Stuff

I knew this would happen. I knew that the end of my two years here in Bolivia would suddenly arrive and I'd be sitting here wondering where the time went. Two weeks from today I'll be on a plane headed to the States, and it's time to start thinking about the packing situation.

Next year I'm teaching Environmental Science and just last week I did an assignment to get the students thinking about the environment. During my research I came across this video

and it got me thinking about MY stuff. What "things" do I think I need and where are those other things that I've bought that I thought I needed? Why are we, as a whole, so wasteful, so ignorant about where our stuff comes from and what it's made of?  I sold everything 3 years ago, well I do have 4 rubbermaid containers at my parents' house and when I moved to Bolivia I did so in two large suitcases and a carry on. Now it's time to pack up those bags I dragged down here and low and behold I have more stuff. In my two years here I haven't bought a lot, nothing compared to what I would have purchased in the U.S., but do I really need to buy more stuff? As a side note, I'd like to share that these thoughts are the thoughts that cascaded into the idea that when I travel or move places I should just get tattoos, you know, stuff that I can permanently carry around with me.

It saddens me that one of the things I'm looking forward to as soon as I get to Raleigh is heading straight to the Mac Store and then REI... I do not want to contribute to the cycle. Now, I have to say that my dad is pretty good at reusing and I certainly got that trait. He and I keep stuff forever, and although we sometimes get teased, I am glad that I got that trait. Each time I purchase something I think about why I'm buying it. What am I going to use it for and for how long? Am I shopping because I'm bored, or that's what I'm supposed to do? What else could I be doing to fill this "need".

And as I pack I realize that I don't have that much stuff, and how life is just free-er when you are not bogged down with stuff. So packing is actually going to be ok and I'm off on a new adventure.

And the winner is...

Our school has a competition where each grade level competes for points and the winner earns an end of the year BBQ, off campus, for the whole day. Each teacher has their own homeroom class and each grade has three homerooms. This year, as you know, my homeroom was all the 10th grade girls. I have this theory about competitions and games... if you're going to play, you mind and well win, and win we did. Since December we have been earning points for small contests, like, the least amount of tardies, collecting supplies for flood victims, eating contests, etc. Herding a bunch of 16 year olds is no small task, but luckily I have a huge mouth and an attitude to match, so with a "little" encouragement from me and my 19 girls, the entire 10th grade earned a day off campus.

All our kids are in the elite class of Santa Cruz so anyone could have hosted a party for 40 people, but no one was stepping up to offer, so I just chose the student with the closest house to school and bugged him until he caved in and asked his mom. The school hired the BBQ man and in addition to the house full of maids we had ourselves a fantastic day celebrating our awesomeness.

Oh Snaps

Teaching can really have its ups and downs and this week was a real downer. The week started off fantastic, as the president decided a few weeks ago that Monday would be a holiday and therefore we didn't have school. No better way to start the work week with a day off. With a short week ahead of me, and 2 exams planned the outlook was good. I thought. Then, after a staff meeting on Wednesday, a security guard at the school tracked me down to let me know that three students were caught in my room going though my desk. Huh. I was giving a Chemistry exam the next day. You know that class that I now have to teach because the "other" teacher ran screaming and crying from our school in December? Yeah, that class. Ok, I know that teenagers think that all old people are super stupid, but I am the exception :) At this point I don't have any "evidence" or "facts" that a test was looked at, photographed or taken, but on the way home I decided to suck it up and spend MY free time writing a new test. Have you ever tried to hand type a chemistry test? Didn't think so, but let me tell you it isn't a short process.

The next morning I get to school and meet with my principal and dean and we decide that I will definitely give the "new" test and that we'll keep our eyes out. We do find out that the day before the girls (three of them) told the cleaning lady that one of them had left their cell phone in my room and they needed to get in. Too bad the cleaning lady didn't know that I didn't even teach those kids on that day (we have block schedules). She unlocks the door and notices that the girls go straight to my desk and start rummaging through my drawers and take something. Now, the cleaning lady doesn't know my exam schedule, but she, too, is not stupid and realizes that something smells funny. She goes straight to her boss and you know what they do? They grab a yearbook and immediately identify the girls! Genius. The problem, however, still remains that we don't have any evidence that they took something. The class starts at 8 and I'm outside with the dean and we notice the three "suspects" acting "strange" and heading up to the library. It's 10 minutes before class, huh, what are they going to the library for? Could be lots of reasons, right? Well the dean decided to head up and weasel his way, unseen, to the back where the girls are sitting. Crouching below the shelves he heads toward their table and low and behold there they are, sitting pretty, with MY exam. Oh snaps.

Two summers is ALWAYS better than one

I remember not too long ago, maybe 5 years, sitting on my little couch in Denver, wrapped up in a fleece blanket, sweater, wool socks, pajama pants, cup of tea, freezing my butt off, thinking... wouldn't it be super cool to teach in South America and enjoy the school year in the summer months and then return to North America to enjoy summer break? Those thoughts, way back then, seemed a huge stretch, but here I am people, sitting in Bolivia, watching the cool air encroach as fall sneaks in, thinking, in 5 weeks I'll be spending summer in North Carolina! I DID it.

 For the past two years I have taught in Bolivia and enjoyed the tropical Santa Cruz air all school year. I did venture north of the equator in December when I traveled in Colombia, and I did spend some freezing moments in Ecuador during June and July, but for the past two years I've been soaking in the warmth and this summer I am headed back to the U.S. to soak up some more. I don't consider myself a sun worshiper, I don't lay out and tan, but I do love when the sun is shining. Don't get my wrong, I'll take a few clouds every now and then, but the sun better make an appearance soon.

Lately I have realized that I can accomplish anything. I know you are thinking, yeah, yeah, you don't have a family, kids, mortgage, and you are RIGHT, and you know why I don't have those things? Because I made the choice not to. My decisions, from years past, have led to this life I have. This life, that, although I complain and get frustrated, I love.

Now the trick is not to sit here and wish you could change things. The trick is to KNOW that you CHOSE what you have. You made the choice to be exactly where you are right now, so enjoy it. Love it. Live.

Try this. I bet you are exactly where you want to be.