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Yes, today I slept in until 9am and it was wonderful. Tomorrow, I get on an airplane and head down to Costa Rica for a few days of vacation! I’m looking forward immensely to simply getting out of the city.

The last time I was out of the country was during Thanksgiving of 2005, when I traveled to Ecuador on the same pretext as I do tomorrow, visiting my sister, for whom international travel seems to be a foundation of existence.

School ended on a very positive note, and this year the graduation ceremony took place in a much larger space (Trinity Baptist Church) than ceremonies in previous years. There were actually some empty seats in the balcony during the ceremony. This was a far cry from the packed Methodist church of previous graduation ceremonies, during which near-fights would break out in the “overflow room” designed to accommodate parents who could simply not fit in the sanctuary. Anyway, like I said, graduation was very chill, if not very boring, due to the fact that I didn’t know any of the graduating students (one of the effects of “looping” is that when I re-start with 7th graders, I literally skip an entire class of students, i.e. this year’s graduates).

In related news, the three students who, two years ago, studied, interviewed, and were placed in three of the top private schools in L.A., had a follow-up piece written about them in the L.A. Times (hmmm….the link seems to not be working right now). It’s cool to see the progress they’ve made and think about how well they’ll continue to do in the future.

Anyway, I’ve got to go pack, and get ready for the trip! I’ll be sure to post some photos and experiences when I return early next week! Until then, Sayonara!!!!