Hello, to all. Sorry I have been such a bum in keeping updated. I can't even say that I have a good exuse. Once I got back to the States and graduated, it's been pretty low-key. I must say that I am enjoying this whole "being an adult" thing.
The first order of business was purging all my stuff. The interesting thing was that a third of it was stuff that I've been storing for my future classroom. What a joy to finally have a classroom to put it all into! Yes, it is official-I will be teaching 5th/6th grade at Pullman Christian School next year. Yeah, I have a job! Not only that, but I get to be a part of a school and ministry that I believe in. No longer are the days of caring filtering my words through standards of "acceptance" that exclude more than include. No more talking in code with co-workers to decipher if they too "do anything special on Sundays." You all know that I am not one to keep quiet about...yeah, anything, but it will be so nice to feel free to-and even encouraged to-share my passion with these youngsters.
So, everyone is wanting to know what are my plans after graduation? At this point, I'm taking it one year at a time. I'm teaching in Pullman right now. I am taking a year to try to get my stuff in a group. Figure out how to do the whole full-time job thing. I don't plan on taking on a lot outside of the classroom and healthy living will now include adequate hours of sleep. That's the plan anyway. So far, so good.=)
So, if you've got a comment to share, please do. I'm actually interested in how many people continue to check this now that I'm back in Washington. God bless you all and stay tuned for more adventures in me teaching and learning a lot along the way.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Monday, May 7, 2007
Here we go
Hello, friends far and wide! I'm once again breathing American air and besides all the preservatives in the food, loving to be home. Getting home was long and mostly dull. 42 hours of travel and the most interesting thing that happened was that...no, actually nothing really.;)
Graduation was very enjoyable. When we all moved our tassels and sang the almumator song-I cried. I have always loved my university and now I am done there. Luckily, once a Coug, always a Coug! It is definitely a different sensation knowing that I am out of college and about to begin my first job. I thought I would be a little freaked about leaving all this behind, but I'm not. I actually really looking forward to things like a regular schedule, enough money to buy more than tuna and toilet paper, and having my evenings-mostly-free from homework.
With all my new beginings there are a few things left on the horizon. Things like finding a new car and purging all my stuff. After traveling for six months with little more than what I needed for a few weeks time, I have come to the conclusion that half a garage full of stuff waiting for me in Pullman is way to much crap. So, I'm going to start giving things aways. Living a bit lighter is freeing!
So, I'm doing quite well. (However strange it is to hear people speak English around me in public settings.) I'm really looking forward to this new chapter of my life and all that God is going to do in and through me. Keep in touch all you Haus and Germany-friend types. I'd love to hear about yoru lives. Much love from Pullman and tschuss.
Graduation was very enjoyable. When we all moved our tassels and sang the almumator song-I cried. I have always loved my university and now I am done there. Luckily, once a Coug, always a Coug! It is definitely a different sensation knowing that I am out of college and about to begin my first job. I thought I would be a little freaked about leaving all this behind, but I'm not. I actually really looking forward to things like a regular schedule, enough money to buy more than tuna and toilet paper, and having my evenings-mostly-free from homework.
With all my new beginings there are a few things left on the horizon. Things like finding a new car and purging all my stuff. After traveling for six months with little more than what I needed for a few weeks time, I have come to the conclusion that half a garage full of stuff waiting for me in Pullman is way to much crap. So, I'm going to start giving things aways. Living a bit lighter is freeing!
So, I'm doing quite well. (However strange it is to hear people speak English around me in public settings.) I'm really looking forward to this new chapter of my life and all that God is going to do in and through me. Keep in touch all you Haus and Germany-friend types. I'd love to hear about yoru lives. Much love from Pullman and tschuss.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
finally, some pictures from Slovakia
Here are a few pictures from the missions trip to Slovakia. The pictures above was the playground that the high schoolers built. I was over the VBS program that we did with the kids. Lot's of fun and a great learning experience for everyone involved.
Signing out for the last time from Germany
Well, it seems that I have contracted the plague. At least, that's what I have not so affectionately named it.;) Now that I'm staying at my friend LeAndra's house, I thought I was allergic to her cat-Jack. So, yesterday I went for a nice long walk along the Neckar river. Beautiful. An ancient, ivy-covered wall, to my left. A river with pebble beaches and families enjoying the sunshine, on my right. And bikers enjoying the afternoon, wizzing past me. Germany in a nutshell. However, my "allergies" only got worse. Blah. Luckily, I am feeling much better today and am hoping to get out of the house to see the nearby town of Ladenburg. But, we'll see.
It is my last full day in Germany. Wow. Part of me can't believe that I am leaving. It was hard to imagine what Germany would be like and now it's hard to imagine what being back in the States will be like. I suppose I don't need to. I've come to the place in my heart where I am prepared to take the changes that God brings. I know that this is only the first of many opportunities to be immersed in a culture. So, I'm just flowing. Sure, there are things that I will miss, but I don't want to get bogged down in missing so much that I don't enjoy what God has for me now.
That being said. I had a fabulous time in Berlin this last weekend! Yes, I went back. It was my last weekend as a college student and I wanted to spend it with other college students doing fun things. So we went, stayed in a youth hostel and painted the town red. (Heh heh. That wasn't actually meant to be a Cold War pun.) Our biggest challenge of the weekend came as soon as we stepped off the train. No joke, we spent an hour circling the same three blocks and getting the same directions from multiple people to the tourist information center. He he. We did find it eventually and then hit the ground running to all our exciting destinations. I got to see the things that we didn't have time for last time: the Brandenberg Gate (where the Wall first started to fall), the former bunker of the SS (creepy and cool at the same time), the Jewish memorial, and the rest of the East Side Gallery (the largest outdoor art gallery in the world where artists from around the world painted murels of peace on the old Wall). We also giggled and played cards. Well, worth it.
Oo, ooo! I almost forgot to tell you. Prepare yourself...I got to drive a fancy Mercedes Benz on the Autoban. Yeah, I know! Really, stinkin' cool! My friend needed someone to help her get her rental car returned. If you don't already know, the autoban has sizeable sections that have no speed limit at all. So, I had the supreme joy of driving at 110. Even if it was only kph, which translates to about 65mph.;) But, I still had a lot of fun.
Now that I am about to arrive back home, I want to let you know that I will continue to update the blog. I have had the opportunity to make many new friends abroad and would love to stay in touch. So, even though my student teaching may be over, teaching and learning are a part of my life. Feel free to check in and share some life about what God is teaching me and how he is using that to teach others. Signing out for the last time from Germany, tschuss.
It is my last full day in Germany. Wow. Part of me can't believe that I am leaving. It was hard to imagine what Germany would be like and now it's hard to imagine what being back in the States will be like. I suppose I don't need to. I've come to the place in my heart where I am prepared to take the changes that God brings. I know that this is only the first of many opportunities to be immersed in a culture. So, I'm just flowing. Sure, there are things that I will miss, but I don't want to get bogged down in missing so much that I don't enjoy what God has for me now.
That being said. I had a fabulous time in Berlin this last weekend! Yes, I went back. It was my last weekend as a college student and I wanted to spend it with other college students doing fun things. So we went, stayed in a youth hostel and painted the town red. (Heh heh. That wasn't actually meant to be a Cold War pun.) Our biggest challenge of the weekend came as soon as we stepped off the train. No joke, we spent an hour circling the same three blocks and getting the same directions from multiple people to the tourist information center. He he. We did find it eventually and then hit the ground running to all our exciting destinations. I got to see the things that we didn't have time for last time: the Brandenberg Gate (where the Wall first started to fall), the former bunker of the SS (creepy and cool at the same time), the Jewish memorial, and the rest of the East Side Gallery (the largest outdoor art gallery in the world where artists from around the world painted murels of peace on the old Wall). We also giggled and played cards. Well, worth it.
Oo, ooo! I almost forgot to tell you. Prepare yourself...I got to drive a fancy Mercedes Benz on the Autoban. Yeah, I know! Really, stinkin' cool! My friend needed someone to help her get her rental car returned. If you don't already know, the autoban has sizeable sections that have no speed limit at all. So, I had the supreme joy of driving at 110. Even if it was only kph, which translates to about 65mph.;) But, I still had a lot of fun.
Now that I am about to arrive back home, I want to let you know that I will continue to update the blog. I have had the opportunity to make many new friends abroad and would love to stay in touch. So, even though my student teaching may be over, teaching and learning are a part of my life. Feel free to check in and share some life about what God is teaching me and how he is using that to teach others. Signing out for the last time from Germany, tschuss.
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