seasons come and go

I used to thrive on the transitions between school and summer break. School would get progressively older as it got more stressful, over the course of thirteen short weeks. Christmas and New Year celebrations fly past in a flurry of meticulous scheduling and strategic parties. Another thirteen weeks sneak past, pretending to slog by as spring arrives. Then summer comes along and, before I've had a chance to slap on a second coat of sunscreen, a new batch of friends have tied the knot, I've survived a few trips up to cottage country in weekend traffic, and I've followed a line trimmer around for a thousand miles. I'm buying textbooks again and meeting new teachers. (Ever since grade 1, the first day of school has been my favourite. New books, new seating arrangements, new pencil crayons. New routines! New adventures!)

While new adventures (a new notebook or a new set of markers, a new outfit, a new perspective on life) are always exciting, I'm starting to wish for a more permanent way to live. I once thought I could be a perpetual student---I'd love to keep learning! But this transitional lifestyle--swinging from semester to semester--isn't where I'd like to see myself 5-10 years down the line.

So the roots are starting to reach out, to find cracks and niches in the spaces where I live this life. Do I get to choose where those roots go, or do they go on their own, looking for the best and most nutritious place to dig down deep? The roots that already exist...those that hold me back from making the most significant choices...they're necessary too, since they're currently also fueling the forward movement. I'm learning to be less picky about where this nutrition comes from--and more picky at the same time. I'm learning to stretch those original roots to make room for the new roots. I'm learning to push the roots further down as well--they're super complex already, which adds stability, but the deeper they go, the better, right?

Meanwhile. This is the slowest transition period I've had in a while (a week between end of term and beginning of summer work) and I'm really cherishing it. Should probably sleep a little more though. :)