3 Weeks in a Nutshell.....

Well, the last 3 weeks have been very eventful, so let me break them down and give you an update:

Week 1 - Salt Lake City, Utah

A group of us went to observe a middle school that was using this vocabulary program and having great success. Actually, the school was very successful. It was actually a great experience to see such a positive learning environment. I got to watch some great teachers at work. And it's always great to see people doing what you love to do, do it well. The staff all worked together and there was a level of mutual respect that was a joy to feel. And I got to meet several of the "new recruits" who would be teaching in my district next year, including my new principal.

Salt Lake City....well, it's a clean city. A clean boring city. I went to a couple different malls. That was fun. But if you aren't interested in the religious aspect of the city....there wasn't much to do. I did want to go see the Salt Lake to see if I floated, but I was in the school all day.

I did oversleep one morning....I arrived 2 hours late. Which was horrifying because I haven't been late to work in 8 years. AND it was in front of my new principal. But I'd rather be late in Utah instead of actually late to teach. So I can only beat myself up for so long. But this is why I normally have 2 alarm clocks.

Week 2 - Benicia, California

Ah, family & friends. I got to spend some time at my old school and I presented a slide show I had made about my first year in Alaska to most of the school. That was fun. I felt like a celebrity when I got there. It felt a bit surreal to be back after moving away. I was happy to see my former students again and my coworkers.

Family, family, family........that's pretty much how I spent the week. That and I sold my car. I got all the paperwork done and mailed off. I don't particularly enjoy borrowing my mother's car, but I like that better than paying for a car I don't drive. So it works out. I will be back again in July and hope to do more stuff.

Week 3 - Akiak, Alaska

Home, sweet home. I missed my cats....a lot. This past week I spent moving. Now, before I left Akiak, my study buddy/airport friend had helped me move all of my totes over to my new house. But I wasn't ready to move my cats over there quite yet. I had a lot of cleaning to do. Let's just say, I was surprised to find that the shower stall was actually white and not cream....and don't get me started on the floors, kay? Anyways, I am now all moved out and my place is clean.....I just hope that the rodent droppings I found are old. Because I know my cats will have fun with that, and I'm okay never getting presents from my cats....dead things aren't my bag.

On a personal note, I had been seeing someone I had met in Alaska (it was the coffeehouse guy....we had taken it out of the coffeehouse) but we broke up in between California & Alaska. At the airport actually.....quite wonderful really....you know how I love crying in public. But I found dealing with a break up in such an isolated place like my village isn't such a piece of cake. True, I have plenty of time for reflection but I am unable to do those things a gal's gotta do to deal.....ie: shopping, talking bad about the guy to her girlfriends (mine were all working), and other distractions. But I did find, that I have been able to totally deal with things that in the past, I wouldn't have spent a lot of time on. And after a couple of days, I felt a whole lot better. And I wasn't expecting that. I don't think I'm in denial, but after a day spent fixating on HIM, oh my goodness, I was so ready to move onto another topic! I was so ready to get out of the negative world I had put myself. So I picked myself up and made a plan to move on!

But I still can't find it within me to agree with this quote: "It's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all."

I'm more of the "Ignorance is bliss" school of thought. But that's just me.