Reverb10 :: 5 minutes

I've decided to be a part of Reverb10. It's a 31-day blogging challenge where you reply to the daily writing prompts that are designed to get you to reflect on this past year as well as provide some insight for the upcoming year. I'm going to give myself 5-7 minutes for each post.

Day 15 :: December 15, 2010 :: 5 minutes

• Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010. (Author: Patti Digh).

My fondest memories of 2010 involves traveling and spending time with family and friends.

• Bringing in the new year with some friends in D.C.

• My ten hour layover in NYC before returning to Cairo = too much fun!

• Hangin out w/my girls in Vegas.

• Spending time w/the fam this summer in Akron.

• My week in Chicago w/my girl.

• Birthday celebration in the summer in D.C.

• Hosting my reading group, The Literary Sistas, at my parents house this summer.

• My trip to Kuwait.

• My first European vacation to Italy: Rome, Sienna/Tuscany, Cinque Terra and Milan.

In Montepulciano in Tuscany, Italy (Nov, 2010)

The only non-travel and non-family memory is ending this semester of teaching. It has been a ridiculously insane semester: drama, complaints, lazy students ... but today was the last day of class. I'm feeling melancholy because it seems like more of my students than usual 'got it'. There was a lot of give and take. There were times when they were mad at me and I was frustrated with them. But now, after 15 weeks, the growth is noticeable; I can tell that they feel the value of what they've learned. I know that I've left an indelible mark on their education. And whew, there's a learning component for me too: knowing when to push and how to compromise and trying not to wear my emotions on my sleeve.

In the end, it's a good thing and a good feeling. I've had this experience before. It's definitely an affirmation of why I teach.