Day 148: Daydreaming.

Most people start their spring cleaning earlier in the season, but mine usually has to wait until I’m finally done with grades, class plans, and final exams. I spend a day or two recovering from the semester and then I dive in. It gives me such joy to declutter and get rid of all the accumulated flotsam and jetsam of the previous school year. In the midst of this process, I often spend a few hours also going through file cabinets and keepsake boxes to see how much further I can streamline my space. The first stop for me this year was the photo collection. Here’s a picture I rediscovered: I took it more than 10 years ago along the southern coast of Turkey, in a place called Kelebek Vadisi (Butterfly Valley), a remote valley accessible by small boat or a hike. I spent a week camping there with friends. This was my view as we built up the camp fire that would take off the chill of sundown and cool sea breezes. It’s also the view that I am keeping in my head this week to soften the blow of returning to work after a too-short interim break. Oh, if wishes only grew on trees…