H-Town revisited

Today I've driven up to H-Town, our former home during a formative year. It's been interesting to be back. I saw the two other profs in my department. One's become the #2 administrator after the president and the other is the school's official historian and has just published a short illustrated history of the school. It was really fun to see them, especially the more senior historian, who was my neighbor and is just really a wonderful human being. 

What also surprised me was the sheer number of memories I've had. I drove by:

-Our apartment (home of The Great Cat Fight) [which reminded me I had the skills but probably not the temperment to be a lawyer]

-The opening to the path I'd walk or bike to school

-Familiar hangout like the DD, the Marshalls, the BK with the fans where we would go because Sam could stare at ceiling fans for hours (well, it felt like hours compared to everything else).

-I haven't seen it but I was remembering the large cemetery where I'd often walk. At the time I'd often walk to the hill at the top of the cemetery where there was a large grave for a baby that died around the time Sam was born.

-Watching the inaurgural.

-Prepping classes as Sam jumped in his bouncer.

-Long Saturday walks. We had free lunches at the school and I could save one for Saturday. Often we'd walk to campus and I'd take a two hour lunch trying to kill time.

-The courses I taught and the students I had.

-Sam's first babysitter.

-The commute we'd do back to P-Town on Princeton when I was stil TA'ing.

-Laundry (it was really terrible. Emily would go away 7 and do laundry for 3 hours; Sam would get progressively angry; Emily would be exhausted)

-The prized parking pass I had as a town resident.

-Moving (to and from), both aided by Emily's amazing parents.

-The blue shirts we had at the beginning of the year and could wear in lieu of the regular dress code.

-All I learned about changing higher ed (online courses, first year courses, curricula, teaching students in the cell phone/facebook er)

-Teaching in general (especially Western Civ, where I had 20 and 30 point curves on the first exams I gave)

 

This is a pretty interesting area. It's in the NW part of the state, which is more rural and more conservative. It's a fairly white place, although I was remembering that there's a small hispanic population in town. As usually, I saw the steeple of the old Presbyterian church on the way into town. I was remembering how hard it was to find a church that felt like home.

Ironically, the school is again searching for someone in my subject area. I still feelt some guilt at leaving, because I know that it is a solidly good place. Sometimes I've wondered why this didn't become home. Logically, there were some strikes against it (salary and cost of living, distance from support networks, regular job hassles), but it really it is a nice place with good people. At the same time, I don't think I ever fully clicked and even today it is pretty difficult for me to imagine the five of us here. I think probably the bulk of the teachers are still commuters, either from across the river or from the city.

I'm also not entirely sure why I visited today. This year I've been trying to fit in little pilgrimages and returns to places I've lived. I've often thought that my memory is not great, but it may be that I need context for it to work. Anyway, I'm happy to be back for a little while and to see the area.

I'm getting near the end of my to do list. I hope to see college friend Gregg next week and need some more days in the library. Our packing escapades are in full speed. After years of saving and living fairly simply, we've been spending hundreds a week buying all the kinds of things that are a hassle to find in Northern Island. If everything makes it we should be set for a while. 

I will recommence regular blogging at some point. The kids are super cute right now. Yesterday all three were playing together and laughing on the floor. They are all pretty exuberant. More soon!