We just moved to Slovakia. Yes, in the middle of a global pandemic. As the world goes all in on staycations and local holidays, my family of four got on a plane and flew 9 hours to Europe. We brought 12 suitcases, a bunch of N-94s, and our vaccination cards. And we leapt into the great unknown of border crossings during the COVID era.
A year and a half ago, I accepted a job as an Assistant Principal at an international school in Bratislava. We “deferred,” thinking COVID would surely be gone by the summer of 2021. And then we took advantage of that brief window before Delta reared its head, and made the leap.
It has been AMAZING. In fact, I sort of feel normal again, even though nothing is normal. But it feels normal to go to restaurants and travel. Disclaimer: people in Slovakia wear masks pretty regularly. It hasn’t been politicized, and it’s just something you do because it’s smart to do. So Delta isn’t wreaking havoc here yet. I’m sure it will be, but in the meantime, we’ve gotten to explore this corner of the world like the “mighty adventurers” we tell our kids they are. In four weeks,
we’ve been to turquoise lakes in Slovenia, crooked cobbled streets in Croatia, a former student’s house in the Czech Republic, and on multiple bike rides into Austria (no passport control over the cycling bridge!).
OK, so maybe that all seems a little crazy. But bear with me for a second. Because even if you didn’t just move to Europe, you and I are both going back to work. Now. And it hurts a little. I’ve been going until 11pm most nights this week preparing for students to return (which they do tomorrow!). It’s been great to feed off the energy of my colleagues, and hear their stories of summer. We’re coming from so many different places and spaces, physically and emotionally.
So the practice at the end of this post is about gathering. There's gathering in the traditional sense: together with friends, re-establishing connections, re-forming that community of learning. This practice, though, is about gathering ourselves, collecting our calm and vibrance, and setting it in place for the year.
This school is about to be occupied by people with hundreds of stories, evoking thousands of emotions. There will be a lot of excitement and anxiety -- invigorating and unsettling -- flying through the air. There will be times when it feels nice to get carried away in that rush. And then there will be times over the next few weeks when you want to gather yourself and feel more settled.
This practice is for you. And, if you’d like to try it with them, for your students too.
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