Classes start tomorrow, and I'm more excited about the start of the semester than I've been in a long time. Perhaps it's because the start of the last semester was so rough. I had some administrative issues sapping all of my energy, the kinds of things I could do nothing about but that I had to handle the results of. You add all the drama from buying the new place, and I think back to last August and feel my stomach tighten up just a tad still.
This semester, though, I feel much more on target (knock on wood). I'm really excited about the two classes I'm teaching (blogs are here and here). I've taught each one once before, and they went extremely well. I decided to keep things pretty much the same, which means a lot of my prep is done. I feel like I can concentrate on actually teaching as well as deepening my own learning of the course materials. That should also feed into a couple of research projects I hope to make some serious headway on these next few months, too.
I'm also excited that I have no conferences this semester. That may sound odd, but I think I need a bit of a travel break. It's not like I've been traveling lately, but it is nice to have a semester where I will be in class everyday (barring anything unforseen) and where I can do my own thing on my own schedule. I've got a couple of articles coming out this semester, so I feel like I have something to show for scholarship.
Yeah, I might be tempting fate, and I know the mood won't last forever, but it's nice to feel excited about things for a change.
If you missed yesterday's Prof. Hacker post where I posted the track list for this semester's mix-CD, check it out. I'm even looking forward to the commute!
My semester starts tomorrow too. Here's to a good semester for the both of us. :)
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