And it begins again

This has seemed like an extremely long Christmas vacation. Of course, in some ways it was even longer...I had no school for the week of finals since all my work was done and I had no finals that week...so I got an extra week there. Then there is the timeless quality of life in Mexico...really, when it means so little it passes more slowly.
Around the turn of the 20th century when people were experimenting with time some philosophers and psychiatrists theorized that time does, indeed pass differently for people and it makes sense.
Not that 60 seconds equal anything other than 60 seconds...despite the wishes of many people, time DOES pass linearly insofar as human experience is concerned. Monday, January 9th, 2006 at 7:44 and 20 seconds came and went and will never occur again. The events passing at that moment are locked into history for good or ill. The seconds pass at the same, exact, inexorable pace.
Yet they don't all feel the same. You can watch an entertaining 3 hour movie and feel like 10 minutes have passed...or you can watch an excruciating 10 minute clip and feel like 3 hours have passed. The reality of it being 3 hours or 10 minutes does not change...but the perception of how long passed does change.
Many times Deb or Gabe would talk about how it felt like we had been in Mexico for a month...after we had been there for perhaps 2 or 3 days or a week at most. The next week, however....wow! One day there were 4 days left before we left and then we were sitting in the airport.
But even since I have been back, time has slowed to a crawl. I feel like I get more done in a day now than before I left. And that has expanded my sense of vacation time from school.
Oh, to be sure, there are things I wish I had more time for...I was hoping to get together with Michelle and Sean a few more times during vacation, and with Christina as well and with Emily...I would have liked to have figured out what Jessica and I were fighting about and rectified it...I would have liked to get more written on every book I am written on...but I did get a lot accomplished I wanted to, including moving back towards reestablishing close contact with my brothers. That is vitally important to me.
And now we are here. Tomorrow night I am back in school and it starts with a Spanish. And many of the old fears and frustrations are there. For example, for the 4th time in 5 terms I have a new professor for Spanish. And yes, that makes a difference. For one, "toca la guitarra" is correct and means to play the guitar. Last term, however, I was told it meant touching the guitar sexually and was marked down on a writing. Aggh! Some things are less important...one professor might use "entonces" whereas another uses "ahora", but after one or two classes I get that figured out.
Still, for the first time, I actually am entering a class with confidence and a belief that I will be fine in this subject. And it has nothing to do with my confidence in my linguistic capabilities but everything to do with my changed outlook on life due to my trip.
Whatever else happens in my life, I owe Deb & Gabe gratitude for introducing me to that life. Here is hoping I can become a successful author and move there someday. And that school this term goes smoothly.