To blog or not to blog

This weekend marks my last Shabbos in Connecticut until mid-August. In two weeks, I'll be in a car heading to Vermont for the Middlebury Hebrew Immersion program, and I don't think the reality of it has fully set in yet. I've been loading my computer full of Hebrew tunes, buying summer-friendly skirts, books to work on the b'rachot, and have been working my tuches off to get unemployment so I can pay for my Hebrew books at the program. Seven weeks away from my community here in Connecticut, however, will be bittersweet. Sure, I'll be away learning and growing confidently in my Hebrew usage. At the same time, however, I'll be missing my weekly classes with the rabbi, Shabbos meals with community members, vital moments in my growth within the Orthodox community.

Up at school there are Kabbalat Shabbat services catered to the student body present, so it is set up a lot like Hillel in a way. There are no morning services, unfortunately, and there might be a Tisha B'av service. I foresee a lot of Saturdays being slept in, and a lot of very long Shabbats spent reading books and attempting to pass the time with ease. It won't compare, in any way, to what I have here. It's got me a bit bummed out.

I'm also trying to figure out what to do about this blog, my Twitter account, and my other social networking obligations during my weeks in Middlebury. In truth, my entire seven weeks are to be in Hebrew and only Hebrew, with the exception of religious services (funny that I'll be speaking Hebrew anyway, hah). I can blog and such in Hebrew, or I can risk it and do it in English. I can do it half and half, or I can write in Hebrew and send it to someone to translate and have Tuvia post it to the blog. Or, of course, I can just do nothing for seven weeks and see what happens.

Oh decisions decisions. There are many things I want to do before I go -- figure out which PhD programs I want to apply to, edit my Golden Calf paper again, etc. I have had more than a month now to do things, but the time I've had free has flown, and I'm entirely unsure where it's gone. I have a dozen books I want to plow through to work on my conversion, and I want to get a date pegged for my actual conversion. I've been watching conversion chaos, racism, hatred toward the Jewish people (U.S. Holocaust Museum shooting incident), doubt about RCA vs. independent conversions ... there's a lot floating out there. I've been avoiding writing about a lot of these things because I just can't let myself get wrapped up in the negativity and despair therein.

At any rate. Let me know what you all think I should handle myself while away for seven weeks -- to blog, or not to blog!