Downside of Summer

I know what you are thinking. You are thinking that this post will be about how the only downside of summer is that it's over eventually.... WRONG!! Well, partially wrong. I do hate when the summer comes to an end, but I LOVE the idea of meeting the new class that I have the privilege of working with. But, I digress... let me get to the point of this post....

One of the downsides of summer for an international teacher (particularly if you don't own your own home and you are staying with family or friends) is that you live out of a suitcase (or in my case at the moment, boxes and piles). It's never good to have your stuff stuffed in a bag and to constantly be looking for what you wanted to wear (especially if you are a clothes horse like me). It's also a bit of a drag to constantly be repacking because your stuff ends up in such a mess.... But, again, I digress...

The biggest downside of summer for me (especially this year) is knowing that I can't do enough for my family. My parents are getting a little bit older and they have a HUGE (5 bedroom) home and it often needs repairs and cleaning. I do the best I can when I am home, but I always leave wondering if I could have done more. I tend to make lists of what I can do next time I am home, but then when I come back, there are more urgent things to do. My parents do what they can but my dad works full time and there are things that my mom just can't do... I know it frustrates them as well. My dad is constantly telling me NOT to do anything or to help them... but I just can't help it. *sigh* So the downside for me is that there isn't enough time or money for me to help them the way I want to... maybe next year.