie, Noah, and Matt, and we had a wonderful time wandering through the Mystic Aquarium. We had no schedule, no agenda, no time frame. All we wanted to do was enjoy each other’s company without stress or hard labor, and we did that beautifully for several hours. We ended the afternoon at Starbucks, languidly sipping drinks (Noah absolutely loved his orange juice) and laughing.