"To do nothing at all is the most difficult thing in the world, the most difficult and the most intellectual." -Oscar Wilde

I was officially reminded today of just how much I miss school. I went back to my alma mater (!) to cover for one of my professors because she couldn't attend class, and I stopped by to visit one of my all-time favorite professors. Talking to her always make me think about how much I really love school, and learning, and just talking about books and life. I also love to visit her because she knew me "way back in the day" when I didn't care about school, didn't do the work, and eventually ended up dropping out. She's one of the few people who knows just how hard I worked and how much I changed. When I went back after a few semesters off I did it because I really wanted to be there, and that desire hasn't faded... I miss college so much.

Since I graduated I've been thinking a lot about what I "want to do" (in addition to being a writer, of course... because, let's face it, most of us need a supplemental career) and I've put some serious consideration into the idea of becoming a creative writing professor. Just going to hand out the syllabus for my professor today made me feel even stronger about this goal. It felt great being in the front of the class. So, once again, I have a new dream... although this fact is made less noteworthy by the fact that I have new dreams more often than I take a shower... gross, I know. But it's a dream, nonetheless.

And on the subject of dreams, I leave for Ireland in one week! This time in seven days I'll be on the red-eye to Dublin! I can't believe it. I've been talking about Ireland for so long that it seemed to have lost some of its power, and yet here I am, packing my bags. Life is funny. I think the biggest adjustment, even more so than going somewhere father than I've ever been (completely sans itinerary) and not knowing ANYONE, is going to be trying not to let myself feel guilty about doing nothing. Granted, I'll be writing and photographing and exploring, but for the first time in... well... ever, I won't be working or in school. This has never happened before. For my whole life I've been in school or worked multiple jobs, or both. I've never done nothing.

I'll have to get used to the fact that for four blissful weeks, I'll have no one to answer to but myself.

That's a scary thought.

But I think it's good for us all to have a little nothing in our lives, don't you?