The new year

Summer is officially over. The new school year started last week, and so too did the rain. No more hot summers days eating lunch in the park. Now its hot paninis and soups in the staff cafe. And coffee. So much coffee.

With the clouds comes more flights booked, and more trips planned. Already I see my annual leave dripping away through my fingers, and onto long weekends in exotic places. And not always long weekends, sometimes only 24 hours, just long enough to get out of town, and explore somewhere new, somewhere exciting. An overseas flight is cheaper than a train to London.

The new school year also heralds peace in town. A clear promenade to walk or cycle along after work. No line at the coffee shop before work. Not having to fight with the holiday makers in the supermarket when all I need is to pick up some veg for dinner. But it also heralds more education assessments. More referrals from parents scared that their children won’t make it to Christmas without being suspended. From schools scared that parents will report them for not doing everything possible for their precious children that can do no wrong.

So now its not only about planning trips, its about planning outlets for the stress. Bike rides through the New Forest. Trips to the eco-store along the coast. Coffee dates in old villages with new friends. A trip north to see family. And most importantly, days in bed, watching Netflix and reading books. Phoning my loved ones. With coffee. Not Ethiopian coffee. Not Papua New Guinean Coffee. Just supermarket coffee. For now, that’s enough.