My Best Friend is Flying in

My best friend Jamie is flying in to see me in Colorado. It's rather exciting having a friend visit me where I live. My emotions are through the roof knowing that even though I tend to move far away, my best friend is still super excited to come see me!

These couple of days are going to be outstanding.

• Cookie dough and a movie
• 4th of July Festivities
• Crashing the YMCA international parade
• A Car Show
• Hiking
• Touring campus
• Sliding on a big slide
• Lots and lots of stories, laughter and love.

I can't wait till your shuttle gets here!!!

 Jamie and I in Oklahoma, December 2012

Darn you shows and movies that involve travel.

I'm filled with such mixed emotions. A friend referred me to a documentary called, "Long Way Round." It is brilliant but there is one problem: I can't sleep. I'm filled with such excitement for adventure and to travel again that all I can think of is buying a ticket, hopping on a plane and going to who knows where. (In actuality, I would probably go to France to begin to walk the Camino through Spain and Portugal.)

I can't begin to tell you how it is almost a daily battle within myself of to stay or to go. To have a job or to travel around the world. To be with family and friends or to be video chatting across the globe. To be present for birthdays and holidays or to be making memories with families I create and find along the way.

I told myself I don't want to be the aunt that my nieces (and soon-to-be nephew) don't know. I want to be the cool aunt who they call at 3am when they went drinking underage and need someone to pick them up, no-questions asked. Yet, as my mom said (gawd, I hate how she is right sometimes,) "I think you find fulfillment in you going to so many different places." How right she is, how right she is. 

So I sit here with 47 days till my contract technically ends and I feel conflicted about what comes next. Currently I have this elaborate plan of coming home and taking odd jobs for about year before selling every last thing and jetting off to other countries. Can I sit still back home for a year? Can I be away from home in another country for an undetermined amount of time?

If I had a superpower, I would be able to instantly go to wherever I want with a blink of an eye.

Long time, no write

 

Wow, it’s been quite a bit since my last post and there are dozens of things to share from life updates to first year teaching to the holidays to returning for my second trimester teaching.

Here are a few of my highlights:

1. Breakdown in Week 8 – later found out this is called the disillusionment stage in teaching
2. My classes led an Action Plan presentation – this went extremely well and I was floored with pride
3. Thanksgiving – never the same without my traditional family but family is what you make of it and my Eagle Rock family is amazing
4. BREAKING NEWS – my sister-in-law and brother told me they were having a second child, kind of the greatest news ever
5. ER 61 Graduates – said goodbye to four amazing grads and also present my first Presidential Volunteer Service Awards to three students
6. LFJ and Credit – the paperwork doesn’t end when the students turn it in, in fact we have to look over it and then award credit…lesson learned, powerhouse it as soon as you begin to receive work
7. (Semi) Surprise Visit – an old friend drove from WA and stopped in CO to hang out with me for a few hours before continuing his drive to OK
8. Ready, Set, Break – first break from school and it was amazing. I spent a great deal of time with family and a few close friends. I saw movies, led a Master Chef Jr: Auntie Jenn Edition, indoor cart raced (and won), ice skated, went to a casino, finally saw the state aquarium in Jenks, ate cookie dough, clubbed, passed three students to the last belt rank before black, laughed and loved
9. Text-2-Email – my best friend and another close friend finally figured out how to “text” with me, despite me having no reception on this mountain of a home. FYI, text like normal but enter my email instead
10. Back to the Grind – returned from an amazing vacation home and begin truly working and planning tomorrow 

What are your top 10 things over the past few months?