A letter to my work ethic.

Dear work ethic,

You are an amazing work ethic. I admire your get to it-ness and your get it done attitude. I am beyond grateful for the countless hours of work you have put in over the last 4 years at American U. We have learned a great deal together, written tons of papers, read tons of articles and text books, studied, taken exams, and so much more. I know you are tired, I am too. But, I promise, if we can knuckle down and study for one last exam, albeit a huge one, you will be allowed to go on a vacation for a very long time. Wheelock is not beginning until September and you may have Thursday to then off. I will find a summer substitute to work with me this summer at camp, but AU work ethic, you deserve a vacation. On one condition though....take me with you!

Fondly,

Tamar

The End is Near

So, tomorrow is the last day of classes. If I can stop procrastinating be super duper productive today I could easily be finished with college on Thursday.

5 days...

I could be finished with college in 5 days?

In the words of Michelle Tanner, "this is nuts!" Where has the time gone. All of a sudden freshman year four years ago really feels long ago, senior year in high school seems even more distant, and eight grade seems like eons ago.

Its nuts that I could be finished with my undergraduate studies. Its is just downright nuts!

Ok, time to focus, Thursday can either be really far away for really close!

Oh yeah, 2 weeks until GRADUATION!!!!

Soaring Higher Than Ever

Today is April 15, 2010.

Today I will go to my classes, give a small presentation in one of them, hang out with some friends, cook dinner, study, and watch Fringe.

Seems mundane, no? But what really is significant about today is the date. For one, it is my mom's birthday (happy birthday Ima!!), another it's tax day, but today is also something else. Today is the 12th anniversary of the day I was diagnosed with Central Auditory Processing Deficit or CAPD.

12 years ago my world changed. On one hand we had answers for why school and life were so hard for me and on another hand life changed once the label of CAPD was slapped on me.

12 years ago I was a little 4th grader and at that time I had no idea what that label would mean, how my life would change (for good and bad).

The past 12 years have been a mix of new therapies, struggling with school work, figuring out who I am, and some living thrown in there too!

And today, 12 years later, I am 3 weeks away from graduating college. COLLEGE!

CAPD no longer stands in my way, but stands with me. It no longer defines me, but it's part of my definition: who I am and I would never change that.

In the past 12 years, without my knowing it, CAPD has been my GPS, helping me get to where I am today and get me started on the path to where I am going. I have decided to not become a doctor, not to become a marine biologist, not to become a physical therapist, but to become a teacher - a special education teacher.

I will get to help students learn in ways that work best for them, something that most of my teachers didn't know how to do. I cannot wait to help make sure lots of little bumblebees continue to fly even though the LD label they have tells them they shouldn't be able to do so!

12 years... wow... I will always have CAPD, but today I feel like I did it. I did what many people probably thought I would never do. Today I feel like I survived.

I have survived, I have grown, I have changed, I have thrived, and I am still flying!

My 2.5 seconds of fame! Take two.

So...

A few nights ago I was on American's main website. The slideshow of pictures of happenings on campus caught my eye.

Then I did a double take at this picture.

This was taken in the Spring of 2007. This was when I was still dancing. That is me in the blue leotard. This is pretty awesome!

I remember that day, a photographer came into our class saying he was going to take pictures for AU's new website. Well the site recently launched and son of a gun, the pictures were used for the website!

Appreciating Seasons

I will always need to live in a place where there are four seasons. Beside loving the changes in my environment throughout the year I also have realized that living in a climate with four distinct seasons teaches me about appreciation.

I have learned to appreciate the amazing rebirth that occurs in nature each spring. This year in particular, after one rough winter, when for weeks the view from my window was a blanket of white I can now appreciate be so thankful that in a matter of weeks my view can go from this..

to this! What a change.

There such a delight to wake up each morning and see such a beautiful sight outside my window. It makes me appreciate my new day and living in a region where my environment changes!

Now will I still feel that way during the dog days of summer? I will try to be grateful then that fall and winter will come and bring new changes once again!

Crossroads

One of the unofficial "while you are in college in DC" traditions is to go to the street for the state you are from and take a picture of/with the sign. Well. I was beginning to run out of time to do this.

Then, one night a few months ago when I told my mom of my intentions to take such a picture before graduation she asked an important question.

Mom: "Which state will you do? NY or NJ??"

Me: "Oh... hadn't thought of that...

Mom: "Well, how about both then?"

Me: *after quickly googling where the two states were* "No way! NY and NJ intersect!

And as a result the following picture was taken yesterday!

Pretty cool, no?

Then I realized something. Not only do New York Ave and New Jersey Ave intersect, but New York Ave and Massachusetts Ave do too! Can you say whoa!?

When I began AU I lived in NJ. Now I live in NY. And next year I will begin school in Massachusetts!

I guess you can say I have taken New Jersey Ave, to New York Ave, and then made a turn onto Massachusetts Ave!