It all started with a horse– Sandy.

What felt like almost everyday, ammi and I would go to Meijer when I was a little kid.  And whenever she would pay for groceries, she would quickly plop me down on the pony, drop in a penny, and let me have a “wild ride”.  Despite the fact that this pony only went back forth at a rate of 1/2 a mile per hour, I thought it was unbelievably fun.

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It’s the end of the school year and I’m in shock.

There were moments I felt like I had been teaching for decades and the school year would never come to an end.  But now I feel like I’ve hardly spent anytime with my students and now the end is approaching at lightning speed.

Where did the time go and how did I spend it?  I’m really worried that I didn’t teach my students properly, that I’ve jipped them of a proper education.  What if my Algebra students go on to the next class and still can’t factor properly?  What if my Biology students don’t remember how the heart pumps blood because I didn’t teach it clearly enough?  What if my 4th graders can’t remember how to convert between mixed numbers and mixed fractions?

I’m worried I didn’t do a good job with them and that I haven’t left enough of an impact on them.  Sure they tell me I’m their favorite teacher now, but what about next year?  Will they forget Sr. Ayesha and start to adore whichever teacher is chewing their ears off 5 days a week then?  I know it’s a stupid concern to have, but I don’t want my students to forget me and the things I’ve taught them.

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Shocking, as it is to read the above statement, it is true! I am going to miss these blasted roads in Michigan. Definitely not because of their quality, but because I know them like the back of my hand.

The very fact that I can hit the road and know exactly which direction I’m heading in, which street I’m going to cross, which store is going to come up on the right, which pretty house is on the upcoming corner, which gas station is cheapest, which highway exit I should take, how to avoid traffic, what is a better construction detour is something that I think I may have taken for granted.

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Okay, that above title is a major over statement, BUT there is some truth to it. I may not be a die-hard fan of any one specific Michigan sports team, BUT, I am a fan of Michigan sports, in general. And enough of a fan to miss being around it when I leave here.

First there was Michigan basketball in the early 90s. You know what I’m talking about.

The Fab Five

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As my husband so lovingly pointed out to me on Saturday afternoon, there are only 8 weeks left until our wedding. And while for the most part this idea is bringing me a lot of joy, excitement and happiness, I do find myself from time to time panicked and grief stricken with thoughts of, “I only have 8 more weeks in Michigan???”

I know for most of my life I thought life in Northville… forget that, life in Michigan was boring and mundane at best. But now that I have to leave this little town in Southeast Michigan nestled between 5 & 8 Mile, I am sad.

So to commemorate my time… or rather my life in Michigan, I will be periodically posting about all the things that I love about life in Michigan.

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Two weeks ago I was in Illinois during my Spring Break running some wedding errands with my husband. This was I think… my fifth time visiting him where he lives since our marriage in November of 2006. I’m adjusting well, (I think–alhumdu’lillah) with his family and the surrounding area. But there is one place where I think I feel the most awkward and isolated. It’s also the worst place to have this feeling: at the masjid.

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