Exorcising Demons

I am back safe and sound in Vermont after my year in the UAE - and a glorious five day visit to the UK (more on that later).  In addition to buying a car and organizing an apartment and getting caught up on a year of mail, I'm also preparing for classes to start next week.  For the first time in fifteen years I will not be serving as an administrator, and will be returning full-time to the classroom.  Teaching is my first love and being able to devote all of my attention to my students without balancing the endless demands of running an international program (as much as I believe in the Global Modules vision and am proud of what we accomplished) just feels like a gift.  I'll also be devoting serious time to some long-delayed writing projects, including the epics book which was supposed to be the topic of my sabbatical before the unexpected Zayed offer.  So, I'm excited to launch this chapter of my life, even though I can also see it lasting only a year. I'm at the point in my life when what matters most to me is being happy and contented, and I can easily see how the pursuit of that quest could lead me pretty far afield.  Yes, Dorothy, there may be no place like home, but who can say where home is?

Here I am on the famous/infamous Exorcist stairs in Washinton, DC, as part of last year's Trip of Excellence.  What better place to exorcise personal and professional demons?