Reflections on turning 42

I was craving a salad all day.

I bought myself a birthday beer and forgot to drink it.

I value my alone time.

As much as I want to return to international teaching, I love having a dog in my life.

I am feeling sentimental.

I identify with being a teacher.

I want to be outside as much as possible.

My family is awesome.

Societal pressures are hard to ignore.

I want more people to value nature more than football, shopping and material crap.

I want my students to overcome poverty, hold their head high, and march into their future.

I want to empower people to remove their roadblock...

Currently I am reading "The Blue Sweater" and this is my quote of the day:

"I only have one request.
I do not ask for money
Although I have need of it,
I do not ask for meat...
I have only one request,
All I ask is
That you remove
the roadblock
From my path."

- Okot P'Bitek

Remember the time...

I walked off the plane in Raleigh and was hit with the humid warm air of the south. Awesome. It's interesting how smells can trigger memories and that smell of that warm air, the feeling of my skin soaking up every bit of moisture, brought back 30 year old memories. The family trip to Florida to see my grandparents in their mobile home in the trailer park. The warm, moist air, being a bit bored, running with my father, going to get orange juice and grapefruits at the Indian River citrus stands, playing cards, watching my grandparents suck down high balls, my grandparents still acting like love bird fools after all those years,  my grandmother wrapping up soaps, lotions and, of all things, the shower cap from her most recent hotel stay, my sister and I wearing our shower caps and acting like fools, laughing, eating clams casino, fish chowder, laughing. All those memories felt like a warm holiday hug.

switched

For the first time in my adult life I am the one left behind. My whole family is on a trip to the tropical island of St. Lucia and I'm stuck in the midst of exams, grading, not taking. Normally I'd be the one traveling someplace with no access to phones, busy with daily needs that I wouldn't consider hanging out in an internet cafe. Well this time, I am the one left to worry. Did they make it? Are they ok? I reach for my phone to dial my mom and remember, oh crap I can't talk to her right now. So, this is what it feels like being on the other end of traveling kids. I know they are having a blast and I can't wait to catch up and hear about their trip. It's weird being on this side of things...

Fresa goes to Camp

My mom and I may have a little too much time on our hands. We decided to have a little photo shoot in the yard yesterday, the theme? Fresa goes to Camp. This house has been a doggie camp for years. In 2004 I drove 30 hours from Colorado so that my parents could watch Winnie while I spent the summer working on the fishing docks in Alaska. This camp is worth it. 

THE wedding event of my life

My baby sister is getting married - in 4 days - and she's decided on a destination wedding, so the family is packing their bags and we're meeting up in Turks and Caicos. This shouldn't be so bad since I live on the island directly south of T & C, however getting a flight was an enormous pain in the ass and I have to travel 2 hours to a different city (even though I live in the capital) to get to Providenciales. It seems that the old idea of island hopping in the Caribbean is not alive and well, that if you want to explore multiple islands you do a cruise... so tomorrow I get on a bus, head to Santiago, get to the airport and leave at 4 pm only to arrive in Provo at 3:45 pm... nothing like gaining 15 minutes in life :)

I'm the maid of honor, well the wedding is super small, so it's only me and the best man representing. I think about 20 people are coming, so just family that could afford to get down to the island and stay at the resort. I am good at many things, being a maid of honor doesn't seem to be one of them. I don't really know what to do. 

Luckily my sister is an organizational genius and just in the nick of time I got this in the mail...

A handmade booklet of information and 

and itinerary for the week. 

Now all I need to do is pack and figure out how to navigate the bus system of the DR. I'm getting an I Pad for xmas, so hopefully I'll be able to do more blogging from the road. Stay tuned for wedding updates :)

Out with the girls

Last night my sister and I went out with a few of her friends. We went to a place called The George in downtown Raleigh and had apps and dessert, yum. Do you think we look like sisters? We can't decide. I think I really look like my mom in this pic.