Celebrating a Year

Classes begin, and surprisingly everything appears to be in order. I do notice there is a perplexing warning light on in my car when I jump in to drive to school, but that will have to wait for later. I walk through the crowds of returning students, my brain somehow surprised to be distracted by remnants of their chit-chat. When one is in a foreign country without full language fluency superfluous conversation blends in with the background noises of birds, and the sea. In the evening Enigmatica, my octet, meets for rehearsal. The music is strong and the laughter of friends revives me, blasting the cobwebs from my mind like trumpeting heralds welcoming me home. I am tired but calm, holding stress at a distance. Darkness falls so early here, so I leave some of the prep for tomorrow’s classes until tomorrow, hoping my jet-lag will allow me to wake early.