The Whirlwind: Chicago to SF to Sea Ranch to SF
I'm sorry. I stopped blogging a few days after, well, my second day in Chicago.
Two truths emerged during said trip: I don't like being away from the Mr. Mango. I also like to travel, but it's much better on my terms. My days started at 6:30. On the bus. At 6:30. Any of you who know me KNOW that I freakin' HATE mornings. Its hard enough to get up at 6:30, but I had to dressed and ready to rock by 6:30. Sucks. REAL bad. Once on the bus, we had to get to our next stop, sometimes an hour later. Traffic and weather permitting, it was a difficult trip, but what made the trip fun was the colleagues I met on the trip.
The trip was basically my sister colleges and myself heading out to schools to present ourselves. Twelve schools in 4 days. Two states. Fun, isn't it? Yes and no. It's not easy to be on the road like that but it's definitely doable, and I met students that I would have loved to work with in the near future.
Strangely enough, I was the only person of color on the trip...and for some of the schools I was the only person of color in the goddamn building. It's hard to reconcile the differences between us, but I felt like my presence in the schools may have made some people think...twice? I don't know. I spent a lot of time thinking to myself about what it meant to be a person of color on the road, selling to the white masses. My mission in life is to provide access to those who do not have said access, and it's amazing to be in beautiful large high schools with people who are clearly privileged in ways you will never be. You feel simultaneously small and big at the same time. Small because you are the other. Big because you will always always be underestimated, a position that never fails to amaze me.
My days ended mostly around 5PM, and we had dinners together with the exception of one day and I had dinner with colleagues. I looked forward to those moments more than the other events, to be honest, because I appreciate the opportunity to meet other like-minded individuals who live in the same "world" that I do and dialogue, dialogue, dialogue over drinks.
As the week progressed, and as you may have noticed, I didn't blog as much, and the reason is because I was exhausted. I don't do well in new environments. It takes me a while to get used to new environments, new hotels, and new sounds. While trying to fall asleep, the sound of the snow scraper thingies, what's that called, snowplows, fascinated me. I would jump out of bed and watch them circle around, removing the snow from the ground, clearing black pavement from white snow. Abso-fucking-lutely fascinating. This means I didn't get to sleep until later, and of course, this means that I wake up exhausted and tired. SUCKS so bad.
We ended our trip at a Latino high school, and this was by far my favorite visit. It was late, I was already deliriously tired, but still connecting. I felt my eyes burning, maybe from too much air in my face, the hot air from heaters, or just being exhausted. I was able to pull down 70 interest cards (students fill out cards when they want more 411), far more than any of the other schools I went to. Speaking a little Spanish helps ;-) A few of my colleagues and I rented a limo (that could fit all 5 of us and our suitcases) to take us to O'Hare. It was a blissful goodbye, but we wound up being a little sad about the leaving part. Great colleagues. Love them.
Upon arrival at O'Hare, I found that my flight was delayed. Imagine my surprise. Shit, that sucks. I try to get onto an earlier flight, but there was no love there. Oh well. I wait almost three hours to depart after I arrive at the airport. On the flight I want to pass out but can't. Shit.
I get back to the crib, harass the Mango man, and wake up the next morning to go to Sea Ranch for a retreat. Horrible drive. If you've ever gone, it's like hugging every single curve of the California coast. It's 100 miles from SF, so the ride takes a while. It's not THAT far, but the road is pretty demanding for the most experienced driver. I wish I had Peaches to drive up there, but I had my bro's truck. It was tough, but a great ride. Staff retreats, well, they're fun and all, but it's a little bit o' hell when you're trying to put everything together. Getting back this afternoon, it was nice to be able to decompress and hang out with my family again. It's nice to be home; the road is fun, but ultimately it's the people around you who make you feel "at home."
Enough... I have to catch up on Lost. :-) Update on poetry month comes tomorrow.
Voodoo