It's the end of the semester-- whew!

I've nearly made it through my first semester of teaching at the Academy. While it's hard to make general or sweeping statements about the future, I expect I'll always remember these students, as they will always be my first class here. I have definitely learned quite a bit about teaching and communicating, and overall I'm pleased with the results. I think my students are well-prepared to succeed in their future major courses, and for those non-major students in my classes, I think they've been exposed to some concepts that will serve them well when they're out in the fleet.

A few lessons:

1- I am a people-pleaser, and that is not the best approach when you're a professor.

2- I oscillate between thinking respect is earned, and respect should be given.

3- Students will (nearly) always want the easiest way out.

4- Meteorology really is a great discipline, full of an amazing real-world laboratory that each day is new and different.

5- I miss Chile and life in Santiago.

6- Thank God it is spring again. I am ready for it to not be winter for about 9 months!

7- While I'm not stressing about it, buying (or trying to buy) a house/condo/property isn't easy. It's exciting to think that I get to shop around for the place I want to live for (at least) the next few years. I also worry about making a bad decision (ending up in an unsafe neighborhood or with a "lemon" property). My current three guiding thoughts are (1) I want to live within biking distance of USNA; (2) I want to live close to friends from the spanish-speaking church; and (3) I want to find a resonably-priced property that's in good condition (and not going to spring $20k of expenses on me in the near future).

8- Today there is a MDT risk of thunderstorms in Okla and the Tx panhandle and I'm excited about following the event online.

9- I owe some photos from Norway to the blog. They're already up on Facebook but I want to add them to the blog.

10- I'm going to join Dr. Godfrey and the UNC-Asheville class in two weeks to head west to the plains for two weeks of chasing. And the combination of 80-degree weather here in Annapolis today, plus the MDT risk, has got me excited about chasing again (I would be chasing today if I were in Okla... there really are few "flies in the ointment", so to speak-- good moisture, good shear, not too many high-clouds or large-scale synoptic forcing, backed low-level flow, and a convergent dryline... all point to a few supercell storms that should be tornadic).

11- Zach is coming to visit this week for a few days -- should be good to reconnect with him and offer hospitality. Not sure what we'll be doing (well, Thu & Fri I have to work), but maybe on Saturday we'll take at least a day trip to visit a city or go hiking or something interesting. Of course I'm content to hang around and veg-out if that's what he wants to do (full-time work means the weekend gets quickly coveted as needed down time!)

Until later...