A New Year

September. Again. It's not January that makes me review my year and make plans for the future. It's always September. You know that long ago, the Church used September 1 as New Year's Day?

Last year then, I've travelled much. I've been to New Delhi, Kashmir, Kabul, Jakarta and Bali, Montreal, London, Paris, and southern France. I've gone wilderness camping and family car camping. I had the pleasure of seeing The Exchange again and meeting his family.

At home, I cultivated my garden, cleared out clutter, and visited with my family and friends. I took up pottery and house repair work. I read many good books and had many more excellent meals. Most of all, I saw The Boy through his last year of high year and stood by The Man in his year in Kabul. My job with The Boy is not done though. He needs much more guidance ahead. My job with The Man is not done either. He is a life-timer.

This Fall, I am about to go on our annual girls weekend getaway. I can't wait. I am eager to find out how my friends are doing and how their families are. Then I will try to squeeze in a weekend of wilderness camping before the cold kicks in. I will also be working for my candidate in the upcoming federal election. In October, I will go to Orlando to keep a promise I made a long time ago regarding my parents, and to keep a promise I apparently made recently to Kid2 that I would take her to Disneyland.

When I come back from Orlando, I will add French and piano to my roster of activities. I know, I lead a charmed life.

The Boy on the other hand, is adrift. He has opted out of university this year. What will he do with his year off? His plans are to do a short program that nets him a certificate to teach English abroad. He will travel to India, Japan or elsewhere for a few months to teach, depending on what the TESL resource centre helps him find. He will get his driver's licence. He will do a bar-tending course so he can work when he returns to university. He will try to sign up for some online courses that will give him more options next year if he changes his mind about cinema studies. He may even stop in France, enroll in a language program and come back speaking French.

I think these are all good plans. If he were to do even half of these, he will have made good use of his gap year. I am somewhat assured he will return to school next year. He visited a friend in residence yesterday and said he liked the energy there, that he regrets somewhat for opting out. Now he is sure he wants to go next year. I hope so. Now to help him line up some ducks so he can do some of the things he has set sight on.