Shelter in Place: Day 37

Hello Everyone,

Today would have been my Uncle John’s birthday. So, happy birthday, Uncle John!

Today has been a busy day. I registered for classes (Fiction Workshop, Traditions in Fiction, and a required Pedagogy and Practice for Teaching Rhetoric and Composition). I found out that I was approved for an apartment in Moscow, so I guess it’s really happening. I’m really going to move.

There are so many things I need to figure out:

1. What is rhetoric? How do I teach it? How can I be the best TA possible while still balancing my own classes and writing?
2. How do I travel with a cat? Mr. Scout is really great, but he’s not terribly fond of cars. I am going to be driving with my stuff to Moscow, and I’m a little apprehensive about doing so with a fluffy companion.
3. How is everything going to be impacted by the COVID-19 crisis? Moving and starting grad school is a big life event regardless of underlying circumstances, but oh wow, what is going to happen right now?

I guess in general, I’m just trying to be as prepared as possible and accept that some things will be challenging. I will meet them as I have met all the challenges in the past: with some confusion, a lot of anxious joking, and a misguided belief that some day I’ll get to a place where “everything is simple”.

When have I ever been at a time when “everything was simple”? If I’m being truthful, life has been a struggle for countless reasons. I’m extremely privileged and extremely lucky and extremely grateful, but I’ve also been through quite a lot. Much of it has been exciting and thrilling and beautiful and much of it has been painful and difficult and irritating. That’s just what it is I suppose.

All I can do is try to pull together the threads into some semblance of meaning.

With the sun setting outside and Scout giving himself a well-deserved bath, that seems pretty easy for the moment.

Much love,

LAF