Fall Break October 2014

My parents came to visit me in Arizona over my 4 day weekend (Fall Break) in earlier this month (October) since I hadn't seen them since last February. We did a lot while they were here. They arrived Thursday about the time I got done with school, so I introduced them to fellow staff. Then, we went and dropped some of their stuff off and they got to see my new place. After that we went downtown to Beale Street Gallery, so that I could show them some art and where I bought a couple of their gifts. After that we went to Boston Antiques and looked around. I have gotten some awesome antique oriental furniture from Boston Antiques, so I wanted to show them that place. On Friday morning we got up and I took them out to Colbaugh Processing, so they could see the showroom of the local Turquoise mine. They also have some other neat gemstone beads. After that we headed towards Flagstaff. We stopped in Seligman and Williams and did some looking around.
We didn't travel up to the Grand Canyon from there because by that time it was late afternoon. We did check out the train ride information to maybe do on a future visit. My dad made us a hotel reservation at Twin Arrows Casino and resort because he thought it was up by the Grand Canyon, but it was actually past Flagstaff and on the corner of the Indian Reservation. We don't gamble, but it was still a really nice hotel. We ate there for dinner. The next morning, Saturday, we got up and drove down to Sedona. On the way into Sedona we stopped at the Native American roadside stands as a friend recommended we do that. They had lots of different things to sell. Then we continued down into Sedona. They were having an art festival at the high school, so we went to that. They had lots and lots of booths and lots of great art. I enjoyed just walking around and admiring it all. Next we went to one of the vortexes.

Amitabha Stupa

Sedona has a few, but my Mom's knee was bothering her, so I didn't want to do one that was going to be a super long hike. So, we went to the Amitabha Stupa. It was pretty awesome after having lived in Asia to see a stupa in the United States. It was pretty easy to get to and we stayed for a little while. I think I would have liked to have stayed longer but it was hot out and so we probably only stayed half an hour. I definitely want to go back though. After that we drove down through Cottonwood and Camp Verde. I wanted to stop at Montezuma Castle and Well, but by the time we got down there they were both closed for the day. We decided to just drive back up to Flagstaff where we were staying. We ate dinner at Salsa Brava. I had blackened Salmon fish tacos with mango salsa. So delicious. It was worth the wait. On Sunday we got up and drove up to the Grand Canyon. My parents were last there in 1976 on their honeymoon. It was my first time going there. We stopped in Cameron, Arizona as I have a brother named Cameron. We stopped at the Cameron Trading Post. I got my brother a postcard and I wanted to mail it to him from the Cameron post office, but since it was Sunday they were closed and I had no way to get any stamps. I was kind of bummed about that. I took a picture of my parents in front of the Cameron, Arizona post office.

Cameron Trading Post 

After that we drove over to the Grand Canyon and stopped at lots of spots along the way to look down into the Canyon. We did go to the Mary Coulter, Desertview Watchtower. We went up into the tower and were able to look way down into the Canyon and way into the distance. We didn't do everything there was to do as there was more than we could do in one day, but we made notes of things that we would like to do the next time we go to the Grand Canyon.  We also stopped at the Tusayan museum and ruins. My dad really wanted to stop there and look around. We drove down through Tusayan (the town) and stopped at the IMAX to watch a film on the mysteries of the Grand Canyon.

It was very enjoyable. We ate at a pizza and pasta place before driving back to Flagstaff. On the way back it was dark out and my dad was driving. We saw a huge elk that was thinking about crossing the road. My dad still has good reflexes and neither the elk or us was hurt. On Monday morning we got up and did a little bit of looking around Flagstaff. There was a photographer I met about 5 years ago at an art festival in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He now has a studio in Flagstaff, so I went to visit his studio. Shane Knight has a great gallery. He has this one photograph of the Tetons that I hope someday I have enough money to buy. The Tetons are very special to me and it is the only photograph that has really stood out to me enough that I would like to have it. We ate lunch at Cuvee 928. It was a delicious lunch and I was full enough that I didn't have room for Cold Stone. After that we headed back towards the Grand Canyon Caverns and took a tour. I was there last January and really enjoyed it. I thought my parents would like to go and they did. After that we headed back to my place because I had to get groceries and some things ready for the next day since I had to go back to work. It was an enjoyable trip and I am glad I got to see and spend some time with my parents.

Grand Canyon West 26th Anniversary

Eagle Point 

I was invited to go to the 26^th Anniversary celebration of Grand Canyon West. It was Saturday April 26, 2014. I went with another co-worker and then we met up with another co-worker, her husband, their daughter and a nephew. It was raining on the way up and then snowing when we got up there. I had gotten out a sweatshirt, but then left it thinking that I was taking too much stuff with my rain/wind jacket and hat. I ended up buying a sweatshirt at the gift shop there because it was too cold for just my light jacket. After I did that we went and got in line to take the bus to the Skywalk. My co-workers husband picked up the shirt they were giving out to everyone for each of us. We rode the bus to the Skywalk and Eagle Point. We took pictures of the Eagle in the rock, why it is named Eagle Point and looking down into the canyon.It was kind of scary because this little kid was running around with no parents around and we were afraid she was going to take too big of a risk and fall. We walked around and looked at the different examples of houses: teepees, and huts. After that the co-worker, that I rode up with and I got in line for the Skywalk. I am not afraid of heights, but am afraid of falling, so I thought being up on the Skywalk where I could look down below me would make me freak me out.

Skywalk

We aren’t allowed to take cameras or cell phones up there. They say that it is to preserve the glass by preventing those items being dropped on it. We had to put all of our stuff in the complementary lockers. It was a long line, but the wait wasn’t too bad. Fog started coming in while we were waiting. Once we got up there we could see that they had rugs laid on the one side to walk on so that people wouldn’t slip and fall on the glass since it had been raining and snowing. I actually wasn’t afraid at all. There was a photographer assigned to our group to take pictures, so we would walk a little bit and then he would stop us to take pictures. You don’t really get to spend a long time up there but kind of get herded along. After that we went back into the main building to look at our pictures and decide which ones we wanted to purchase. Since we had these purple wristbands it was not as expensive as normal, which was a good thing for me since I didn’t have much money to spend. I was able to get three pictures. I got one by myself, a nice one of my co-worker and I and a silly one of the two of us. After that we went through the line and got the free lunch, another deal with the purple bands. They were doing a presentation for the Anniversary. It was a nice and informative presentation. After that we went to look for our other co-worker and her family but we couldn’t find them and the cell service was non-existent. So, we hopped on the bus and went to the next point, Guano point, and walked out a ways almost to the historic tram and looked there. The sun was starting to come out so we decided to head back to see if we could get the helicopter ride. We rode the bus back to the starting point and went and got tickets for the helicopter and boat ride. It was also discounted because of the purple wristbands, which was nice because I definitely would not have been able to afford it otherwise. The timing was perfect and we didn’t have to wait at all. I was a little nervous since it was windy. I hate turbulence in planes and so wasn’t sure how I would handle being in a helicopter.

 When we took off I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to laugh or cry. I really enjoy it though and loved getting to see out of the helicopter. We flew to the bottom and took a short boat ride up and down the Colorado River. Then we ended up having to wait for awhile until the helicopter came back, but I didn’t mind as I was thoroughly enjoying being there. After that we flew back up and got in the vehicle and headed back to down. We went out to sushi for dinner and one of the choices I had was the Grand Canyon roll, as I thought it was fitting. It was a great day and I am glad I had the opportunity to go.

A Ghost town, A hot air balloon festival and caverns

Over Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend, I started working on exploring Arizona. First on Sunday we went to Oatman, a ghost town, on Route 66. It is advertised as the ghost town that won't die. It kind of reminds me of Keystone in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It has a main street and little shops all up and down the street. We pretty much went in every shop and looked around. There were lots of donkeys that are loose on the street. People take pictures with them and feed them food. I am not really sure why there are all these donkeys. Oatman is located on Route 66. After that we drove to Lake Havasu. They were having a hot air balloon festival. We saw the London Bridge and actually drove over to it. I was so not impressed. I thought it would be much more elaborate. We also walked under the bridge and along the river down to a park. We were trying to figure out where the hot air balloons were because we couldn't see them. We ended up getting back in the vehicle and driving a little bit before we got to the place and then we had to walk a long way to get to the place where they were. There was also a band that was playing and lots of food and vendors selling different things. When the sun started going down the balloons started landing and some they inflated again. When it got dark they had the glow event. We were able to stand in the middle and watch the balloons light up. Sometimes they flickered, sometimes they went in time to music and other times they did full on blasts. It was so awesome. We were surrounded by these huge hot air balloons and just watching them light up was awesome. We eventually left after watching for a long time and they were still going when we left.

On Monday we went to the Grand Canyons Caverns. It was awesome. There were no stalagmites and stalactites. The crystals weren't as impressive as in some of the caverns I've seen in South Dakota but it was still interesting. I liked learning the history of the caverns. It is a dry cavern 220 feet below the earth's surface. There aren't many dry caverns in the world. The guy who discovered the caverns thought that he had discovered a mine that had silver, gold and diamonds all together but after it was tested found out it was just crystals. After that he started setting up tours for $00.25. The person was given a lantern and lowered into the cavern by hanging onto a rope. This is where the saying "dope on a rope" originated. Later he had a swinging  bridge and stairs that people used for $00.50. The humidity is only 3%down there. At one time they were trying to figure out where the air was coming from, so they released red smoke and waited up top to see where it came out. Two weeks later they got a call from people that work at the Grand Canyon saying that red smoke was coming out of the walls. That is why they changed the name to Grand Canyon Caverns.

There is a mummified bobcat in the cavern. She had fallen down the hole and broken her hip but still tried to get out. Since there is so little moisture down there and nothing grows she ended up mummifying and they left her down there for people to see. They also have a replica of a huge sloth that also fell down the hole and tried to get out. One can still see the claw marks that she made. She broke her back. They removed her to investigate what happened to her so she didn't mummify, but they wanted a replica made so people could see how huge she was. There have been some people that have gotten married down in the cavern. They also have a suite set up so people can stay the night there. They have a band stage and they used to have concerts down there and said they plan to start again. It is also set up as a shelter. They set it up as a shelter during the Cuban missile crisis. They still have supplies there and could still use it as a shelter but because the population of the near-by towns have grown they wouldn't be able to accommodate everyone like they used to be able to do.  We had a great tour guide and he was very informative and funny.

11 Questions

1.     Who was your most memorable teacher, and why? My 6th grade teacher was very special to me. I have known since I was in Kindergarten that I was going to be a teacher, but she is probably the first teacher that really encouraged me to actually become a teacher. I also remember giving her a present (even though I don't remember the occasion) and my classmates teased me about it. So, even though she loved it I still also remember being teased about it. 

2.     Who is one of your educational mentors, and what makes them so special? Well, Dr. Carol Hess was one of my college professors and I kept in touch with her for several years, but she retired this year. She inspired to me to be an awesome teacher. She also has lots of life experience. I never thought I would be brave enough to do the things I have done, but I looked up to her and thought if I want to be as awesome as her someday then I can’t stay in my comfort zone and never take risks.

3.     Which song describes how you are feeling today? Add the youtube clip if possible 
      I can't even remember how long (I know it has been at least since elementary school) I have felt like I am living my life upside down and from the outside looking in. I am usually attracted to darker music, but this lighthearted song actually also fits how I feel. 

      Paloma Faith "Upside Down"  

4.     What is your favourite restaurant/place to eat in the city in which you live, and why?
      I actually have two. One would have to be Sakura Sushi because I just started liking sushi my third year overseas and I am so glad that I can continue to eat it back in the US and other Asian food. The other would be Plaza Bonita. I also really love Mexican food, and I even though I really love Asian food I really missed Mexican food while I was overseas. 

5.     Which video is *cracking you up right now? (*making you laugh) Give us the link!

      I can't remember what my favorite one is called and can't find it. So this is my second favorite. 

      I can fit in there. 

      Twitter wasn't working earlier but I have it now. Medieval Help Desk

6.     What is one thing you learned recently, that wouldn’t have been possible without technology? How did you learn it?
      Well, this year has been an adjustment and my first 6 months in my new town I worked seven days a week, which did not give me the opportunity to meet new people. I also spent a lot of time staying connected with people far away, which is great, but those people can't accept invitations to do things in person. So, this spring I have been working on learning things not using technology and meeting people face to face rather than through technology. So, one of the things I have been learning is how to knit and I am taking a knitting class and meeting other people that knit. I am sure I could watch videos and learn how to knit but my goal is to meet new people where I live. How this ties into technology is that I learned through twitter at the beginning of the year about choosing one word for the year instead of resolutions. My word for this year is Balance. Moving to a new place is always a huge adjustment and there are many things I need to balance so that I make it a successful move. My personality is not always one that leads to balance, so I am really working on trying to improve that part of me. 

7.     Can you please snap a picture of one of your everyday views, and share the photo here?

Hualapai Mountains

8.     What is the next place you want to visit and why?

I have lots of countries that I have yet to see and I have a long list. I think my next trip I would like to go back to Switzerland. I loved Switzerland when I was there, but it has been several years and so I want to go back to see if I still love it as much as I do in my memories. There is something about Switzerland that calls to me and it has been too long since I was last there to consciously remember what it is, but hopefully going back I can find it again and be satisfied. 

9.     Complete this sentence: Teaching is a wonderful profession because…
      I get to work with students everyday. I enjoy continuing to learn myself and working with others to teach them new things. I can share my love of different things with them.  I love being able to be around young people because it keeps me feeling young. They have some great stories to share and they love my sense of humor. I also like the fact that I can make a difference to someone and that they know that there is at least one person in the world that cares about them. 

10.  Can you please list 5 of your favourite movies? Feel free to elaborate on why you like them. Or not!

This is tough.

James Bond movies- I don’t have a favorite, as I love them all. I love James Bond. 

"The Princess Bride"- I really like this movie because it was the first non-cartoon love story and it has action and humor too.

"The Shawshank Redemption"- I don't know. I just do. 

"The Red Violin"- I saw this back in college and it has stuck with me ever since. I recently bought it and watched it again. I still love the story of it.

"An American in Paris"- I love old movies and I also love to dance. Even though I wanted to be a teacher since I was little, I also wanted to be a prima ballerina. When I was little I planned to teach during the day and dance at night. So, not only is an old classic, but it also has dancing in it and it is overseas so it more exotic than the US. 

11.  How do you unwind on a Friday after school? That really depends on how the week went and the mood I am in. Sometimes I like to stay in, make dinner and watch a movie with popcorn. Other times I like to go out for dinner and dancing. 

Cowboy boots and Tattoos

I grew up in Wyoming and so there was lots of cowboys and Western wear. I went to the Rodeo once when I was young with a friend of mine. I don’t remember what happened except that I was traumatized and have never been to one since. I did like to go horseback riding and wished that I could have had a horse when I was growing up. I was never interested in wearing any western wear. I also am not a country music fan. I wasn’t crazy about it growing up, but grew to like it even less in college, but that is another story. This summer though I have taken an interest in western wear. I started this summer by buying a western hat, not really a cowboy hat, more like Indiana Jones’ hat. Later I did buy myself a fancy cowboy hat and a cowboy belt buckle. I am saving up to have a belt made to go with the buckle. Or, it is more like I can’t decide what sort of design I want on the belt. It will probably take me awhile to decide. Of the designs so far, they all look so cool, but I also want something that is unique to me.

Anyway, I went into Boot Barn the other day for something that they didn’t have and ended up looking at boots. I have worn boots over the years, mostly plain black or brown, but have also worn Harley Davidson boots. I need some new boots and decided to look at what they had. I bought my first pair of cowboy boots. When I was looking at them I asked the lady why are there so many designs because when you wear them under your pant legs people can’t see them. She said she buys the boots for herself and it is kind of like her secret. She might show them to some people. It made me think of my tattoos. I have tattoos, but most people don’t know it. They are always shocked when they find out. I don’t have them placed where they are visible all the time like many people. I have them so that I can enjoy them, and I can show them to people if they are special enough to me. So, I totally get her thoughts about the cowboy boots. I ended up buying a pair and they are so comfortable that I can’t believe it. I may not want to ever wear anything else again. I have never had shoes or boots that were so comfortable. I went back today to look at another pair that I had seen the first day. They are also super comfortable but they are more money than I have ever spent on shoes in my life. I get that that pair is hand made and so way more work is put into them than some of the other boots I looked at while I was there.  I have never been a shoe person, but I have been looking at the wide variety of boots out there. I can see how they could be addicted having different designs to wear for different occasions. But, in a similar way to tattoos I am not going to be rash in my decision. They may not last forever like a tattoo, but with the cost they are going to be worn a lot, so I have to make sure that I really like them.  I have wanted another tattoo for a few years now but I can’t decide on a design. It takes me years to make that decision, and I might put it off for a little longer because I might get another pair of cowboy boots. They might not represent the story I am looking to tell in the tattoo, but they are definitely not permanent, so I don’t have to be as committed to them like I am my tattoos.

So, I've decided I really like cowboy boots. They may not have fit in my life before but they fit in my life now. I am glad I am always evolving, changing and open to try new things. 

Appreciation

Over the last few years I have learned more about appreciation and things I have taken for granted.

Hot water & showers- I grew up taking showers with hot water and for me it was just a given. When I moved to Malaysia I rented a room with bathroom in a boarding house and it did not come with hot water. I took cold showers for the first few months and it was so hard. Even though later in the day supposedly the sun would warm the water, since most people’s water tanks were on top of the house, the water was never warm. Plus, for many years now I have taken a shower in the morning, to help wake myself up and so that I am clean for the day. Taking a freezing cold shower each morning was hard. I was eventually able to convince my landlord to let me buy and install a hot water heater at least for the shower. Even though I am currently back in the US, I am still super grateful every morning for a hot shower. Besides hot water, I am grateful that I can take a shower. There were a couple times in Malaysia and once in Indonesia where I did not have water at all. In Malaysia I kept a plastic garbage can full of water (I bought it just for that purpose) so that I could at least take a scoop bath for the day. The one time in Indonesia I was able to go to the club where I worked out and used their locker room there.  When I went on the school’s week camping trip I was able to take a shower every day. It was cold water, but for a week it was doable because I was at least able to clean myself from all of our daily activities.  I thought that once I returned to the US that I would never be in a situation where I could not take a shower, but not longer after I moved into my current apartment I was. There were some issues with my shower and in the attempt to fix the shower the maintenance man did not read the directions. So, I was left without the ability to take a shower. The good news is that I was able to wash myself in the sink, but it just doesn’t quite do the job of a shower and since I was starting a new job, it wasn’t exactly how I imagined showing up to work. No one seemed to be the wiser though. Obviously I have never had to go weeks or months without a shower, but I know from just these few times how grateful I am that I can shower and be clean every day. I know that many people can’t and I am sure there are people out there that would gladly take a shower, even a cold one, so that they can be clean.

My own vehicle- Not long before I was supposed to get my learner’s permit I saw a horrific accident and thought I would never drive, but my parents made me learn anyway. After I turned 16 and had a license I was responsible for getting myself to my activities. I was very much used to that freedom when I moved to Malaysia and no longer had a vehicle at my disposal. My first year there I rode the school bus to school with the students because I lived in what was considered a small town in Asia (but a large city by US standards) and cabs were rare and difficult to get ahold of. Where once I had ridden a bus and thought it was normal, it was hard to go back to riding a bus and being on the bus driver’s schedule. Many times the bus driver was late and I had to wait and wait. Sometimes the bus driver didn’t show up at all and then I had to walk to school and I would be left arriving at school dripping sweat., not exactly how I wanted to start my day. If I wanted to do anything socially I had to rely on someone else to pick me up and then take me back. There was a small group of expats and only one other woman worked. So, if there was any social event the other ladies would not feel obligated to go home at a decent time since they didn’t have to get up the next morning for work. The second year I was able to find a lady and hired her to take me to and from work. That worked a little better. Still didn’t help much with things socially. Sometimes I would call for a cab and there would be all sorts of excuses like that isn’t too far, just walk (but it was too far to walk) or it is raining, so just walk. In Indonesia I had a vehicle again and I was very grateful not to have to rely on others to get me to or from work. Also, my social life was much more active and I could run errands whenever was convenient for me. There were also tons of cabs everywhere, so if there was a place that I couldn’t drive to myself it was very easy to get a cab. I was always willing to give rides to others who didn’t have a vehicle because I knew how it was to not have a vehicle. Towards the end of my time there my vehicle was in the shop for a week and I had to rely on a cab company. It wasn’t one I had used before and there were good most morning, but in the afternoons they would never come to pick me up. The last morning of that week they told me they had no cabs and that they weren’t going to have any available anytime soon. The good news is that I was able to get another cab, so that I could get to work. Back in the US, I have a vehicle again and I am so glad to have one. I am grateful for the freedom it brings me to run errands when I need to and get to work on time and leave work when I am done and not when someone else is ready to leave.

A home- Back when I was 28, my dad built me a custom built house. It was something that I had hoped that he would do for me someday, but I had no idea that it would work out so soon in my life. I enjoyed my home very much and thought I would live there for a very long time, but my life path changed and I went off to pursue my dream of teaching overseas. When I lived in Malaysia I rent a room with a bathroom in a boarding house. It was about the size of a dorm room and the landlord was pretty strict. I had to be quiet at all times and couldn’t have any company over. I went between sitting on my bed, to the computer chair to the little rattan chair beside the bed. I wasn’t allowed to cook, but I was able to have fridge and microwave, so I could make a few simple things like bowls of vegetables and sandwiches. (All of the other residents had vehicles and were single men, so they were used to eating all of their meals out.)  I also wasn’t allowed to come down to the kitchen if they had company or eat in my room, so sometimes that made the weekends very long when I was so hungry waiting for the company to leave. Many times I wished that I was back in the US in my nice, comfortable home. Although, I was grateful that I at least had a roof over my head because I know that some people don’t. In Indonesia I was in a townhouse that was brand new. It was much better than my room. It did have some problems with leaking when rainy season started and that made it kind of hard to constantly be cleaning up all the puddles. There were also some issues that it had like toilets that leaked and showers that leaked. It was hard to be patient because I was there an entire year and except for the first three months there, I had those problems the whole time and they got worse as time went on since they weren’t dealt with by the people who were supposed to take care of them. Now I am in an apartment complex. Part of me feels like I am back in college because of noisy neighbors, a tiny kitchen and having to use a laundry room to do laundry. I am grateful in both the house in Indonesia and now here that I have the ability to cook and bake again. Neither of them may have the kitchen I had in my home, but having a kitchen I can use is pretty nice. One of things I love to do and use as a stress reliever is to cook and bake. Not being able to do that for the two years in Malaysia was tough. It was hard to eat pretty much the same thing every meal for two years. All of these have taught me that even though I am grateful for a roof over my head that I should have appreciated my home even more. I am not doing my goals in the order I thought I would and I may never have a home again, but at least I got to live in it for a year.

Climate- I knew from my times visiting my grandparents in Minnesota and a trip to Wisconsin once that I wasn’t really a fan of humidity. I was told that the climate in Malaysia was much better and that I really wouldn’t mind the humidity. I didn’t like the heat and humidity the three years I was overseas. I disliked sweating and smelling every day. I didn’t like wearing wet clothes. Also, it took a long time for them to dry. I have sensitive skin and I had even more problems over there with the constant sweating.  Now that I am back in the US I appreciate the dry climate even better. Even though it was hot this summer it is now going to fall and things are getting colder. The other morning I was able to go for a very invigorating walk and breathe all that fresh air. I like being able to be active and really having to be active before I sweat, not just standing still. I also like the fact that I smell better because I don’t sweat all the time. I know that some people don’t like the cold, but I love it. I love wearing sweaters, slippers, hats, scarves and gloves. Being able to cuddle under tons of blankets to sleep. I didn’t sleep as well on top of the one bottom sheet over there as I do here under a couple of blankets. It is also nice to not have to run the a/c at night when I am sleeping. I could look out the window in Malaysia or Indonesia and think that it looked beautiful out, but when I went outside it never was. Here I can look out the window and think it is beautiful outside and when I actually go outside it really is beautiful. I like that I can also open the windows and get fresh air that isn’t hot and stuffy.

I am not saying that the US is better than Malaysia or Indonesia. There were lots of things that were great over there too. Over there I was able to do much more traveling around the countries that I lived in and to other countries that I wanted to see because things were so inexpensive and it was easy. Since I am back in the US I have realized that there were some things that I didn’t appreciate as much at the time when I was over there. I accepted a job and now I know some things I didn’t at the time I accepted the job. One of them is that I was able to live pretty comfortably money wise on my salary in both countries and have money to do some traveling.  Now I am in a position where I am barely able to make ends meet. So far I have been able to pay each bill and not have any debt, but I can see how if I get my haircut or do social things that it would be easy to do. I love to travel and there are several awesome places in the state that I live in that I would love to see, but right now all traveling is out. I always thought that with a college degree that I would never be in a position that I was living paycheck to paycheck just trying to take care of the essential bills. I can see how easy it can be for people to go into debt. Another thing I took for granted was planning time. I have always had at least 60 minutes of planning time, but in overseas sometimes I would have two hours total during the day so that I didn’t have much work that I had to take home or many days that I had to stay super late. At my current job I have about 30 minutes while my students go to specials, if I don’t have meetings. So, almost every day I stay late. I can see if I didn’t have to stay late or take work home I could get a part-time job to help make some extra money. Definitely thinking about getting a summer job to help make extra money for next year, so I can breathe a little more.

I have more I have been thinking about, but this is quite a long post, so I will quit there for now.