New School Year

Today was the first day of school for the School District of Philadelphia, and my usually serene morning commute was overrun by shrieking teenagers and their blasting iPods. All summer long I had been feeling like my new job was only a temporary gig and come fall I'd be back in my classroom as usual, but seeing all those kids going to school (and not even having realized in advance when school started) finally cemented that I am no longer a teacher. For the first time in nineteen years of being a student and then a teacher, I don't have a first day of school to look forward to and/or dread. For some reason, this makes me feel more adult than buying the condo did.