And the Universe

 I'm suffering from a headache and the universe. Physical aches, more blatantly painful than moral ones, reflect in the spirit and set off tragedies not contained in them. They make the sufferer cross with everything, and everything naturally includes every star.

Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet, ch. 331

Brother Pessoa, I can feel your pain. Recently I made the decision that this spring's student trip will be my last. Granted, it's my twelfth, which is a lot, especially when you consider that everyone of them was essentially different. That said, I figured that I'd run more. However, a number of factors, at last count I think it was four (although it might be more), have convinced me to call it a day. I'll still travel, obviously, but instead I'm going to take that time and travel with Janet and potentially family and friends. I'll miss taking the little lunkheads overseas because I think I've opened more than a few eyes to a very different world, but, in the end, as the great Canadian philosopher reminds us, there comes a time.