It always sneaks up on me....

So today I had no plans at all. In fact, I was the last guest in the posada to eat breakfast at a shocking 9:30 AM. It seems all the tourists were out following their maps as I lounged in bed and took my time eating my eggs. By the time I made it out the door, I still had no plans. As I slipped into the streets, I carried my bag in case I bought something and a book from the posada shelves since my Kindle was charging.

I wandered into the old town, stopping into a few "tour agencies" to see if anything interested me...."african religious ceremonies", "aerial tour of the city", and "speed boat rides" beckoned from the brochures but really held no appeal. So I wandered on until I found a quiet cafe'. I sat there for some time reviewing the photos I had taken during my stroll that morning. I was shocked to see that almost all of them were of windows or doors. HHhhhmmm.... I am not really one to analyze my life much (perhaps I should start-might be easier that way, huh?), but windows and doors? Really? No flowers and butterflies. No clouds and beaches. No children and old folks....just windows and doors.

      I left the subject to simmer a bit as I continued my stroll through the hills and cobblestones of the historic district. I bought some fabric to make throw pillows for my place in Bogota and bought myself a clunky, cool brushed silver ring. I have never worn a ring like this one and it makes me smile when I look at it on the middle finger of my right hand. It is smart and sofisticated.

I returned to the posada to hide out during the hottest hours of the day. Every day here I have had to shower and change clothes at least twice per day due to the heat and humidity. During my down time today is when the windows and doors thing came into focus.

Of course....windows and doors are the places where one world meets the next. They can be closed, barred, decorated, inviting, ominous, intimidating, open, and beautiful among many others. I find windows and doors to be the most fascinating and beautiful things (even the barred and closed ones). So, it hit me....they represent transitions to me; the moving from one space to the next. Being in Salvador reminded me of West Africa. It didn't make me miss it; just appreciate the richness that time brought to my life. It also reminded me that I have conquered many transitions in my life.

  Tonight at sundown, as I walked to a five star restaurant nestled into the hillside overlooking the Atlantic Ocean (and the shipping yard and docked cruise ships), it snuck up on me. I am moving through another door. I have been keeping my back to that door since November but it is finally time to face it and open it; to let the two worlds begin to mingle.                                                        
I am moving to Bogota in 90 days. It is a big city with a huge expatriate population. There are museums, symphonies, ballet, theatre, and an English speaking church. What a change that will be for me.

On top of that, I have been accepted to both Columbia's MA in Teaching English program and Pepperdine's MA in Learning Technologies program. The Columbia program would be the "easy" option for me. Yet, I have chosen to enroll in the Pepperdine program. I begin in July. It is "low residency" which means I spend time on campus in the summers and for a week in January but the rest is done via internet. Learning technologies are the future of education and I am fascinated by the ways they can be used in teaching/learning. I am prepared to be challenged. (Ask my son, I was afraid of technology just 3 years ago!).

....a window....several doors....aren't they beautiful?