Back to school...non-back to school style

So this is the first year in I-don't-know-how-long where I have not been in a school for the first day back.  One could argue I was in a better place, at home with my little pudding pop, but I'll admit I was a bit melancholy on Tuesday.

See, the first day of school is one of the most exciting of the WHOLE year, with maybe the exception of the last day of school.  It's a day of...

anticipation

excitement

nervous energy

enthusiasm

new beginnings

new friendships

new goals

(usually) a new outfit!

a fresh start

a fresh take on teaching

a fresh group of students

and fresh (and sharp!) pencils

I was missing all of the above on Tuesday.  I even had a few nights of back to school nightmares!  You know the kind where you show up the first day with nothing planned/nothing photocopied/nothing ready.  Or that you show up late and can't find your class.  Or that the principal changes your classroom location the day before school starts (which was my dream this year!).

I know that next year I'll likely be dreading going back, so I'll need to come back and re-read this post to remind myself how great the first day of school truly is!  Until then, I guess I'll just enjoy a bunch of other 'firsts'... and this :)