Immersion

Settling down with coffee, biscotti, and books.

I've been studying hard these past few days, buried in books as I prepare to teach Introduction to Poetry for the first time and to teach from a new textbook in my Humanities course on South Asia. I park myself at Cafe Kopi for hours at a time, and it feels like pure luxury to read and think and plan and then read some more.

Occasionally, I look up and notice that different people are now seated at the table next to mine. At the end of the day, I pile up my books, put them in my backpack, and walk a few blocks to my car.

The cold air on my face and the rhythm of my feet hitting the sidewalk take me back to my years as a student. I would focus for hours at a time on writing a paper and then clear my head on the walk home, feeling the satisfaction of having worked hard.

A few days from now, I'll return to faculty meetings and then to the busy pace of teaching five days a week. This immersion will become a pleasant memory. For now, though, I am enjoying diving into my books.

I have always loved being surrounded by books, pens, notepads--all the tools of my trade.  This photo was taken when I was several hours into my work.

My Other Office

Yesterday, Sunday, I went to Café Kopi in the evening to grade some more papers and took this photo while waiting in line to order.

Recently, I have been grading papers at my favorite coffee shop, Café Kopi in downtown Champaign—even in the mornings when I would usually work at home before going to campus to teach.  I have abandoned my usual grading post, the kitchen counter, because it is on the same floor as our guest bath, which is in the process of being remodeled.  On most mornings, I say hello to Eli and Barrie as they begin work here, and I head to Kopi to begin work there. 

Some days, I miss my time alone at home.  I miss looking out the kitchen window as I refill my coffee cup.  I miss taking a break to empty the dishwasher or to hang up laundry.  And I especially miss my morning walks, one of my favorite times to think through my lesson plans. 

But I am also delighting in being at Kopi each morning, a regular in a way I haven’t been before.  I know now that if I get there by 8:30, I am likely to get a spot on the north wall of the bigger room, one of the coveted, square, glass-topped tables with the bigger, brighter lamps.  On a sunny morning, the sunlight streams in and hits the table, lighting up my work and giving me energy.  On the mornings when I have more time, I leave my car by Westside Park and enjoy the walk to Kopi, pretending I live downtown and can walk to work. 

So while I am displaced from my routine, this new one has its joys, too.