Where's the off button on this thing?

The winds of change, or at least of semi-pandemonium, seem to be blowing lately. Everyone I know has plans, issues, frustrations and excitements that are causing life modifications and such.

Here in Jakarta, it's the start of summer.  How do you know in an equatorial country?  It's not the temperatures, although I have seen a recent uptick in mosquitoes buzzing around. It's summer vacation.  The first schools went on break about two weeks ago.  As is routine here, all the teachers have made plans to get the heck outta dodge (JKT) for as long as possible.  My good friend Julia left on Monday to the States.  Donna will head out on Sunday, then there are two more departures on the 22nd and 25th. That also means lots of going away events even though the majority of us will be back by or before August. My school started late after Christmas (we weren't up and going until February) and as a result we aren't off until July.  I think I'm the last one to take off.  The current plan is Vietnam, Cambodia and then a destination to be determined. The girls are off to the US, England, Wales, Australia, and Bali. The crazy thing is that once back, we all have a short turn around to another holiday - Idul Fitri at the end of August.

Courtesy of myfirstholiday.com

Plans are being updated, changed and added to.  Then there are people who are going to see others.  Carla is getting a visitor from home (NZ), and I know some people in the US who are on the move.  Everyone seems to be electrified with their personal possibilities.  It's a grown up version of Christmas.  It's an event we look forward to for weeks or months, counting down, planning, preparing and yes, spending sleepless nights thinking about it.  The mind starts to spin at the possibilities.  Where do go?  What to do?  When to leave? Options, choices, contingency plans.  And then when those are all set out, life makes a change for you (or against you as the case may be)  and your brain is set a whirl again.

And this is how it feels!

A couple people in my life who are in flux for work. BoT will be changing jobs for lots of reasons.  Now it's a matter of working out the timing and the details.  Fired friend has, after much drama and indecision, stayed in Jakarta.  He's got an offer but it exploring other options. There are a few folks whose contract end dates are approaching and beyond then their lives are a blank slate. The song "Do I stay or do I go now?" comes to mind.

Courtesy of aorticdissection.com.  Don't we always hope?

Lastly there are a couple people who are involved in relationships that will require one of the two parties involved to move. Not within the same city, but significant distances so they can continue on together.  Long distance relationships only work if there are plans to get to the same place as far as I'm concerned.

Courtesy of kartoen.be

Everyone seems to be exhausted but unable to get more sleep.  There are two categories.  Those, like myself, who can't manage to get into bed early as there are things to be done.  Once I hit the pillow, I think I can count to two and then become entirely unconscious.  There are those in another category who, even if in bed, can't turn their brains off.  There are plans, plots, schemes, ideas that abound.  They are busy hypothesizing, interpreting, conceiving, suggesting, and comprehending things. What I'd like to help them do is to find their own, personal off button. 

P.S. Apologies for all the lists today.  I didn't realize my "to do list" mood was spreading!