The year abroad for our foreign exchange student has come to an end. She moved back to the first host family a few weeks ago, before she went on the bus tour of the western states, and this weekend, she flies back home to Croatia. We had a party for all Rotarians to have a chance to say one last goodbye to her and her school friends, plus the other exchange student who stayed with us for a week this spring, this evening. My kids all went with us, to get a chance to say goodbye. The party was just getting into full swing when we had to leave (I had left something slow-cooking in the kitchen and couldn't stay longer), but we all signed the girls' home country flags and got our hugs and promises to visit. Until a few years ago, Croatian tourism wasn't on my radar screen, but after Game of Thrones (filmed there), hosting a student who I'd like to see again, and hearing my friends rave about their trips there, I am ready to get serious about planning for a trip there. It'll take me a long while to scrape together the disposable cash (especially after too many months with vacant rental properties), but it will happen. Sooner or later, I'm going to visit Croatia.
Today's Rotary meeting involved other endings and beginnings as well. Our previous president passed the gavel to this next year's president, and the new board was installed and recognized. It was fun at first being on last year's board, but it ended up being so much stress for me, I was glad to turn my position over to someone else. I liked seeing my replacement offically become a board member. One of the other changes was an introduction of a new motto/theme for the 18/19 board year. I'd heard the theme was going to be "Be the Inspiration" before, but I had not seen the new logo until today. It left me wondering about the person who designed it and the committee who approved it. Generally Rotary is a moderately conservative sort of organization, being made of mostly business leaders, although the "service above self" tends to attract philanthropic souls of all stripes. Politics is studiously avoided, as much as it can be compartmentalized away from our clubs. But when I saw the logo of a giant blue wave in front of a rainbow sunset, my sarcastic self took over, and I leaned to my friend and asked, "Does this mean even Rotary expects a Blue Tsunami this November?"
I'm feeling a little introspective about all the chapters that are ending right about now. Some endings are a big relief for me, and some are bittersweet. I feel no need to turn back time, but I can see the potential for nostalgia to come from this period in my life.
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