luxury in flipflops.

when thinking about what to call this blog, my first from belize, there were a few suggestions from my mom and auntie diana:
-"you betta belize it" (immediately ridiculed)
-"no shirt, no shoes, no problem" (sounds like jamaica)
-"last night i dreamt of san pedro" (madonna apparently wrote la isla bonita about san pedro, the town we are staying at on ambergris caye)
-"be one with belize" (tag line on their official website)
-"la isla bonita" (aren't all caribbean islands beautiful?)

luxury in flip flops was a little sign we saw above a little beach bar, and it was so fitting for the experience we have had here so far. belize, in our first few days, has been a beautiful mix of casual and luxurious. i know i teach my kids to really dig deep into their stories, and tell their experiences from the inside - but for the sake of time, i'm going to summarize. (don't tell my fourth graders)

flip flops: walking across the border from mexico to belize! while i was walking, kids were even jumping off the bridge into the river. VERY casual border! my mom and my aunt flew into belize via miami, but it was a little more difficult for me from mexico. for some reason, there are no flights from mexico to belize so i had to fly to chetumal, take a taxi to the border, walk across the bridge and find another taxi. i was quickly informed that taxis in belize have green license plates. i found one pretty quickly and he took me, swooping me through security in a second or two. unfortunately, i paid the man his most luxurious salary of the week when i accidentally mis-read my american money and overpaid him quite significantly. i didn't realize until getting to san pedro that my big bill was gone. BIG oops.

luxury: our first meal at fido's grill, advertised for its 5 star food at 2 star prices (i would agree!) i got my first taste of seafood for the holiday, huge delicious shrimp cooked in coconut milk. the rice was delicious, also cooked in coconut milk. de-lish-us. the ambience was incredible, a huge palapa-style restaurant overlooking the ocean. for my first night in belize, i thought i'd died and gone to heaven. we found out later that fido's is also a nightclub, but it didn't feel like it over dinner.

flip flops: for lunch we ventured down to the main part of san pedro town, to a little diner called estel's dine by the sea. when you first find it, you can't really tell the difference between the beach and the restaurant! when you walk inside, the sand continues, and the entire menu is written in chalk at the back of the place, surrounded by odd antiques and collectibles. i was worried that it was a bit too much for my mom and my aunt diana, but they were troopers! if this had been a backpacking trip, i know i would have been eating there *often* (as estel's is definitely catering to the budget minded traveller... aka me without my mom)

luxury: i had read in lonely planet that one of the best restaurants in belize was up on the north island, at a small resort called capricorn. so, we booked a personal water taxi pick-up and were taken up island to a gorgeous outdoor restaurant, framed by white lights and gardens. the food (everyone had fresh fish) was melt-in-your-mouth and the atmosphere even more divine. it felt like our own little private paradise. today, when i biked up island, i found the capricorn resort again - this time in the daylight. it doesn't have quite the same magic feel when you can see the seaweed in the water, and there are kids doing construction on the dock flailing chainsaws around! over lunch, i proceeded to tarnish our luxury by spilling balsamic vinegar down the front of my bathing suit cover-up. i certainly felt the luxury fading, but only because of me!

flip flops: san pedro in general has a very laid-back vibe. i've been told that caye caulker is even slower, which means they must be pretty much standing still! ladies come by every evening and sell sweet bread on a bike. golf carts and bikes are the primary means of transportation for tourists (and locals). the water gets cut off fairly often and no one really blinks an eye. people walk barefoot. signs are all hand-painted. no one pressures to sell you things - they offer, and then move on. reservations are approximate. a belize cold-front is even laid-back: what we are experiencing now is actually referred to as belizian snow! (ie: we're not melting, there's a bit of wind, and in the evening i need a sweatshirt)

luxury: on monday morning, we went on a three hour snorkeling trip. belize is known for is world-famous barrier reef, one of the best in the world. we were picked up bright and early, outfitted in gear and then thrown into the water. but we were not left to explore the reef alone, we were given a guided snorkel tour! our guide was willie, a belizian who doesn't like to get wet. he pointed out everything along the way, and in an hour i saw more fish and sea-life then i have seen in my whole life! after the first stop, which was the hol chan marine reserve, we were taken to shark ray alley. we were greeted by nurse sharks, but when we actually got in the water, the sharks steered clear of us (i was, sheepishly, quite happy not to see them) but we were completely surrounded by HUGE stingrays! the currents were strong, but my aunt diana and i ventured a bit far from the boat and ended up seeing a creepy green eel and a black shark (luckily swimming in the other direction!!). it was the best snorkelling that i have done in my life. we truly saw plenty of fish!

flipflops: yesterday we went on a day trip to lamanai, a mayan ruin in the north of belize. only, to get there, we had to go on quite the adventure. we started out with an hour long bumpy roller-coaster boat ride, which would not have given anyone their sea legs, if they were missing them! we were splashing through the ocean, with no idea where the lifejackets were, let alone dry land. at one point, albeit once we had arrived on much calmer river, willie jumped up and started steering with his foot! after a local breakfast on the river of johnny-cakes and fruits, we were shuttled onto a school bus decorated for a jesus-loving school. kinda weird. the rest of the day included an informative river boat tour to the ruins, where our guide pointed out a mennonite community and various flora and fauna of interest; he then followed up with a great tour of the ruins themselves. my mom and i climbed the tallest structure, only to be gripped with fear about how we would get back down. we took bum steps all the way, like big babies! at the end of the day, we went back the way we had come: river boat, jesus bus, bumpy boat. an incredible day, but not for the faint of heart.

so? its been five days in belize so far its been a great mix, probably a little more heavy on the flip flips then the luxury, which suits me just fine. we're leaving the caye tomorrow and heading inland. am i a bit sad to leave the beach? but excited for the jungle lodge adventure to come?

you betta belize it.

march 27, 2010, 8:30-9:30.

clue.

she'll guard it with care,
in her personal lair.
even though you think its unfair,
you'll find your gift there!

listen to me!

stop:

-whispering under your breath.
-tapping your pencil against your desk.
-crumpling and rolling the edges of your papers.
-stapling compulsively, instead of just once. chk! chk! chk!
-adding a soundtrack to every lesson and every quiet work period.
-getting up to blow your nose.
-speaking to your friends through a roll of the eyes.
-the sound of saliva while you are eating your shirt.
-shouting OUT.
-complaining with your voice like a nails on a chalkboard.
-shuffling your feet with impatience, swa, swa.
-pushing your chair back.
-asking me for help. (when you don't need it)
-turning the pages of your book every second because i know you can't read that fast.
-forcing me to scream.

instead
listening to me would be nice.

i wonder...?

what makes kids look like their parents?

what makes the wind blow?

when does space end?

how do bridges stay up?

how was the first color made?

why does gravity work?

why do people break laws?

how do you direct a movie?

how much is a gazillion?

how many hairs are on my head?

why do some people sleep heavy and some people sleep light?

why do i need so much sleep?

how do you become a seat filler at the oscars?

what do dogs think about their owners?

why does lattice multiplication work?

why does scaring someone get rid of the hiccups?

what makes airplanes not fall out of the sky?

how does it feel to be a mom?

why does food taste so good? and so bad?

homesick.

well, its about hour six of sitting on the couch feeling homesick for my country. today i've been completely absorbed in television. i don't usually watch tv, but with the US-Canada hockey game, and then the closing ceremonies, i've been completely entranced.

i'm watching the coverage on an american channel, but even the stories of the american athletes are making me teary-eyed! i should be grading papers but instead i am thinking about how much i wish i was at home to party with everyone after the amazing canadian win this afternoon. i've also been trying to cook, but so far it has only resulted in a very burn pot of chickpeas and an overdone cake. i always thought i was a good multi-tasker but i think that cooking falls to the back-burner (quite literally), when i'm missing home (or pretty much when i'm doing anything else).

international living can be so incredible for the new cultural experiences and incredibly diverse people that i meet; but nothing can compare to home. watching the athletes come pouring in, and being so proud to be canadian, i felt so far away. i love that canada isn't afraid to poke fun at itself, and that people know how to party over a hockey game, and that they aren't afraid to be cheesy. instead i am drinking a beer, pretending to mark, and crying over my burnt cooking and my amazing country.

on a more positive note, fili took me on an adventure yesterday to find used tires for big red. we went all over the city. he took me to the street where all the stolen car parts are sold. he said that if anyone ever steals a side mirror off your car, you can come to this particular street and buy your own mirror back! since i wanted used tired, we didn't actually have success, but we found a few people who said they could order us some (or steal? not sure...!) and the weirdest part? none of it is illegal! everyone knows that the car parts are stolen, but it seems to be completely accepted.

fili promised me that my future tires will be legally acquired.!

camp out.

sometimes you need to get away. and sometimes you need to run away.

preferably to the middle of nowhere!

this weekend, i did both. fili and i took the opportunity to get away. he found this hotel/resort/convention center about 45 minutes from monterrey, on our little man-made lake, which rents little spots for camping. in the summer, i can imagine it being an AMAZING place to get away from the city. it has some great facilities to distract you for a long summer's day: slides, wave pool, tennis etc. unfortunately for us, nothing was open! and, everything that was open was not included in the price of admission. the camping spot was perfect for us. no one was around, we had our own bbq pit, and there was clean bathrooms and showers. we couldn't get out of paying extra to use the facilities (even though they were slightly run down AND none of them were actually open) so we took advantage by exploring and using the indoor pool.

the camping was perfect. it didn't feel like we were in the middle of a resort. it was quiet, and we were able to enjoy a delicious carne asada, prepared perfectly by fili. there's something about camp food that just tastes comforting, like canada. we arrived in good time on saturday night, in time to explore all the facilities we couldn't use and meet a group of seniors from canada, who were at this resort for TWO weeks. let me repeat that: two weeks. i don't mean to be rude, but there are probably a million nicer resorts that these seniors could have chosen ALL over the world but they chose a 70s style resort with nothing open on the banks of a man-made river! they must have given them a sick sick deal. i spoke with one nice lady from toronto who was pretty positive about it saying, "well, its okay, the walk from the room to the pool is a little hilly, though".

once we used all the free facilities, and found out that bikes and tennis rackets weren't included, we decided to continue our adventure and visit the touristy cola de caballo (horse tail falls) that were nearby in santiago. in my three years here, i have only heard pathetic reviews of the cola de caballo falls. people said it wasn't anything to write home about. well, here i am, writing home about it! i thought they were great! i mean, they aren't the niagara falls or anything - but they are beautiful. first you had to get through some tacky t-shirts and a few people selling litro drinks (basically anything alcoholic you could want sold in a HUGE cup). i easily avoided the tacky t-shirts but had more trouble getting past the litros. when we got to the falls, perhaps since i had been expecting a spout of water, i was pleasantly surprised! i'll post a few pictures soon. the highlight was venturing past the top of the falls into the forest above the falls. there is a sign saying you are hiking at your own risk, but is there any other way? lately, it feels like everything in life is at your own risk. we felt like we were explorers, going where no one had gone before: except for garbage dump everyone had left behind. next to the cola de caballo, there is a lovely hotel and bungee jump (a strange combo?). sometime i definitely want to jump, but the time didn't seem right just yet.

after finishing up at the falls, we treated ourselves to the best ice cream place in the region, helados regia and headed back into town. back to the middle of everywhere, back to life.

a great weekend that reminded us of all the amazing outdoors experiences there are in and around monterrey. we just have to look a little harder. since getting home, i was supposed to be marking math tests, but i ended up scouring the internet for the next camping adventure.

13.1

"dear running: i'd like to thank you for giving my fiance a tight ass" - random guy with sign.

"tough cookies never crumble" - t-shirt of the girl running directly in front of me.

"13.1? 26.2? all of you are fucking crazy!" - another random guy with sign.

"i've never liked crowds anyway" - a sign for all of us closer to the back of the pack.

"what the hell have i gotten myself into?" - my thoughts when i crossed mile 7 and realized i still had to almost DOUBLE what i had already done.

i ran my first half marathon yesterday. it was in austin, texas, on valentine's day. 13.1 miles, or 21 km. if you didn't know, its really far. really really far. its not that far for the people that run it in an hour and a half. but for people like me, it takes all morning! i signed up for it a few months back as an excuse to get in shape. and truthfully, i wasn't ready. not for the full distance. the first 15 km were really good. i felt strong, i felt in control, i felt good about life! this one guy who was cheering tapped his finger to his temple as i passed, as if to tell me, your power is all up there. i believed him! until, then, all at once, it hit me. my knees started to ache, and the hills started to come. and i had to start walking. i didn't walk tons, i interspersed 2 or 3 minutes of walking with 5 minutes of running, but i still felt great because people around me were all doing the same.

i didn't train for speed or a particular time, in fact i didn't really train at all. i wanted to see if i could do it. and i did. it is a very empowering feeling! and i realized that since i could do it - without killing myself - that the next time i will build up to it, so the last 5 km aren't such a shock to my system.

i was so proud of myself when i ran across the finish line, but sadly, there was actually no one there to greet me! i had just run for 2 hours and 58 minutes, and i ended up getting my cute t-shirt and eating a bag of chips alone. a party for one. i had come with some people, who had all been running, and i don't know anyone in austin. it all felt pretty anticlimactic, and then, the day went downhill from there. i won't go into details, but all i can say is that life never lets you be happy for too long, it needs to balance you out with some shitty-ness to go along. the incredible vibe and high from my race definitely got overshadowed. i'll have to go back next year to experience it all again.

i feel an extreme sense of pride for running and completing; but it is also paired with a deep sadness and sense of loss. a mix that my mind can't really comprehend.

anyway. i'm back in monterrey now. there's another half in monterrey in april. dearest running, do i dare take you on again?

today i.

today i couldn't get out of bed until 7, and had to be at school at 7:25.

today i arrived at school at 7:33.

today i braided my hair, which i never do.

today i got frustrated with a student, and yelled at him in front of the class.

today i got frustrated with some teachers, but kept my mouth shut.

today i learned that peanuts are a legume.

today i taught my students about the underground railroad when we were supposed to be discussing poetry.

today i didn't know the answers to 5 questions my students asked.

today i told my kids that mr. google could help them find the answers.

today i felt freezing cold in my house for the first time in several weeks.

today i wrote a long e-mail to my mom.

today i drank a beer after school.

525 600 minutes.

last year, on this date, i met fili. i went to a language night at a local cafe in the barrio. i didn't really feel like going. in fact, my first impression of fili was one that had me laughing for quite awhile! after telling him about my mediocre spanish, he responded, "maybe we could speak the language of love?" on that night, i never thought i'd still be talking to him a year later!

so, after a year with fili, i started thinking about how his presence in my life has changed mine:

-i'm a lot more appreciative of monterrey, and of mexico in general. he absolutely loves his city, and loves showing it to me, and exploring it with me. he often reminds me to find beauty in this city when i'm forgetting to.

-his loyalty to his family, and to his daughter is a constant priority reminder for me. he puts the people he loves first, and gives his time and his heart to them with such ease.

-he's a romantic. and its made me more romantic.

-he's driven work-wise. when i'm complaining about work, he is happily doing his! when i'm desperate to take a day off, he reminds me (tactfully, of course) that i do love what i do.

-he's taught me to appreciate (but not always get) sarcasm!

-for a long time, i always needed to be doing 'something'. he showed me that fancy expensive dinners are not the only way to spend quality time together.

to celebrate our year, fili took me to see the musical 'rent' in spanish, and then we went back to the cafe where we met. a year later we're not exactly speaking the language of anything - its kind of a fusion between english, spanish and yes, love.

raisons d'etre.

i am reading an amazing book. it is called extremely loud and incredibly close. or incredibly loud and extremely close, something like that. the main character is a quirky bizarre kid who thinks about things in way that has inspired me to write more. the author, jonathan safran foer, has a way of giving this kid the most unique voice that i have ever heard in recent literature.

anyway. i am in playa del carmen this weekend with my housemate sarah. sarah is leaving mexico next year, and we realized that we wouldn't get another chance to travel together, so here we are. she also needed a little break from heartbreak, so here we are again.

it is currently cloudy and a bit drizzly so i have come to a little cafe to do some work... of course work has turned into chatting with my boyfriend fili on facebook and blogging. i'm definitely not at risk of becoming a workaholic. we are staying at a pretty no frills hostel. in fact, the website honestly states, "if you want luxury, DO NOT STAY HERE". they definitely did not lie. but for 20 bucks a night (including a great breakfast), i'm not complaining. i think sarah and i are both realizing that we are on the edge of wanting to hostel anymore. but our bank accounts tell us differently!

there is an expression in french, raisons d'etre, meaning "reasons for being". this quirky character in extremely close and incredibly loud (or the opposite) is constantly talking about his raisons d'etre, for example, making sure his mother doesn't get hurt. this got me to thinking that i haven't thought lately about my raisons d'etre. isn't it great when a 9 year old fictional character teaches you something.

a few of my raisons d'etre:

getting close to my family again, to make up for the terrible mess i made in high school/university
loving fili and being loved in return
traveling the world so i can constantly be reminded that there is more to it then just me
getting over depression/anxiety and helping others to also see the glass half full
teaching kids that the best best learning happens far far from a textbook and that school can - and should - be fun
to infect others with laughter and happiness
figuring out my true raisons d'etre, because i don't think i've found nearly all of them yet

j'ai oublier mon francais!

this year, for the first time during my time living in mexico, i have decided to use my christmas break to travel somewhere in canada! usually i am off to somewhere warm and sunny, but it is time for me to learn more about my own country. so, this morning, ginny and i headed to the train station and came to possibly the most european - and most cold - city in canada! of course, this morning, mother nature decided she should show her true winter colours, and a nice cold freeze came through. splendid timing, mother nature.

some highlights so far:

-i got my H1N1 shot yesterday afternoon and my arm has been killing me all day today! i am either a big baby or the shot was pure growing pains, because i feel like there is fire radiating down my whole arm.

-ginny and i didn't stop talking the entire train ride! i guess after months apart we had a lot to catch up on.

-at 7 o'clock this evening we were finished dinner, freezing so we actually came back to our little hotel (perfectly named, petit hotel). since we couldn't very well get into bed before 8, we have been sitting and appearing "busy" before it is appropriate for us to actually go to bed!

-we both completely forgot how to say absolutely all words and phrases in french. you wouldn't know i was in french immersion my whole life, because all that comes out of my mouth is spanish! i understand everything, but when i speak, it is a bizarre mix of spenchlish (spanish/french/english, in case you are a bit slow)... the words that i want to say don't sound like a language that i know! the sounds feel strange for my mouth to say. how do you pronounce oignon? a word that should be so easy all of a sudden - i can't think of how it should sound! french! come back to me!

-when we settled into our train from montreal to quebec city, we were immediately approached by a VIA worker, asking if we would trade seats with someone up at the front of the train who didn't want to sit backwards. of course, we obliged - but through a strange set of events - those seats had already been taken by someone else. thinking we were now seatless for the train ride, we were actually moved to first class! ginny had the guts to ask for drinks, and the next thing we knew we were riding in luxury with a personal table, rum and cokes and even free snacks and meals!

-on the train we were surrounded by spanish speakers! we came to quebec to hear french, but spanish keeps following us!

-the old town in quebec city is adorable, full of white lights and perfect views, but it is effing freezing. we walked for about 20 minutes to see a bit of town and find a restaurant and my face had almost frozen into position! i am certainly unaccustomed to being truly cold.

-our petit hotel is really petit! the rooms are nice but the lobby was pretty uninviting. we were greeted by a smelly dog and some seriously outdated wallpaper, and i was thinking, lonely planet, don't let me down! once we got to our little room (actually, little suite!), we were pleasantly surprised! i guess you can't judge all hotels by its lobby.

a bientot! (zut alors, i really did forget all my french. its like riding a bicycle though, right? right...?

a birthday message to granny.

Happy Birthday to you all the way from Mexico!

When I was sitting down to write a message to you, I was immediately reminded of one of my favorite kids book. It is a lovely story about a woman who is thrown a surprise 90th birthday party by her two sons, three daughters, fourteen grandchildren and thirty-five great-grandchildren. While at the party, one of her great-children whispers to her, “Are you really ninety, great-grandma?” The woman smiles and answers back, “Inside I’m only four-and-a-half, like you… but don’t tell anyone!”

Every time I read this book I am reminded of you, Granny. In fact, this story could be starring you! I have always admired your adventurous spirit and how young you are at heart. In a way, I often feel like a younger version of you. Over the years, as I have heard your stories, I began to realize that not many people have lived 90 years as vivaciously as you! I don’t know a lot of 90 year olds who know how to e-mail, who can still beat anyone at a game of scrabble, or who would consider going on a road trip to the East Coast.

I am sad that I will not be there to celebrate your 90th, but as you have shown us all – growing older is mandatory, but growing up is not. Happy Birthday to you Granny, 90 years in age, but 4 and a half in spirit!

Love from your kindred spirit,
Sarah

feeling a little european.

its funny how being at an internet cafe has inspired me to blog. i always did the best blogs from random computers around europe that were hard to type on... and you can never find the @ sign. or the apostrophe. oh, feels like i am home again!

i came to guanajuato for the weekend. i have already been, exactly two years ago, but the city is still as magical as ever. aside from the fact that there is now a starbucks in the main plaza (noooooo), not much has changed. we got this weekend off for columbus day in the states, but i like to pretend that they gave us the day off for canadian thanksgiving. i prefer to be misled...

yesterday i walked around all day with my beautiful camera around my neck. i thought i looked like a nerdy tourist, but my friends said i looked very parisian. maybe that is a sign that that is where i need to move to next!

it has been a great weekend. i am in a little quaint hotel in a little alley (not the creepy kind, the adorable meandering kind) and am meeting up with people some of the time, and wandering on my own other times. the lady that runs my hotel is a bit particular, which is slighly off-putting. for example, yesterday when she served fruit for breakfast, i used my fork. later, when i needed the fork for the little quesidillas she was serving, i asked for another fork, as i could not eat them with a spoon. she informed me that it was intended that i use the spoon for my fruit, and that i should not have used my fork. washing an extra utensil is a lot of work, you see. lesson learned. i considered forgetting again this morning, and saying, "oh, i just do not know what is wrong with me, why do i keep forgetting and using my fork for my fruit? silly me."

guanajuato has a feel of paris, and i like it for that, pretentious hotel owners and all! it makes me feel like i should be sitting in cafes all day, and wandering for hours. i wish THIS was the city that i lived in, instead of monterrey!

j'aime beaucoup!

3rd time's a charm.

this is my third year living in mexico. it is full of lots of firsts, and missing faces, and new adventures. the best part is that i finally feel at home in mexico. a place that i both love and hate. i've been taking my dog for walks these days, and as i walk, i think about what i've learned in this beautiful/crazy/unexpected country. here are a few things i've been thinking lately.

-if you smell something foul in the street, walk far, far, far in the other direction.
-the car wash men will still try to scam you into a car wash even when it is clearly going to downpour within minutes.
-mexicans are wonderful at using their four-way flashers. so good, in fact, that as soon as cars slow down ahead, they have put their four-way emergency flashers on before their brakes!
-there are more sushi restaurants in san pedro then taco stands! (not true, but it feels that way sometimes... too bad my boyfriend doesn't love sushi)
-don't read the local paper. because if you do, you'll know all the stuff that you don't want to know, and stop living in comfortable ignorant bliss.
-always clean up the dog shit up before it rains. especially if your backyard is made of concrete.
-i have learned that mexican people come out at night. and really, its quite logical. it is so darn hot here during the day!
-when a mexican party says it starts at 7, the host won't even be there until 8. and you won't see a lick of food until 11:30.
-the quincenera, the young mexican girls' coming of age party, costs almost as much as a wedding - and is almost as big of a deal.
-there is this brilliant thing here that the stoplights do. the green flashes warning, before it turns to yellow. i think it just gives people more time to speed up and push through the intersection, but it also is a smart idea!

the journey of 3600 km's.

another year in mexico is over and done. i am back in canada once again.

this year i was great because i
worked less
ate healthier
socialized more
travelled tons
got a dog
got stronger in spanish

but this year i neglected a few things that i really care about
reading
blogging
keeping in touch

i was reading an article for my masters class last week saying that schools want to be able to "do it all". i feel that way about my life. i want to be able to "do it all". i don't want to have work be going well, but still be biting my nails. i don't want to travel lots, but still be in debt. i want it all! i want to be able to control all parts of my life at once -- not one or two at a time. just when i feel i am getting one area of my life under control, i lose control of another. for example: this year i got to bed earlier. but gone was my prime internet time! the time when i usually wrote e-mails, blogs and surfed the net. what a disappointment! i was getting more sleep but not keeping in touch with my facebook account.

in teaching we are so lucky. for a number of reasons. each year we get the opportunity to start over. we can change the way we do things, re-evaluate over the summer, and try it all again in the fall. teaching has a built in fail-safe mechanism.

ginny and i drove across the united states on the weekend. we listened to a 17 hour book on tape, a pete yorn cd 3 times, slept in austin, nashville and chattam and finally made it home. since i have been home (albeit for 24 hours) i haven't done much re-evaluating. i have slept a bit, hung out with emma, hung out with my dad, watched a few movies and tried to get back in touch with my friends. i really want to take advantage of this summer. i want to take some time to relax, but i also want to reassess my life. i want to take the same approach to my life that i take to my teaching, using summer as my fail-safe.

happy summer! enjoy the sun.

miss. sarah's vision statement.

"The goal of education is to replace an empty mind with an open mind."
-Malcolm Forbes



i am a teacher who...

teaches students FIRST
and
the curriculum SECOND.

i am a teacher who...

came into this profession to ensure that there are more
great teachers
in the world.

i am a teacher who...

fuels young minds with an awareness of diversity.
cultivates a community of curiosity.
establishes a culture of lifelong learning.

i am a teacher who...

has an adventurous spirit.
laughs often.
smiles always.

i am a teacher who...

gives every child an opportunity to shine every day.
teaches through exploration, inquiry and problem solving.
differentiates instruction, encouraging all children to be challenged.

i am a teacher who...

takes advantage of teachable moments.
is a facilitator, motivator and leader.
is a friend.

i am a teacher who...

instills a love of reading.
makes math less scary.
takes kids beyond the walls of the classroom.

i am a teacher who...

loves to teach.

BUT

i am also a student who...

NEVER STOPS LEARNING.

yard sale.

i am here on my semana santa adventure in baja california. for those of you who don't know, i am on the little peninsula in mexico that jets out beneath california. it has been a wonderful mix of adventure, relaxation, sun, work and sleeping. the vacation has occured in three distinct phases, and on this entry i will try to quickly summarize the first phase: KAYAK TRIP also known as ADVENTURES WITH MIDDLE AGED MOM's or NEW ADDRESS: ISLA ESPIRITU SANTU.

the kayak trip itself was 4 days and three nights on an idyllic island just north of la paz. we chose the fully catered option, which meant that pretty much all we had to do was build our tents and paddle our kayaks. we never had to paddle more then three or four hours a day, and our food was prepared for us fresh on the beach! the water was shallow and a hundred shades of blue. here is a quick snapshot, i will add visuals upon return to monterrey!

the scene: a preserved island north of la paz. it was desert-like, much more mountainous then i expected, with cliffs that disappear into the ocean. along the island are sheltered coves of the whitest beaches you have ever seen, particularly in stark contrast top the blue of the ocean.

the characters: 14 tourists, 2 guides, 1 chef and 1 skiff driver. a few of us from school, along with a few friends from home came and joined the most hilarious group of middle aged women (one actually ended up being the mom of one of our colleagues at work!) there was never a dull moment, or a quiet beach with this crowd of folks! our 2 guides, axel and tulio were amazing; our personal chef whistled while he worked; and our skiff driver unloaded our bags every single day for us so they didn't get wet!

costumes: let's just say that i actually didn't change or have a shower for four days. everything i wore was salt-crusted and i smelled delicious, i'm sure.

key scene changes: we got to kayak, have happy hour with margaritas every evening while watching the sunset, hike, learn about the geography and nature of the area, snorkel and sleep under the stars (with no tent two of the nights!)

climax: our second day of paddling we were hit with some serious waves. it was exciting, hard work (oww my forearms) but it really only got my adrenaline pumping. of course, the guides wanted us to stay in formation to keep us close together for safety and all i could picture was a domino effect when one of the ladies tipped her kayak. it would have been a kayak yard sale!

highlights: hmm. this is always the hardest part. every corner we turned there was a new landscape to admire and everything was a surprise. we laughed when we got life advice from our new mom's. we peed over the side of our kayaks when we had to go. we performed number 2 in our own personal PACO or personal toilet that was disposed of each day. we had buckets of water dumped on our heads when we got too hot. we ate fresh ceviche caught the same DAY! we looked like scuba steve and stephanie when we waddled to go snorkeling. i got bit by a sea lion when we frollicked with them in the water (it doesn't hurt but it certainly scares the living daylight out of you!) every minute on the trip was amazing.

lowlights: having to go home.

i always said i'd never...

there aren't a million things that i've said i would never do. only a few thousand! what can i say? i'm generally a fairly easy-going gal. there are, however, many things that i certainly thought that i would never do. since becoming a real person, moving to mexico and becoming a teacher, many of those "i would never ever do that!" have become huge reality checks for me. who was i to be so bold and naive and demand perfection from everyone around me? and to believe that i could do it better myself? just a few things i have been kicking myself for lately.

*i used to get so pissed at my dad for being an impatient driver, who always swore under his breath. now i can't go two blocks in mexico without encountering idiot number 1, 2, 3 or 830 and muttering sweet nothings under MY breath.

*i never thought i'd embarrass a kid in front of the class. but i'm realizing, that sometimes, a mild form of embarrassment, happens naturally each time you get angry. PLUS, i was totally that teacher who ripped up a test when i caught a boy cheating today! sometimes i actually find myself using mild embarrassment on purpose, because for some kids, i am shit out of ideas.

*i never thought i'd punish the whole class when only a few are being bad. this is something i am still searching for a solution to. i remember, in elementary school, i would have to write lines, or have detention, even when i hadn't participated. i remember telling my mom, i will become a teacher to make this this doesn't happen anymore! BUT, when you actually are a teacher, it is almost impossible to figure out exactly who has been misbehaving. i have a warning system for individuals, but in the end, i always remind them that they are a 'team'.

*i never thought i'd stay home from work for a 'mental health day'. my mom always pushed and pushed herself - and here i am saying i'm burnt out two years into teaching!

*i never thought i'd take a masters degree in education. but what can i say? when i was offered it for half the price, it is difficult to turn down. now i am the teacher who doesn't know if she should be teaching working on a thesis on how to teach better. hmm. that seems a bit odd.

*i never thought money would matter to me. i live in a very wealthy suburb of monterrey, mexico, surrounded by fancy restaurants, jewelry stores and fashionable people who live a VERY comfortable, luxurious life. after being immersed in it, it is hard not to want it yourself!

next... i'm thinking of including the opposite, what i always thought i would have done by now!

sarah needs.

this gave me a little laugh. i have never been a needy person, but i googled "sarah needs" and here are the top 10 hits:

-sarah needs a cold shower.
-sarah needs to get her life back and establish herself as the person in charge!
-sarah more love lyrics.
-sarah needs your manly vote.
-sarah needs a new mummy for sale.
-sarah needs a band.
-sarah needs a miracle.
-sarah needs sponsors to compete in deaf olympics.
-sarah needs batteries.
-sarah needs a wii.

what do you need?