i'd been counting down for months

but when june 3rd arrived, there were still a lot of tears: tears from knowing that these ten kids who'd wormed their way into my heart would no longer be a part of my daily life and tears from knowing i was walking away not only from them, but from a place that i love and a job i was born to do.

now that it's over, i can admit that it was a tough year for a lot of reasons, but there are still so many things i will miss:

the maintenance guys, with their friendly "CIAO!!" every morning, giving me the urge to whistle, "tell me, who are the people in your neighborhood? in your neighborhood? in your neighborhood!"

speaking russian daily.

the lunch ladies dumping all the extra pesto from pasta monday into a large jar for me to take home.

eating breakfast at school.

learning italian.

looking out my classroom window at that lake that never ceases to make me grateful.

two tetherball poles.

my friend and italian teacher, mara.

asking alessia every single day if she's ready for the history test and laughing when she responds every single day with a panicked "WHAT?!?!?!?"

a school that is so diverse that the word "diversity" doesn't exist here. diversity isn't something we teach or something we strive for, diversity is what we are.

40 third, fourth and sixth graders who were, as always, the best part of my job.