Back to School, but not for me!

It's back to school today for Montreal CEGEP (college) students and teachers. Normally, that would mean me -- only I'm on sabbatical again this semester so that I can continue work on anotherYA (young adult) manuscript.

It feels a little strange not to be going to school when everyone else is! I must admit that though I like not having to be on a strict schedule, I will miss the buzz that comes with the new school year.

So, today's blog entry is dedicated to those of you who are returning to school. It's also about fresh starts. For me, the year doesn't begin in January; it begins now, in late-summer. I was just on the phone with my niece (who is, as of today, a student at Marianopolis, where I usually teach) and I was giving her my beginning-of-the-year pep talk. I told her how she's going to need to work on her time management skills. I also told her that it's normal to feel really tired the first few days at a new school. And I told her she'd better make her aunt proud, but that more importantly, she's got to make herself proud. So today I want to say three cheers for new beginnings! Here's to fresh starts, to living up to our potential, to learning and growing, but also to having fun!