Starving

So you know how you were a baby once, right? And the only thing you can eat is breast milk or formula? 

Pretty blah, right?

Then you eat oatmeal and you're thinking, "Man that stuff has a funny texture and tastes funny". Then comes baby food, "What?! stuff as flavor?" (Except those yucky kinds-like green beans-spit that stuff right out!)

AND THEN YOU GET TEETH! (Ouch!)

"What?! I can chew stuff?!-- This food is awesome!!! Bananas!? Spaghettios!? Holy moly!" And you want to eat all the time. Food food food, yum yum yum!

You are seriously starving to get a bite of your mom's food (even though you have a plate of your own). 

It's like once you get a taste of how delectable food is, you want it all the time!

It's kinda like I am an infant teacher (ok so I AM an infant teacher.) 

Started out this year kinda bland, testing the waters, getting a feel for how to do this thing called being a teacher. 

And then you try out some new ideas, trying to learn some new stuff [ahem] I mean teach new stuff. (but hey to teach is to learn right?).  And slowly things start to gain flavor. 

You start succeeding and gaining confidence, the classroom starts gaining personality, you're starting to get a feel for this 'eating' stuff. Sure, you taste a couple of bad experiences (green bean baby food-real green beans are the bee's knees), but you spit those out and carry on.

Now comes those teeth! Oooh ooow! Those growing pains hurt! But look at that! Some pearly whites to start chewing on stuff! I think I am in this phase. The phase where you just came through some growing pains as a teacher, but you started to get a real taste of what it's like to be a successful teacher. Your kids somehow learned more than you taught them!! (wahoo!) You soak up every opportunity to learn from experienced teachers- ideas, centers ideas, behavior management, cooperating with coworkers. Now you are starving!!! Everything has bold new flavors and you can't stop eating, can't stop learning. You want to go to tons of Professional Developments to learn as much as you can, now that you know how to apply it. (Boy, who would've thought I would LOVE PD's.) And you do what I just did and pin a ka-jillion things on pinterest to make over the summer and start reading blogs like they're spaghettios! 

I am starving for knowledge, starving for strategies, starving for any sort of advice teachers have to offer. Starving for the next chance to become a better teacher to the students entrusted to me. 

Growing is hard sometimes, and it can really hurt. But looking back at where you came from and realizing that you have learned something, and you have gotten better; it's an awesome feeling. 

So, uh, ya. On that note. I'm hungry now.

And now you know how much I like food. (a lot) :D 

They Say Home Is Where The Heart Is.

They say, “Home is where the heart is.”

But what if your heart is in two places at once?

I’m in the phase of being a new expat where you feel as though you have two homes.

Desperately trying to cling to the place I’ve called home for 23 years,

While loving and adopting Ho Chi Minh City as my new home.

Aching at the thought of missed band concerts, musicals, sporting events, graduations, wedding planning, family get-togethers, and friends;

But finding freedom and independence in living in a new place and learning-seeing new things.

Wanting to be in on all of the jokes and memories in this time of my family’s life,

Yet loving being able to make memories of my own.

It’s quite the mind boggle.

It’s pretty easy to get into routine and coast through life. I can’t believe I have been calling Vietnam home for 10 months! That is just loony. My first year of teaching has a mere 21 days left! It has gone by so fast. I have learned SO much! Not only have I learned how to actually be a kinda teacher, but I’ve adapted to a new culture, learned some of the language, learned how to ride a motor bike and not die in HCMC traffic (an accomplishment!—however no license yet.. sorry dad), made many new life long friends, and learned a lot about what makes me, me. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions from excitement, to deep valley lows, and back up to the tops of the mountains (literally—climbed Mt. Fansipan {dubbed “Fancy Pants}). It’s been a great experience and I am anxious to see what the next year (or more) has in store for me.

However, I have recently booked my airline tickets home. Knowing that there is a ticket home with my name on it makes is SUPER DEE DUPER hard to stay focused on the tasks at hand; such as, teaching kindergarten, finding a new house for next year, packing up this house, packing up the classroom, report cards, and the list ensues.)[ßMay be the wrong usage of ensues?] The workload is daunting and I’m tempted to pull a Krystal and just let it happen. Trying to be proactive in this time is much harder than usual. I also am trying to make the most of the time I have with the teachers not returning, and making a few more memories before everyone parts ways for the summer.

I am so ready to see my friends and family and welcome two new brothers into the family! It is very important to me to not wish away the precious time I have left with my inaugural Kindergarten class. They have taught me so much, and I love each and every one of them. It’s like being stuck in the middle of a rock and a hard place. Or maybe more like being caught in the ocean current. The open sea and the near by land are beckoning for me. The strength of the ocean current tosses me back and forth: “think about school, you’re almost done!” “No! You need to invest in your sisters before they marry off!” “Why do you want to be ‘done,’ don’t you like your kids, don’t you want to be their teacher?” “Shut up you! I want to hang out with my Iowans!” By the time you stagger to shore, your plum tuckered out and need a beer. Phew!

That’s pretty much where I’m at. Love my life here, but aching for that taste of home. Can your heart be in more places than one?

-On a side note, I just finished my 3^rd half marathon on Saturday! It was a blistering 107 degrees (41C) beginning at 3:30PM! Because of the severe heat, I ran slower than usual, but still came out with a 2:26 time. So I’m content with that.

We had a friend suffer a severe heat stroke at the end of his 10K race (5^th place!), and had to spend a scary night in the Phu Quoc small town hospital. But, thanks be to God, he is recovering and doing well! Keep him in your prayers as he continues to heal.

Alright, that’s all for now! Maybe next time won’t be so far off?

We’ll see.