D.C. is done

Finally, language is over and I’m almost out the door to post. It’s been so long since I’ve been useful that I hope I can remember how.

Lincoln and WWII memorials

Still, though, time in D.C. – and elsewhere – hasn’t been wasted. Today, my last full day, I took a chance on day-of tickets to the top of Washington Monument. Being overcast and kind of gloomy, it wouldn’t have normally been the best day to do it, but because it was literally the last day possible, I went down to the place where they give out the day-of tickets and got in line. Nothing I’d read indicated how many tickets they have, but getting them online proved impossible so I took a chance. Fortunately, there were enough to go around, and I went right up. It’s 555 feet tall and the observation deck is on the 500-foot level; there’s an exhibit at 490 feet.

The visibility was crap but it was a really cool experience. I could see some stuff through the condensation, like the WWII memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. Other stuff kind of faded in the gray but it was still absolutely worth it.

The elevator on the way down slowed a bit to let us get a glimpse of the plaques that are built into the wall. There’s a staircase and the plaques are kind of put in, mosaic-like, all the way down, but the staircase isn’t open to the public, so I was glad the elevator slowed up a bit.

Best photo I could get from a moving elevator

With that, I’m totally good leaving D.C. tomorrow. I had wanted to go to LL Bean one last time but the metro stopped indefinitely and by that time I was hungry and just wanted to get on with my day. My other big errand was sending myself two packages in Tana, which proved to be far more difficult than it should have. In the end, it took three people, three browsers and four devices to get it done but there are now two packages safely in the mail so I don’t have to lug them around tomorrow.

As is, I have two, maybe three, giant bags. I’m trying to get the carry-on crammed inside the checked bags, but we’ll see.

Anyway, life’s been fine since French ended. I had a couple more classes – the last of which was yesterday – and took some annual leave, something I’ll do next week too.

I so wanted to take one of these home.

My packout, which was in Florida, went fine. My packers didn’t seem to care, so that made it easy. I had some stuff I wasn’t sure was allowed but they gave not one whit and loaded everything up. Now I just have to hope it arrives.

I did have a wrinkle in a virtual class I was supposed to take – had trouble with the access – so I was able to take Zippy to watch pickleball and visit Wendy one last time, so that wasn’t all bad.

Last weekend, though, was the FSU game in Dublin. Even though we lost, it was a fun experience. Laurie went – her first trip to Dublin – and we knocked out her wish list. The highlight for her was a Game of Thrones Studio tour and I gotta say, even not having seen a single episode, it was enthralling. To me, it was very much art museum-y and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Winter is coming in late August

Our hotel was in the heart of the Temple Bar area, and from the looks of it, so was the hotel of every other Seminole fan. It was absolutely incredible walking around and seeing people in FSU gear everywhere. There were a few Georgia Tech fans, but the Noles completely outnumbered them. (Too bad the team didn’t outscore them.) There were official pep rallies (or something) in different bars so I’m sure the Tech fans were all over theirs, but there is no way wherever they were could have been more happenin’ than the place FSU fans went – the Storehouse, I think it was. It was wall-to-wall Garnet and Gold – so much fun. We didn’t stay long but I talked to a couple fans and just took it in. It was absolutely incredible, as was doing other sightseeing stuff (Book of Kells, whiskey tour, Leprechaun Museum) and being in a roomful of Florida State fans. We were everywhere.

Random FSU fans at Trinity College

I hadn’t bought a ticket to the game in advance and hooked up with a couple from Dallas – they’d met while attending FSU – and scored a great seat at a cut-rate price. It was even under an overhang, which was fortunate because it rained a little at the start.

Our flights went fine, although we had a tight connection at Heathrow on the way back. Laurie had it worse than me because her bag got stopped and there was no rhyme or reason as to when they’d clear your bag. She wound up sprinting to the gate, but there was still enough time to get a Coke Zero and pee.

Flying back, though, all I could think of was the fact that four days later, I’d be making my third trip across the same ocean. I’m so ready to get going, but travel is just not fun.

French is over. Celebrated by spending the day in bed with Val Kilmer

 After a six-month haul, French is finally over, at least somewhat successfully. The box now has a checkmark, anyway. The test was rough and long, but it didn’t seem as long as it really was. Unfortunately for me, I came down with some kind of death virus about a day before and I felt absolutely miserable. I went in masked but I sounded so horrible during the first part that the testers insisted I finish the test remotely, which I completely understood.

Comprehension has always been my biggest problem and adjusting to new people’s speech patters can take awhile. Meaning, a lot longer than the test itself. I absolutely could not understand what the person was saying. There’s a portion in the test where you ask questions and then report the answers and I literally couldn’t not make out anything for one of the responses. Had I felt better, I could have asked and re-asked for clarification, etc., but I just wasn’t up to it.

In the end, I got the score I needed to proceed without additional paperwork. I feel like some of the grade was a courtesy, but I don’t care. I’m glad it’s over but honestly, I’m still too sick to muster up any emotion about it, including relief.

Since I haven’t bothered testing for Covid and today’s Covid resembles a cold, I could have Covid. Apparently it’s going around the group of new hires and I did go to their “flag day” celebration. (And at the time, I did not know Covid was going around their class…) But no regrets – I met a bunch of new colleagues who are just excited to be heading out to their posts as I am to mine.

But five or six days later,  I feel absolutely miserable. It’s legitimately acting like my colds usually do, so I’m going with that, although I am masking up just in case. Masking up when I go out, that is. Which hasn’t been since the test.

Yesterday, I spend a blissful day in bed with Val Kilmer. I’d gone to the library last weekend – it’s a block away! – and snagged “I’m Your Huckleberry,” which is one of Wendy’s favorite quotes from Wyatt Earp. I know “Huckleberry” more from a Toby Keith/Scotty Emerick tune, but as an Iceman fan, I checked it out.

And it was lovely read. Never knew Kilmer had a poet’s soul. I spent the entire day moving from the bed, the sofa and the comfy chair curled up with the book.

Today, I’m feeling marginally better but as the remains of Debby Downer are hitting us, I’m planning on laying low for a bit.

Originally, I’d hoped to travel out of town this weekend but right now I am really glad to have not sprung for a ticket. It’s nice to be home. And it’s really nice to not be studying French anymore. 

In a New York Minute

Last weekend I took a bite out of the Big Apple. I didn’t really do a whole lot but had a great time.

The highlight, easily, was cheap tickets to see “Suffs,” which gave me a surprise new anthem: "A Great American Bitch". Dear God, I loved the play, from start (“Let Mother Vote”) to finish (“Keep Marching”). But “A Great American Bitch” was by far the best and most memorable number of the play.  I’d buy the soundtrack just for that song. 

"Isn't 'bitch' an insult?" 

"That's what they want you to think!"

Obligatory Statue of Liberty photo

I’d bought the ticket that afternoon at the cheap booth in Times Square. Kudos for that, but holy smokes, it was hot. I was in line well over an hour in direct sunlight. All the people were super nice and it make me realize how many people deeply love going to the theater. The lady right in front of me had flown in from Hawaii the night before (Friday) and was leaving on Tuesday. All she was doing was going to the theater.

And after seeing my first show on Broadway, I get it. I’ve seen plays before in different venues, from Tallahassee’s Young Actor’s Theater to a university production of “Shrek” in Minot to off-Broadway shows in Sydney and Guangzhou, but this was my first on-Broadway show, and it was utterly amazing. I understand now why people will see the same play over and over. Heck, had I gone to the matinee show instead of the evening, I might have turned around and seen it again. As it was, I came close to seeing another on Sunday afternoon, but I didn’t get back from my morning excursion in time.

Choosing it was random, too. The cheap place doesn’t have all the shows, but there were lots of options. In my hour and a half in line, I listened to others around me discuss what they were seeing and what they’d seen and narrowed it to “Suffs” and “Six” (the Henry VIII wives one) by the time I got to the window and basically let the ticket guy decide. He made a great choice.

The only other thing I did, really, was do the Big Bus tour for two days. I got off and wandered but mostly it was low-key. It was my first visit since just prior to Peace Corps, so a lot had changed, like the new 9/11 memorial. That was serene, though one of the two reflecting pools (which are in the footprints of the old twin towers) was drained for cleaning.

I did the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty, of course, but other than wandering around Hudson Yards and the Harry Potter store, I really didn’t do much. In a search for air conditioning, I hit up the old Macy’s and happened upon a shoe sale. There, I splurged on shoes that were marked down from $80 to $22 and crammed them into my backpack for the trip home.

I went alone, hoping someone would join me but not having any luck. In the end, that was probably fine because the hotel room was the size of a postage stamp. It was right at Times Square – if I left my windows open, the marquee for “Hamilton” would have kept me awake so the location was amazing for what I wanted to do but the space was almost enough for one person and definitely not two.

But if someone wanted to go next weekend, I’d happily join again. I’d taken the bus up there because I really didn’t care when I arrived, but going back I opted for the train since it was an hour shorter. Both were super easy.

Now that I am back, I’ve realized that I’m basically out of touristy things on my list. I didn’t plan anything touristy for this weekend at all, though I do have plans to meet some people for lunch tomorrow. I feel like I should do another road trip from here, but I haven’t looked at the options.

Though there’s no tourist stuff this weekend, I have had a busy Saturday. Last week, I caved and bought a car, which I picked up today. It’s nothing a special, a 2016 Nissan Rogue. Madagascar doesn’t have import restrictions so I didn’t have to have a newer one. This one – named Cassian, after the character in “Rogue One” --  probably won’t arrive for a solid six months, so I’m hoping to start it on its journey ASAP. I think I submitted all the paperwork today and picked out an aspirational date to send it off. I don’t intend to drive it here and am not even registering it in Florida since it won’t get there until 2027, if then. There’s also an auto shop nearby and I dropped it off for a tune-up. I’m hoping I get no bad news; I bought it as-is.

Other than that, it’s life as usual, although a bit hotter than normal. Climate change is real and, walking to and from work every day, it stinks. More often than not, I arrive home in a puddle of my own sweat. It’s not near as humid as Florida, but 97 degrees is toasty no matter what. There’s a little splash pad and a public park on my way home. It’s about three blocks from my house, so on the return, I’m a bit warm by then. I wear sandals because it’s so hot and when it’s really bad, I weave around the little kids through the shallow river created by the splash pad. The kids probably think I am nuts because my pants tend to get soaked from the ankles down, but it’s relief.

Want culture? Be my guest.

 In my effort to glean as much culture as I can while I am in D.C., I made a point to find some cultural stuff to experience, in addition to the amazing lot of historical and/or touristy stuff.

“Little Shop of Horrors” was my excuse to visit Ford’s Theater and I also went to a Mark Twain play in Alexandria. With the number of venues here, I couldn’t see something at every one, but I absolutely wanted to get to the Kennedy Center.

Since I couldn’t afford “Bye Bye Birdie” – those tickets are close to $200 – I scrolled forever on their site to find something and finally landed on it: Disney in Concert.

“The Sound Of Magic is a one-of-a-kind musical and visual celebration of the beautiful stories told by the music in Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney Theme Park's iconic settings.” That’s the blurb from the Kennedy Center website and the totality of what I knew I was getting for. I really had no idea.

Oh my, it was utterly fabulous. I had assumed it was some kind of touring show, but it was a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra. How would I have known that? I didn’t know there was a National Symphony Orchestra. But there is, and the conductor, Christopher Dragon, let us through two hours and 100 years of music.

Here’s what the NSO page says about the show:

“Your favorite characters and soundtracks from the Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney Parks come to life on the Concert Hall stage and big screen in a live-to-film concert like never before. Performed live by the National Symphony Orchestra, this new concert takes you on a magic carpet ride through the most memorable song, score, and movie moments of the first 100 years of The Walt Disney Company, including Peter Pan, Moana, Aladdin, The Jungle Book, Frozen, The Lion King, Fantasia, Encanto, Disney Parks classics, and more.”

My seats were high up on the second level, so I had a great view but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out the string section. It seemed the majority of the orchestra was strings, which included an electric guitar. The brass section had three trumpets, four trombones, a tuba and four French horns – unless I missed something. The percussion section had cymbals, bells, the whole nine yards.

And behind them, there was a giant screen. Essentially, it was like watching a fabulous mélange of Disney clips – not just from the movies, but also from sketches and narrations from Walt himself – with the orchestra performing the music live.

I cannot imagine the effort put into it, but it was absolutely worth it. I tried to imagine synching even a tape player up with a TV set. That’s hard enough, but this was live. Every crash on the screen – whether from Ariel’s transformation, Simba getting caught up in a stampede or Moana setting sail – was met with some kind of musical punch, and every one was spot on.

Of course the opening included “When You Wish Upon A Star,” and after the introduction, the orchestra swung into “Be Our Guest.” But other than those two slam-dunk inclusions, I have no idea how they whittled down a century’s worth of music to a two-hour event. The selection was interesting, because there were some songs I hadn’t heard of and some blockbusters weren’t included, like “Into the Jungle.” (Not that I wasn’t OK with that decision – last thing I needed was to have that song going through my head the rest of the day.)

The video clips really did go back 100 years, with Snow White just one of the older ones featured. Heck, they even had clips of Todd from The Fox and the Hound, a favorite of mine.

So many films figured in, in some way or another. And while I knew most of the songs, there were some that I never heard of, like “God Help the Outcasts.” I never saw The Hunchback of Notre Dame. There were also a couple of recent ones – I could tell from the animation – that I had absolutely no idea what were. But even those were wholly enjoyable.

Not Disney-related, but someone hid this
little guy on campus and I thought it was cute.

Of course there were a bunch of kids there, and that was especially obvious when “Let it Go” started. There had been happy murmuring at Moana, but when Elsa appeared, the kids went nuts. It really was hard to hold back. I mean, come on. It may not even be legal to just sit there and listen to “The Bare Necessities.” You have to at least tap your toes, if not burst out into song. I had trouble holding back during “I’m Almost There,” so I could totally relate to the kids.

Not that anyone audibly sang along, really, although, when there was a mashup of what really amounted to pretty scary and/or sad scenes from 100 years’ worth of movies, a couple of kids started crying. No, Bambi’s mother was not featured, but it’s always sad when Beast almost dies.

In true Disney fashion, the whole scary/sad medley was followed by the uplifting set, because, of course, Beast didn’t die, Tiana opened her restaurant and Simba became king. The energetic ending came way too soon; the show lasted two hours but I could have listened to four.

Still playing tourist. It's more fun than learning French.

Harper's Ferry - John Brown Fort

As I plug along and struggle with French, I’m making a point to play tourist every weekend. At about the halfway point, my French stinks but I’m checking off the tourist boxes big time. I’ve checked off many of the Smithsonians, seen a play at Ford’s Theater and, last week, went to a podcast taping of “Stuff You Should Know” (my favorite podcast) at the 100-year-old Warner Theater downtown. I’ve got tickets to upcoming performances at the Kennedy Center and the National Theater, plus a road trip to NY planned.

Last weekend I took a road trip with a friend to Harper’s Ferry. I thought I knew the place, but then I realized the reason it sounded familiar is because that’s the road I turn on to get to Zippy’s house. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Gettysburg, but I’d never been to Harper’s Ferry.

Smithsonian Postal Museum

As that’s practically the first thing I’ve done with someone else, I had a blast. We walked a ton, up and down the hill and in and out of shops. Honestly, if I didn’t like my job so much I would aim for working at the National Parks Service. They have so many cool sites to explore! I’d gone to one on Saturday in DC – the old post office, which is now restored and a Waldorf Astoria hotel – and Harper’s Ferry had a few. The docents – or whatever they are – know their stuff. We happened into one cute little storefront and randomly arrived three minutes before a presentation. The presenter knew his stuff – he discussed the battle for an hour! And today, I went to the Capitol and gleaned knowledge from the guide there. (That may not have been NPS, but you get the idea.)

I still have three months to go but my “must do” list is dwindling. There is plenty to do here, though; that initial list is mostly the main touristy stuff. Although I’ve done a few off-the-beaten-path-type things, there is just so much more here. Washington.org is a fantastic site and I need to remember to check it before Thursday to plan the weekend.

Museum of African Art
(made with old gas cans)

Work-wise, French is awful for me but I’m plugging along. I’m well behind the curve but my hope is that one day it will all fall into place. The language is so lyrical and I just can’t tell when one word end and another begins. Essentially, I have to visualize the words and the read them and I’ll hear something like “con-gee” and think it’s the one word for “time off” but in reality, it’s two words meaning “when I.” I just cannot tell because it flows together, almost musically. (I mean, not when I speak, but basically anyone else.)

It’s like the song “Blinded by the Light.” No, the lyrics are not “wrapped up like a douche, another rumor in the night,” but that’s what I hear because I can’t pick out the words. It’s only once I get the lyrics – err, the transcription – that I’m like, OOOH! It’s “Revved up like a deuce, another rumor in the night.” NOW I hear it. But no matter how many times I hear it (and trust me, I replay these things 5-10 times) I cannot pick out the words until I see them in print.

In no way do I hate it, but it is sucking away at any bit of self-confidence I had. This is, quite literally, my job right now and I am pretty awful at it. It’s hard to accept being awful at your job. It’s not a feeling I like, for sure.

View of Capitol from old post office

It’s a slog, for sure, but time is marching on and I’m just hoping everything comes together in the last two months. I am so ready to get to post, mostly because I want to be good at what I do again.

Meanwhile, I am also ticking off the boxes of logistical stuff I have to do before I leave. New passport, check; visa application, check; vaccines, check. The next big hurdle is buying a car. I was hoping to buy Zippy’s but that doesn’t look like it’s going to work out so I’m looking in the DC area. Luckly, cars are cheaper here (guess it’s the inventory) but holy cow, prices are incredible. I thought I found a hybrid that would work but then I read that shipping hybrids – especially used ones, which is what I am looking at – is touch-and-go so that’s not going to happen. I don’t plan on making a move for another month or so, but I did learn yesterday that one of the dealers with some possibilities is only a mile away, so that’s walkable. I may stroll over there in the next week or two just to lay eyes on the stuff I’ve been looking at on Autotrader.com.

Art, History, Bricks and Brotherly Love

Beyond learning French, my goal while here is to play tourist as much as I can. Every weekend, I hope to go to a museum, see a site or something. Last weekend, I went to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. I’d swung by before, but it was swamped and I kind of sped through one floor.

This time, I arrived shortly after it opened and headed to the top floor, assuming I’d work my way down. Well, it’s just not possible to see it all in a couple hours, which is my threshold for crowds. I made it mostly comfortably until noon and, shortly thereafter, hit that “get outta Dodge right now” moment and quickly exited. At that point, I had almost – like 95 percent – finished the top floor. There is just so, so much to see.

Honestly, the Smithsonians are amazing places, and when you read about their research, outposts, etc., it becomes more and more amazing. Everyone should come to D.C. and see as many as possible. I would love to do a tour of one of their storage units, or whatever they call them, where the bulk of the stuff not on display at this museum or that museum is stored. It’s staggering.

My guess is the Natural History Museum is the kids’ favorite because of the giant elephant right inside the foyer and all of the skeletons. There were just so many school buses and kids, though not until about noon or so. I’ll head out there again to do another floor, but it will be at 10 a.m. sharp and I’ll maybe last until 1 p.m.

I had no idea the Hope Diamond was in the Smithsonian. How cool is that?

There are so many museums and cool things here that I hope I can make a dent in the list, but there are also things a short drive – or bus ride – away. Like Philadelphia, which is where I went last weekend. It’s under four hours by bus, and cost less than $45. The train is slightly more expensive, but the bus had more time options, so I went with that.

It was fantastic! I’ve been to Philly once before, but it was probably under the age of 15 and the only memories I have of visiting are two photos I (or maybe someone else) took. One’s Independence Hall and one is of the Liberty Bell. That was, I’m sure, in the days where you had a camera with a 24-exposure roll. This time around, I probably took 24 photos of the Liberty Bell itself.

I had short list of stuff to visit and hit all but one of those, but had no regrets. I did not eat a cheesesteak, but that was a result of caving on a milkshake around noon, which followed an amazing breakfast at some random place I walked past on the way to the Rocky statue. I just couldn’t eat anything else and did not want to stuff myself before getting on a bus – not a good idea. Instead, I bought some TastyCakes, which are also a taste of Philly.

Outside of “eat a cheesesteak,” my entire list was Rocky statue, Independence Hall, Liberty Bell and an art show. I also visited the Betsy Ross House, Elfreth Alley (oldest residential alley), the Reading Street market (where I got the milkshake) and the cemetery where Ben Franklin was buried. My hotel was right downtown and completely overrun with people at an educational convention. I mean, it was packed with people. I was a bit bummed that the lounge was closed on weekends because I’d counted on the free snacks but ah well.

All the liberty stuff was super cool, but oh man, The Art of the Brick at the Franklin Institute. Phenomenal. I’d searched a couple weeks ago what was going on in the city for the weekend and that’s what I came up with – an art exhibit comprised entirely of pieces made from Lego bricks.

Here’s the description, from https://theartofthebrickexpo.com/en/.

“The Art of the Brick immerses the visitor in the world of Nathan Sawaya: a cheerful and colorful world. The artist used more than a million bricks for this exhibition, creating over 70 works of art that can make adults and children smile and reflect. The collection includes a great variety of sculptures alongside re-imagined versions of some of the world’s most famous art masterpieces, such as Michelangelo’s David, Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.”

Since I couldn’t get there before 5 p.m., I didn’t go to the museum itself and only did the exhibit, which had evening hours as well. Honestly, it was the best $20 I’ve spent in some time. I cannot imagine how much time and Lego bricks were involved, but the Easter Island sculpture itself was made from over 75k pieces.

The vision Sawaya (a former attorney) had with Lego bricks is incredible. His exhibit encompassed several themed rooms, opening with replicas of famous works of art such as American Gothic and Starry Starry Night. Next, there were scaled-down versions of sculptures that included David, Venus de Milo, the Easter Island thing and a lot of other ones that looked vaguely familiar from humanities class. Another room featured animals, some of them very close to life size (tiger and cheetah), but others scaled down but still gigantic (whales and polar bears). There’s also a room with one installation: a 20-foot-long dinosaur skeleton that has over 80k pieces.

Each room wowed and I literally took pictures of every single work of art, sometimes more than one. I love American history, but that exhibit was the absolute highlight of the trip.

My grocery store is moving

My nearest real grocery store is about five blocks away, which is convenient. When I was here in November, I noticed the building across the street had the same name on it and wondered what was up and now that I am back, I have discovered it’s because the store is moving in April.

By “across the street,” I don’t mean a major highway, or even a minor highway. It’s barely a two-lane road; it’s really more like an alley. It can’t possibly be that different than it is now. Maybe they’re getting better rent – who knows?

They’ll have to move everything, I suppose, but honestly, they could form a human chain with the existing employees. The new place is that close to the existing one.

When I ran to the store last week for a couple things, I saw that they had all the frozen food on sale in preparation for the move. My guess is they can move the perishables but they can’t risk perishables. Since I’d come from class and only had a backpack, I couldn’t get much, but I returned on Wednesday with my carry-on to load up.

They’d had 12-packs of Coke for B2G2, but when I went that day, it looked like there’d been a fire sale. There wasn’t a single 12-pack left, and even the display had gone. However, I got some smaller ones and then hit the frozen foods, which had been 25 percent off. When I discovered they were now 50 percent off, I totally loaded up. Seriously, I may not have to buy frozen veggies before I leave. Not much variety, but broccoli is broccoli.

Knowing that they will be moving next week, I went again today, armed with my reuseable bags. I even redid the Tetris game that is my freezer so I could fit a few more bags of whatever in there.

But when I went in, there was barely anything in the frozen food section. And by “barely anything,” I mean four aisles of completely empty (but cooled and lit) displays. There was one small section and I could buy all the Cool Whip I wanted. They had that, two things of ice cream (never heard of the brand, but I’d bought some on the previous run so I was OK), two frozen pizza crusts and possibly some frozen bread. That was it.

The rest of the store also looked like it’d been ransacked, but ransacked in an orderly fashion. Everything was consolidated and neat, but there wasn’t much of it. I went to grab some brownie mix, 2 for $4, and didn’t immediately see Box. No. 2. There were literally only two of them left, and I had to reach all the way back to find the second one. I got it, though – just to make the trip worth my while.

All I really needed was grits and carrots, so even though I didn’t need all the bags I’d brought, it worked. I’d spent $50 before (on $90 worth of food) so today was gravy. Except they were out of gravy.

Fortunately, since I am so stocked, I won’t need to go to the new store until it’s been broken in. Until then, I’ll be eating down my freezer.

Although this seems like a boring subject to discuss, it’s taken my mind off French for a hot minute. Holy cow, learning a language is hard. This isn’t “let’s take a language class once a week at the rec center” or even a high-school type class. This is all day, every day, and then I come home and basically redo the class, do an increasingly large amount of homework, review some YouTube videos of French lessons and watch a TV show in French. I’ve had dream about French (not in French) since week one, and they are getting more intense.

This is not my wheelhouse but I am trying. Three of the four people in my class are on about the same level, though I think we all have different strengths and weaknesses in learning. I was talking to one of them and she said maybe when we rotate (in about 3-4 weeks), we will wind up in the “dumb” class. Trust me, there’s no offense taken – we are both struggling. But she freely acknowledged that she doesn’t spend a whole lot of time on the homework and I do. She’s successfully gone through another language course at the school and this is my first one. (And only, God willing.) I keep hoping that it will click but so far there’s been no such luck.