Back to School

August through September, a time of transition. Summer shifts sluggishly, no reliable sign of the promised fall quite yet, with the exception of prematurely displayed Halloween decorations in the Walmarts and Costcos of the world, ironically, placed right next to the coolers and pedestal fans. 

This time of year we witness a shift in the crowds in Hampden. The out-of-towners we see throughout the summer gradually become sparse.  Our ‘regulars’ return from their summer vacations as well. They resume their weekly dinners at TVK, sharing fun travel stories as they gear up for the fall routine. Life slowly returns to normal.

Which brings us to the ‘Back-to-School’ frenzy. Stocking up on composition books that rarely get used, lunch bags, backpacks and shoes. And just when we think we are all set, the realization that the uniforms no longer fit! Followed by a desperate run to the big box stores that have now changed the decoration theme from ‘Back-to-School’ to the aforementioned Halloween get up. Scary!

But this year, Back-to-School looked very different in our household. The oldest, my daughter, a recent college grad, returned home with a life and all the things she had gathered over the past four years and the youngest, my son, a sophomore at college, excited to move out of the dorms and into an apartment with friends, his simple shopping list: a Santoku knife and a honing rod. 

But here is the big difference. This year, I am the one who is going back to school! And I couldn’t be more excited about it. Two years ago I went on many college visits with my son who was in high school then. Being on a campus gave me so much happiness. Seeing students with their backpacks and earphones, moving at a brisk pace with a purpose, multi-storied libraries filled with books, the dining halls, the auditoriums, sports fields, all those highlights that the colleges use as bait for catching prospective students, definitely did their job well. And if there was any doubt left, we cleared it ourselves. We snuck into lecture halls, pretending to attend classes, reenacting our own versions of our favorite scenes from Gilmore Girls. 

While all that time I was planning on living vicariously through my son, last year, after he left for college and I had some time to myself, the idea of learning took root within me. And somewhere in early spring I decided to go back to school to study Creative Writing. Luckily I found something that fit my requirements. 

This was also when I decided to start writing letters to my Verandah Kitchen family, to see if I had anything to say at all, and if I was open to sharing my writings and open for feedback. I cannot thank this beautiful, supportive community enough for responding to the monthly letters in a way I couldn’t have ever imagined.

With that said, I was also nervous. The last time I went to a classroom was over twenty-three years ago. I wasn’t sure I could do this after the gap. Sitting through the classes, assignments, grading. Also, would I be able to adjust to the new way of learning? From a classroom to remote learning?  There was just one way to know. Go for it! To mark the beginning of this new phase in my life, I started with acquiring some college merch: sweatshirts, bumper stickers, totes and pens. While my new ‘classroom’ didn’t need me to leave my home, to make this experience feel complete, I ordered a backpack to hold my newly refurbished laptop along with my faithful fountain pen and notebooks. While I can no longer pretend to read with perfect vision, I made sure to get a new pair of eyeglasses for the Zoom classes.

By now I have attended two lectures. I cannot lie, I wanted to quit during the first class. The tech anxiety, coupled with the new ways of learning, was overwhelming.  But happy to report, I am still enrolled and plan on sticking with it. I am settling in. Things are different when you go back to school as a grown-up. The need to prove anything to anyone does not exist. I am studying at my own pace, one class at a time. I have the luxury of going to a university in another state while still keeping my day job (night job in my case) at The Verandah Kitchen. And the grades don’t matter!

So here's to all my fellow students, Happy Start of the New Academic Year!

I joined the Zoom meeting about twenty minutes before the start of the first class, to make sure I wasn't late, only to realize I was the only one. Five minutes later, I was still the only one. I spent the next few minutes taking this selfie and sending it on the family group chat. With only ten minutes to spare, and no one else in the meeting, I was getting anxious. When I texted my children, they assured me the others will join soon. Times really had changed with online learning. With two minutes to spare, the teacher joined in and others trickled in. That was my first lesson!

#FDOC