Am I Coming or Going?!?

I felt like I was doing really good. I was adjusting to the climate, to the culture, to my students, to my town.  Slowly, but surely. I felt better, I was dealing with the culture shock. I was happy. I was becoming a part of my community.

Then my neighbor started acting weird...and the last week has been a bit of a downward slide. His attitude and behaviors have affected my outlook. I decided not to lament on these since doing so just reaffirms that negativity. But when you combine those factors with the ever challenging school system where logic from our perspective is as foreign as cheeseburgers, students who seem to just not care or understand why English is valuable, and you have a girl who is left feeling rather lonely and regretting not being home for Christmas.

But as the title says, there is the constant back and forth, continuously vacillating because of the truly wonderful moments I have had.  After I was sitting there writing the above paragraphs, I had to go teach an "extra class" of students who I do not usually have.  And I was met by interesting, funny, ready to learn teenagers, filled with curiosity and fascination.  Those forty-five minutes made the whole day seem normal, my angst appear trite.  Finally, students who give a fuck! YAY!!! Aside from wanting to get away from my neighbor, I feel like I can be quite content here. And the weather--you can't beat the weather. I mean, I suppose you could, Hawaii was less humid and less buggy, but its damn near perfect. And the food is amazing if you aren't afraid to embarrass yourself ordering it. And I have been traveling every weekend, seeing all sorts of amazing things, for almost zero dollars. I can take a train to the bigger cities for less than 20 cents. I refuse to leave until I go hiking and see some waterfalls, and spend at least one more day reading a book on a quiet beach with the waves crashing all around me.