Twenty Five

I think I was happy to turn 25- it seemed like a good age. Middle twenties- I could've stayed 25 for a long time. For my birthday, I went to Madison for a social studies conference and ended up seeing my friends that evening, but not of course, before I locked my keys in my car and had to call a locksmith, though.

That spring in Milwaukee, things started to improve just a little bit. Friends of Eric's had invited me to play "ultimate frisbee" with them down by the lake for the spring and summer. I had seen the game played before and had even participated in a couple of points while I had lived in Madison. It seemed like a good way to get some exercise and meet some people. I was sooo bad when I first started, but liked the challenge of it.

That spring I also found the co-op and started paying attention to good food again. I really enjoyed the walking neighborhood I had: the post office, the grocery store, book store, and blockbuster were all less than a mile from where I lived. I started trying to enjoy life a little more by doing less work and more walking and running. That spring I had a number of people visit. Alex came through and stayed for a little while on his way down to South Carolina to work with Sea Turtles on a nature reserve, DrMI came through on her way to her internship in Michigan (which became permanent), and Noah moved to Madison to do an internship for the summer. I was elated. A very close friend who was going to live near me for the summer. I remember the weekend he came to visit where we rode our bikes to the lake, played frisbee, and went out for Thai food. It was so fun.

As it became summer, I was so relieved that school was over, I couldn't believe it. I started going to some of the festivals with Doris and Noah and I started to hang out most weekends- going to summerfest, canoeing, etc. In late June, I decided to go down to South Caroline to visit the Turtle where Alex was working and to visit my cousin Eric. It was so gorgeous. I had a really good time-traveling on my own, renting a car, and sight seeing. My cousin and his wife took me on a houseboat to one of the only fresh water lakes around there- and it was all red clay around the lake. Crimson tide finally made sense. On the turtle reserve I got to help move sea turtle nests so they were safe and also got to go to Ted Turner's private island that was a nature reserve as well. On our way there, by boat, we saw a group of about 100 dolphins feeding on a school of fish. It is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen- especially the baby dolphins jumping right by the boat. (Picture: moving a turtle nest)

Later that summer, Noah and I organized a kayak trip around the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior with some friends. We rented tandem canoes and spent 5 days camping on different islands. We had gorgeous weather and the bugs were only bad at one campsite. It was a blast- that is after I had to show the rental people that I could do a wet exit- turn the kayak upside down with me in it and then take the skirt off the outside of the boat and come up for air. One of the scariest things I have ever done. Thanks to Noah for talking me into it, because for as much as I love all water sports, I have a healthy fear of sucking it in while my head is underneath it. Afterwards, I think I cried, I was so relieved. Either way, it is one of the prettiest trips I have ever been on. Now I want to sail there some time soon.

That summer I also attended an AP conference at Carleton College. I ended up meeting someone from the local school district, who emailed me about a job opening right when I got back from kayaking. I jumped on the chance and got the job. So in 5 days I managed to move my apartment and find a new place to live. It was hard to leave Milwaukee since I was just starting to have fun, but I was happy to not be going back for a second year to my job there. I remember rejoicing to be closer to a few friends and family once I moved.

That fall was challenging at school- basically another first year because I wasn't teaching AP World History anymore- now it was a class called Behavioral Sciences where I taught a quarter of psychology, sociology, government, and economics. Again I felt a little in over my head, but happy to have a new job.

At a Martin Sexton concert I met a guy named Robert who I dated until the following summer. He was a fun person and I started getting out a lot and really getting to know the new city I lived in. He was so different from me, but seemed so fun, that I thought it would work. We did a lot of fun things like go to Toronto for a few days over New Years and go out to California for spring break. While we were in town we went to professional hockey games, a professional basketball game, and to NCAA basketball final four when they were here and the Badgers were playing. We had a great time together, but our values were very different. He spent money like it was going out of style and didn't believe that teaching was a worthy profession. We split ways late in the spring. I was sad but realized it was good.

Either way that year I met a good friend who was a fellow teacher and was glad to be in the same town as my former roommate, KCL once again. Things were looking up.