Are we there yet?

As a child, summer was never long enough. The start of the school year was exciting only because I got to go shopping for new pencils and folders - I didn't actually want to go back to the classroom. I looked forward to meeting my teachers, but the kids were always mean, the days too long, and the homework tedious. I loved the summer.

These days, though, things are different. For one thing, being out of school doesn't mean 3 months of lazy days at the pool or whiling away the time inventing some new game of make-believe that involves me bossing around my siblings (one of my favourites was a game in which I was the Queen, my younger brother was the leader of my army, and his principal Knightly Duty was making me quesadillas for lunch. It was brilliant). Alas, none of that anymore. Summer now simply means that time spent in class and doing homework is replaced extended hours at work. No longer does the "vacation" zip by; I feel like it's been summer for ages. I can't wait to go back to school. My class schedule is planned, I've looked up my book lists, and my pencils are sharpened. Are we there yet?

I should enjoy the break while it's here though - I'm sure that a few weeks into the semester I'll be dreaming of the homework-free days of summer, extra hours at work and all.