Unemployment "Benefits" and a Goal Attained

I see several benefits from my temporary unemployment. First, I have more time than I would otherwise have to de-clutter and clean my apartment as I prepare for the transitional move back to my parents' house before I move overseas. It seemed easier that way, so I wouldn't have to deal with a lease right before I'd be leaving. The last two days have largely been spent sorting through 2 years of papers, most of which are personal correspondence or junk mail I didn't sort in a timely fashion and several years worth of freshman composition handouts, assignment sheets, and unclaimed homework. Somehow the teaching materials seemed like they would be useful eventually, I guess. That whole idea of digital copies meaning less paperwork still hasn't quite caught on yet, has it?

Another benefit is more time for reading, which I used to finish Suzanne Collins' final book in the Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay. I was overwhelmed by it! For any fans of the Narnia books, Till We Have Faces, Lord of the Rings, or Harry Potter, I highly recommend the series, though I have to mention that it's pretty violent and emotionally mature. I want to go write some literary analyses though after reading it, ha! The characters in this post-apocalyptic, political, "young adult" drama series are multi-dimensional and I really became invested in what happens to them. Symbolism abounds as well, so I hope to re-read the series sometime. And I have somewhere near hundreds of books on a personal waiting list, so we'll see what I can accomplish in between language study, moving, trip preparations, etc.

Lastly (for now), I have been able to concentrate full attention and energy on finishing my online coursework for TEFL certification, and I posted my final course reflection about an hour ago. All that remains is archiving my fellow classmates' postings to collect some future teaching ideas and activities, and I need to wait on my certificate to arrive. Done! It feels pretty exciting to have completed a major milestone for attaining my goal.