Here’s what I will be doing in New Orleans:

You will be joined by AFT staff as well as Affiliate staff [I think that means the union in New Orleans - jd] and other volunteers. A training session is scheduled.

Volunteer duties will vary but may include manning literature tables and engaging in conversation at new teacher orientations, home visits of membership prospects, phone banking, school visitations for meetings, sitting in teacher lounges and introducing yourself as representing the union, and working with building stewards.

I almost waited too long to make summer plans. Had to schedule my school, and planned on working with new teachers, brief family visits, but anything else?

There were only a very few real options: Alaska, teacher-union organizing, Math teacher conference outside Syracuse, Atlantic Canada, earning a few credits here in NY, doing a bit more in southern New England.

I thought more about the AFT’s summer organizing. And I applied.

And today, I was selected. Two weeks organizing teachers in New Orleans. Damn, I’m excited!

And the rest? Alaska will still be there, and my ex-colleague will still be there (for a while, at least), and I will visit, one day. Atlantic Canada I will get to sooner. Looking at those photos, reading the descriptions, plus Sarai gave me some extra encouragement - I will go next time I have a 5 - 10 day window - likely next summer, but could crop up sooner. Courses? Yeah, I have to take them. Eventually. Southern New England? Please. That was desperation. Lovely places, I’m sure, but not my vacation spots. And I’ll speak at the next big NYS math conference (old-fashioned constructions) and I’m invited to speak at the biggest regional one next spring.

But next month is NOLA and organizing, and I’m excited.

So it’s really not too late to make summer plans, but summer has started and there’s only seven weeks left, so planning time is overdue.

There are already obligations. I must schedule my school. I started, but there’s a lot left. At least three 3-day weeks, maybe more (I handle the ‘more’ by extending the length of the weeks… I would try not to extend the number of weeks). Visiting family (a few days here and there. “Here” is a southern New England beach town with wild parrots. “There” is a small inland southern New England town with nice hills for walking). Reaching Fellows (if you read this blog, you probably already knew I was doing this).

What else? There are options.

1. Alaska. A former colleague moved there. Says I can come visit, hike, fish. But it’s a long flight and this may be a tough summer for company (as there’s other company on the way…) And the flight cost is high (but that’s true everywhere.)
2. Union Summer. The American Federation of Teachers is organizing a “union summer” where members go south and help organize. Sites are in Houoston, south Texas, Albuquerque, New Orleans, St. Louis, but you don’t choose. You just sign up for dates. Looks like 11 or 12 days (Aug 3 - 15 or 11 - 22). if I did it, might be conflicting with AMTNYS. Not really a vacation, but going away, and doing good. The weather, though. And I am already doing good Fellows stuff here. Why do more? Plus, I don’t know if they would take me at this late date. But I tried last year, and couldn’t. Maybe this is my chance?
3. AMTNYS. The Association of Mathematics Teachers of NY State has a one week summer thing outside of Syracuse (Onondaga CC, Aug 3 - 7). Tempting. Not too pricey. Vacation? Hmm. Not really. But it would get me back on the math horse (which I fell off of a while back).
4. Atlantic Canada. Commenter Sarai suggested visiting Atlantic Canada (she’s a math grad student who lives very very calmly in Nova Scotia). I looked at photos - gorgeous. There are some cool eco-hiking-very comfortable tours… but pricy! And I would need to plan more to do it on my own. Still tempting, for a bit a less than a week… But the money. Don’t know. Could try to figure out how to do it on my own, but I think that might be tricky on short notice.
5. Course here. I still need to earn some post-Masters credits to qualify for the last differential. If I’m stuck in the city, why not get 3 or 6 credits in. Good thing, right? More money later. But going this route feels like admitting defeat, quitting on the idea of vacation.
6. Extend southern New England. Can spend longer visiting family. Wander off to parts of southern New England I haven’t spent as much time in. Even up to Vermont. Easy. But feels like bailing on real vacation. Could extend the beach and hills?

So, I really should decide in the next few days. No decision means 5 and 6 just creep up on me with maybe 3 thrown in.

No. But getting there. Europe is not in the cards (first time in a few years).

I’ll sort out some choices today. Work in NYC, hang out in NYC? That could be, but it would be nice to do something more…

To all my colleagues in New York who Thursday completed another year.

And to all my colleagues around the country who finished up their school years in the last week, or two weeks, or even late May…

It’s a hard job, often an exhausting job, and the summer is a necessary break, a chance to rest, restore, revitalize.

For those of you working summer school, I hope your A/C is on. And think, next year, can you afford to forego the $$.

But for all of us, congratulations.