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

Yoga for the Brain entry 1

Introduce yourself, using one true detail and one untrue detail about you or your life. As you write, try to make both the true and untrue details sound equally believable.

Two things that you probably don't know about me:
1. I love water slides. I can't wait for summer for all of them to open - Classic, Cherry Hill, Cowabunga Bay, Lagoona Beach - love them!
2. I love crocheting. Chains, single crochet, patterns, special stitches, complex patterns or easy repeats - love it!


Take the untrue detail you wrote about and elaborate. Expand. Fill in the details.

When I was younger, much younger (7-8 years old, I think), I spent nearly every day of two summers at Classic Skating and Water Slides. I would skate for a while, because my mom made me. She enjoyed the air conditioning and seating inside the rink. She always brought things to do, and needed the table-bench combo to do it. But what I really wanted to do was go down the water slides. Skating was the fastest way to get to water slide - much faster than arguing. So, skate for a short time - then out to the water slides! I loved getting my little blue mat, climbing the slippery hill, carefully selecting my slide (the Octopus was my favorite), settling in on my mat, and waiting for the life guard to give the go ahead. Then - zoom - off I went, through turns and tunnels and corners. The best part, of course, is the straight-away leading up to the splash-down. Splash - swim - climb out - and repeat. My mom always made me hit her up for sun screen after every two runs down the slide - one, so that I wouldn't get too crispy, and two, so that she could keep track of my safety. What a great few summers!


Take the true detail you wrote about, and turn it into fiction. Add details that are false.

I first learned how to crochet at the Hill Cumorah a few summers ago. I had a part that gave me lots and lots of free time. One of my leaders had a few extra hooks and yarn and taught me how during all my down time. I started with chains, and moved on to single, double, and half-double crochets by the end of pageant. I still have my samples and pot holders I made those first few weeks of my crocheting life. Good thing there was a Wal-Mart near by with a plentiful supply of hooks and yarn.

"We'll remember, always... Graduation Day!"

I graduated. Again. Finally. From the U in May 2007. I received my Master of Education degree in reading and literacy instruction.
I started classes at the U as soon as I was done with my undergraduate degree in Elementary Ed. I applied almost on a whim, and when my life finally settled, I was glad that I had that whim. I ended up being a computer teacher at an elementary school in Utah county with a part time contract. That left me some time to be able to do homework, reading, and take classes. The next year, I taught computers full time, and continued on with classes. That was a little more difficult, as I didn't have quite as much time. However, there's not a lot of school work to do at home, just some planning and a little prepping. I didn't get too stressed out - most things worked.
My last year in grad school, though, was also my first year teaching 3rd grade. I am so glad that I had so many of my classes out of the way by this point! I did most of my reading at home during the week and some weekends, and what I didn't get done... well, that's what Bill Nye is for.
I took my comprehensive exam in 10 days in the middle of March. I took off 5 days from school to be able to do it. Unfortunately, I do my best writing in the middle of the night and under tight pressure. Fortunately, I knew that in advance, and so planned on it. I finished on time with my 3 papers (39 pages total, oh yeah!), and got them turned in - even my paper copy - before the deadline. It was a rough week and a half, but I'm glad I went with the comp option instead of the thesis option - 10 days of severe pain and torture was better to me than a year of slowly drawn out pain and torture.
I wrote and submitted my last paper - ever - 5 minutes before it was due. Early for me! I spent the week before graduation trying to figure out how to put on that hood. I guess that's the final test, to see if you're smarter than your graduation garb!
Graduation was May 4, 2007. Mom and I went to the Huntsman Center for the campus-wide commencement ceremony. Grad students got to sit in the coveted, cushioned floor seating! I ended up sitting by a guy that I knew in middle school. I had only ever seen him once on campus before, when we were both doing our undergrad, but it was kind of fun to be with someone with that kind of way-back, past connection. Mom and I took pictures and went to the bookstore before going home to pick up Dad, JoAnne, and Holly (from school) for the college ceremony.
It started raining as we pulled up to Kingsbury Hall - just wonderful, since the previous college wasn't done yet! Soaked or not, the ceremony went on. Holly and JoAnne were able to get seats in the back of the balcony, but Dad and Mom were out in the lobby. Mom came into the hall when I walked across, and Dad saw me from the TV outside, thanks to my red-longer-than-the-gown skirt I was wearing. The rain cleared up afterward, so we took a few more pictures.
A graduate, at last! I am glad for the experience and for what I learned and practice now as a result of what I learned. But I am also glad that door has shut for a while.
Am I going back? I won't rule it out as an option. But it will definitely be a nice, long while before I do!