It's a heart parade, just be courageous.

My apartment is a mess. I'm supposed to be dealing with this, but I'm not. Oh well, looks like yet again I'll be bringing a bag full of laundry to my parents' house just like when I was in university. And, since it's past ten, it looks like I'll be returning to a mess on Sunday when I'm back from St. Ratford.

Instead of cleaning, I've been thinking about how I need to do something new. My brain misses learning, and could use a challenge. Well, it's always challenged at work, and there is a new science curriculum that's been keeping me on my toes the last two years, but my brain needs to do something other than figure out how to make teenagers learn. It needs to learn itself.

I've toyed around with the idea of taking some Master's courses. I'd love to have a Master's degree, but sadly, the only type of Master's program that I could get into is a *choke* Master of Education. I have loathed each and every education course I've ever taken; I learned very little from these courses, everything I've learned about teaching has been from actually teaching. I feel like I've earned a Master of Education already in my seven and one third years in the classroom. I don't need to take frustrating courses to get that piece of paper to prove it. (This sounds conceited, but if there's one thing I believe about myself, it's that I am a good teacher.)

However, I would really like to learn something new, and tonight, my brain (with help of the internet) worked out some stuff. I'm planning on meeting up with Becca T in Barcelona for March Break. Then I remembered that Jabba mentioned taking Spanish courses in preparation for her trip to Cuba. Hmmmm, wouldn't it be nice to show up in Barcelona knowing a bit of Spanish?

I did some research on introductory courses in Spanish, and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to register for one at U of T's continuing education program that starts in January. It'd be 2.5 hours one night a week, and the last class would be right before I take off for March Break. Also, I love the idea of returning to U of T to take a course. I loved my university days, and it would be nice to back on campus one night a week. I'm going to think about it over the weekend and hopefully complete my registration next week. I'm excited!

Finally, the idea of taking Spanish made me yet again research one other course that I've been thinking about taking for years: creative writing. I have found the course that I want to take (again at U of T), but my excuse is always that taking it during the summer would prevent me from traveling, and I don't think I could handle it during the school year. It's not so much the actual class that would be a burden, but when would I find time/brain power to write? But you know, maybe if I just bit the bullet and registered, then I would *have* to find the time/brain power to write, and it would do me a world of good.

I think that I'll start with the Spanish, see how that goes, and then consider a spring course in creative writing. Or maybe I'll do the next level of Spanish? I think 2011 will be a year of learning (the formal kind) for me.

With that, I'd better do a little bit of tidying. Hope you all have nice weekends!