Recent Travels, distilled

Somewhere, somehow in the last two weeks on my travels to Washington DC, Houston, and back to Minnesota, I started experiencing a strange sensation- I think, maybe, possibly... I miss South Dakota. Maybe it was on a crowded metro in DC that I suddenly craved open spaces; or when I saw the eagerness, anxiety, and naive confidence in the eyes of new corps members at institute; or while I was waiting for the sun to set on the 4th of July and I realized that sunsets will never be the same anywhere else; or sitting in a classroom full of English teachers in Minneapolis when I felt I had things to contribute, and even teach. I'm not sure exactly where and when it started, but somewhere deep down I'm feeling the first pricks of excitement to return to Rosebud and especially to my classroom. I admit, I'm a little relieved. Not that I wouldn't have gone back either way, but excitement is a much better feeling than dread!