Traveler

Traveler.

The travel bug started early - Dad always had a great summer vacation planned.  West - National Parks (Yellowstone, Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, etc.), Oregon, Disneyland, Alaska - and East - Boston, Maine, New York, Prince Edward Island, and more...  

I got my first taste for somewhat-solo travel when I went to Europe when I graduated from high school.  It was a perfect combination of being supervised, safe, protected, and independent and on my own.  Kind of.  (I was only 18, after all!  Who lets an 18-year-old out of their sight in a foreign country for very long??)  

From then on, I was ruined.  I was totally addicted to going somewhere - anywhere - for new places, new faces, new eats, and new souvenir shops.  I love, too much, taking pics on all these adventures.  I love the planning almost as much as the going.  I even love the driving to get there!  (Though I do miss the days of relaxing in the back seat with a good book or working on a hobby or napping...).  I love the anticipation of getting ready.  I rarely sleep much the night before leaving - a trait I've inherited from my Dad.  I'm not a great packer - I've had to invest in a suitcase scale to ensure that my packing job is underweight at the airport - I got a new, lightweight suitcase set from my Mom (who is tired of hearing my packing woes, I'm sure) to help me out with this also.  It's so great to go to new places, famous places, out-of-the-way places, and old favorite, tradition places.

Since becoming a somewhat independent person, I've gone to Las Vegas (once; Joee, several more times with Holly), China (with Joee), the Hill Cumorah Pageant (three times; twice driving cross country, once with an old-fashioned map and once with a GPS, and once with Mom attached to a history seminar in Philly), NYC (with Holly, attached to a HCP experience), Washington DC (twice; once attached to a HCP with Holly, the other time all by myself! for a Library of Congress seminar - and I get to go again this summer!), Philadelphia (once; for a history seminar, Mom would come out later), Boston (once, with a district history cohort).  

Beijing with Joee

Niagara Falls

Washington DC

Vegas with Holly

More is planned for the not-so-far distant future - a Civil War tour (with a district history cohort),  a Williamsburg/Jamestown seminar (with another district history cohort), another romp in DC for another LoC institute, and hopes for another one or two seminars.  Getting to go to so many places is my favorite perk of never having left home - how else would I get to go here and there and everywhere if I were paying down a mortgage?

Is it weird to have travel goals?  Because I do.  I want to visit all 50 states (32 down, 18 to go!).  I want to visit all 7 continents (3 down, 4 to go!).  Any time I study about a place, it makes me want to see those places in person - like when I learned about Machu Piccu when I taught the 3rd grade.  I get this from my mom - I did my 5th grade state report on Maine - guess where we went for vacation a few years later?   

Rick Steves is one of my favorite tv personalities.  I love his travel philosophy - you can't see everything when you're in a new place, so travel like you're going to go back there someday.  Because chances are, if you ended up going there once, you're going to go again.

Student

Student.

I had known for a while that I'd go back to school to get my Master's.  I didn't think it'd be so soon after leaving with my BS degree.  I applied to the U after going to an interview that I didn't think went so well... and I thought that into August, it would be good to have a back-up plan.  School was it.  It took me about 30 minutes to apply to the U as a grad student conditionally, and got in officially after my first semester.  My job being a part-time contract computer specialist really was an ideal way to start and get into grad school - much less of my life was devoted to teaching than currently is, which helped me get a lot of homework done.

I decided to go the literacy route, and got my reading endorsement along the way.  With my few classes that I could choose, I took the technology endorsement classes, figuring that would be a good fit with my computer teaching.  I had some really good professors along the way, and a few marginal ones.  I read a lot, studied a lot, did a few group projects, and wrote a ton of papers.  I went the comprehensive exam route at the end, which meant that I had 10 days to write 3 10+ page papers.  I took a week off school to get this accomplished, which helped a ton... I really do write best late at night and early into the morning.  I passed (whew!), and emailed in my last paper of my last class 5 minutes before it was due.  Sigh.  And - I'm done.  No more homework, assigned research reading, outlines, summaries, research papers, or group projects.  For now...

Teacher

Teacher.


After many, many interviews, late into August, I finally got hired.  It was not my expected job - a computer specialist at a .65 time contract.  But, a job is a job, and I took it gladly.  I often think that it's because of Dad that I got my job.  Alpine District is an Apple district, and, well, I had exclusive use of Macs growing up, thanks to Dad.

It was a great job, and there are many days when I still miss it. :)  I liked getting to see and know all the kids in the school.  I liked being the teacher that didn't know (as the kids thought) who was naughty or who was and wasn't the smartest in the class.  It was fun to be the 'fun' teacher in the school - most of the kids could not wait for their once-weekly computer dose.

After the first part-time year, my contract was extended to be full time for the second year.  After that year, my school was going to an extended-day schedule, and so the specialist jobs would be back to part time.  I really wanted to be full time, so I did interview at another school, but was able to stay at good old Deerfield, and took a position in the 3rd grade.

Third grade was a good place to be.  I did my student teaching in 3rd grade, and I loved it.  I enjoyed that age of kid when those classes came to computers.  I liked the 3rd grade team and got along with them pretty well.  My classes were so cute - 24 the first year, 27 the second year.  I like how the kids were just getting used to working on their own, and were anxious to do things themselves.  They are still pretty cute at that age, too, and are ready to let you know how much they love you.

After two years there, I moved to the 5th grade, mostly, I think, because I would be a good fit with their eMints technology grant.  I have loved the 5th grade team - we've had a few new members over the three years I've been there, but is always fun and uplifting.  (Some days the best part is lunch!)  My classes have always kept me hopping - 32 students my first year, 33 the next, and 37 this year (36 now).  I had several kids in 5th grade that I also taught in 3rd grade, and so that was fun to get to have them again.  I'm starting to get siblings of kids that I had either in 3rd or 5th, and that is a fun connection to have as well.

I enjoy teaching for many reasons:  I enjoy being with kids, and am at ease talking to them and teaching them (not so much with adults).  Kids are so funny!  They have great little personalities, and, while I have just a small part in how they are going to turn out, I like to think that I'm making a positive difference in their lives.  I like preparing lessons and activities for them to learn from.  I even like going to professional development workshops to learn more about being a better teacher.  I like that each day is different, but that I have control (mostly) over how the day goes.

Some things that I don't like about teaching:  Grading... it never ends.  Never.  I'm only ever caught up in May.  I also don't like having to deal with 5th grade drama - bullying, love triangles, discipline issues.  There are times when I've been frustrated with other adults in the building, but for the most part, I enjoy the camaraderie of the teachers in my building.  There are definitely ways that the profession can improve - funding, testing, legislative concerns, and other things that don't have to do with kids and teaching them - but overall, it is a good profession and I'm glad and grateful to be a part of it.

Seven years in, and I think that I finally know what I'm doing.  Most of the time.  Some days, anyway.  At least only a few kids go home crying, on any given day.  (The teacher's tears, however, are another story...!)

Sister

Sister.

The week that I was the VIP in my first grade class was life-changing.  How many 7 year olds can say that??  My mom made me a book to take to school to show me off to my class.  Of course, no siblings were featured (just the aforementioned dog and cat).  Well, by the end of that fateful week, I had acquired a sister.  In all the wishing and hoping that I'd have a sister someday, it didn't occur to me that she'd come so little.  I wanted someone to play with!

Who could possibly play with this little thing?

Now that I'm more used to her (after 22 years!), I'm glad to have had her around for so long.  We definitely have had some good times together.  For a glimpse into some of these adventures, check out this post.  Every girl needs a sister.  There are just some things that only sisters can do!

Only

Only.

I was the oldest born of the family, and enjoyed single-status for 7 blissful years.  It was great being both the baby of the family, as well as an adult-tag-along.  I enjoyed the full attention of both my parents, not to mention single-most adoration from a number of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  Dogs and cats, by the way, make great siblings.

This 'only' status would change eventually...

A Dozen Words

Thanks to some blog stalking, I found this post from Travelin' Oma.

~Write an outline of your life using only a dozen words. Go back and turn each word into a paragraph.

Here are my dozen words.  Subsequent posts will be my paragraphs...

Only

Sister

Wanna-be

Newbie

College

Teacher

Student

Techy

Traveler

Work-a-holic

Half-orphaned

Single

No!

No!

 No sun--no moon!  

No morn--no noon!  

No dawn--no dusk--no proper time of day--  

No sky--no earthly view--  

No distance looking blue--  

No road--no street--no "t'other side this way"--  

No end to any Row--  

No indications where the Crescents go--  

No top to any steeple--  

No recognitions of familiar people--  

No courtesies for showing 'em--  

No knowing 'em!  

No traveling at all--no locomotion--  

No inkling of the way--no notion--  

"No go" by land or ocean--  

No mail--no post--  

No news from any foreign coast--  

No Park, no Ring, no afternoon gentility--  

No company--no nobility--  

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,  

No comfortable feel in any member--  

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,  

No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds--  

November!

- Thomas Hood

Thanks, Mrs. Yates. I have this poem on my mind during every November since about the 8th grade. I can't remember my line... though in my head I can hear the expression, and lack thereof, of my classmates as we read it every day for roll-call. No knowing 'em!

Happy Year of the Ox!

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy Chinese New Year!

Even though Joee and I weren't in China for the New Year Celebration, it's always a time when we get together to eat some good Chinese food (thanks Mrs. Gong - we really should have had her show us what she was doing with all that oil!) and reminisce about our Chinese livin' days.

Joee asked me to come to China with her in the spring of 2005. She'd been the year before with her mom, and Joee wanted to go again, not so much her mom! Joee was willing to go herself, but thought she'd see if I wanted to come. Of course! My parents got excited too - and it must be safe if Joee's parents were letting her go again... right? Right!

I had grad classes in May and June and wrote and turned in my last paper the day before we left! (Good thing I took all those breaks to pack!) Joee and I shopped for stuff we wouldn't need two of, and looked through papers and lesson plans and game ideas and other teacher stuff. Joee gave me lessons in Chinese culture, and did her best to prepare me for culture shock.

Here are some highlights and memories...

• "I took a bus, I took a plane, to Beijing city!"
• "One time I hired a monkey..."
• Ice cream!
  
• Peking duck
• Bottles and bottles of bottled water - and Coke, too!
  
• "I'm a big, big girl, in a big, big world..."
• Getting voted off of the bus!
• Willage after willage after willage...
  
• Bus troubles, airline troubles - it's not our fault we're teachers with lots of stuff!
• McDonalds, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut, Pizza Hut!
• Chinese doctors - I'm the sick one? Really? Do they know who they're talking to?
• Instant messaging
• Sending emails while 'drunk' - not a good idea... but very entertaining for Lee!
• The Great Freaking Wall of China - and we get to spend 45 minutes there? Really? Don't they know we're at the Great Freaking Wall of China?! How often do you go there? And we have to be up and back in 45 minutes? Really? Really!
• Hair! No water shampoos, massages (and laughing through it, so they massage more!), and straight, straight, straight!
• Karaoke bar - microwave popcorn, Coke, and the best skewered fish I've ever had... yum! Thanks bus driver and Zeng!
• Taxi rides
• Shampoo is heavy! Whoever had it in her luggage always had the heavier bag, no matter what else was in it!
• When people speak Chinese to you, and you don't know what they are saying, it doesn't help for them to speak louder and slower, nor does it help for them to write it out for you!
• Bargain, always look for a bargain! Talk 'em down! Promise to bring all your 'good American friends' with you the next time you come to this part of China to do their shopping and you will get the very best deal on all the 'real silk'!

Gambe, my friend! Happy Chinese New Year!

Continually strive ahead...

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

If she were alive, she'd be 100 years young today!

Pictures to come later... (she passed away before my digital camera days, I'm working on getting some scanned...)

Some memories I shared with Grandma:

Grandma's School - reading, writing, math, piano, drawing, cooking, dancing, playing - everything!
Piano lessons - I was not the concert master that Grandma thought I could have been... but it was a great experience learning to play the piano and organ with Grandma as my teacher. She was a wonderful teacher - even if I wasn't a wonderful student.
"Continually strive ahead, even when you are as old as I am." Said by Grandma at age 89. I interviewed Grandma for a school assignment, and this was the advice she had to give my class. Continually strive ahead she did! She loved learning new things, reading, listening to books, visiting teaching, and going places.
Paying for college... one quarter at a time... Grandma's weekly hair-do cost whatever dollar amount, plus 75 cents. She paid cash, and gave me the quarter every week for a while.

Happy Day, Grandma! We miss you!

No Vember!

In middle school, I had the same English teacher all three years - Mrs. Yates. We memorized a poem each month in her class, reciting it every day as part of taking roll. This means that I should have roughly 27 poems going through my head... but I don't. I can still recite a few, remember parts and titles of a few others, and have totally forgotten even more. Here's one that I do remember, and reminds me a lot of this last weekend - the first weekend of November.

(I remember slightly different lines... I don't remember my line of the poem, though I do remember Rick's purely because of how he said it when he said it - No knowin' 'em!)



No!

No sun--no moon!
No morn--no noon!
No dawn--no dusk--no proper time of day--
No sky--no earthly view--
No distance looking blue--
No road--no street--no "t'other side this way"--
No end to any Row--
No indications where the Crescents go--
No top to any steeple--
No recognitions of familiar people--
No courtesies for showing 'em--
No knowing 'em!
No traveling at all--no locomotion--
No inkling of the way--no notion--
"No go" by land or ocean--
No mail--no post--
No news from any foreign coast--
No Park, no Ring, no afternoon gentility--
No company--no nobility--
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member--
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds--
November!

~Thomas Hood