Home...?

I made my triumphant return to Manchester on Monday, effectively wasted Tuesday, and started classes (okay, class) today. I've seen many of my old friends and had some great conversations (and a couple good meals) already, but there are so many people I haven't seen, or have only seen briefly.

Coming back to campus after a year abroad is overwhelming. I do not have the time to catch up with everyone at once. I saw a good friend in the admin building today and couldn't even catch up and say hi, because I had so much stuff to do (before you study abroad, ask yourself how much you love mountains of paperwork).

I'm pretty excited about most of the classes I'm taking this semester. Elementary New Testament Greek, the only one I've had so far, is already looking to be way fun. I'm mostly taking it because I promised Dr. Bowman I'd take another course with him after under-performing in the last one, but I'm also pretty emocionado. Then there's Race, Ethnicity and Gender Group Relations; Philosophy of Civilization; Entrepreneurial Thinking; and, of course, Tai Chi. I'm supposed to be arranging a tutorial with Ken Brown, but I haven't managed to track him down yet (actually, I haven't really tried). If I don't, though, I can get it in next semester - I'd just rather have the 12 credit load then instead of now.

On the other hand, the 12-15 split really worked out for me sophomore year... maybe keeping it light while I'm dipping my toes back into the pool isn't such a bad idea.

Then again, course work at Manchester could only be considered a "load" in comparison with the utter joke that was my Mexican academic experience.

Speaking of Mexico, I celebrated my new stack of money ("three stack," to use the argot of my summer students) by sinning a bit at El Mezquite. I know I can't be making a habit of eating out, but I ain't trippin. Mike exchanged a couple phrases of Spanish with the guys at the cash register, so they decided to ask me if I spoke Spanish. Of course I'd wanted nothing more. I told them about my year abroad, and discovered that one of the employees there is from Xalapa! Que frickin chido.

Anyway, there's a lot to get used to here. I was a bit apprehensive about living off campus for what really amounts to my third and final year at Manchester, but now that I'm here I'm glad for the peace and quiet.