Tales of a Traveling Teacher

Do you remember when I said Mary Jane told me about the Fulbright Teacher Exchange?  (I still don't know how to thank her enough for telling me about it!)  She knew about it because another art teacher in the area had participated and she had met her before.  So, the closer I got to this opportunity being a reality, I decided I would like to meet Clare, the reason that I knew about the Fulbright Teacher Exchange, the "instigator."   Clare is from the UK, came here on the exchange and met the man she is now married to and so is living here now.  It was an absolute joy and pleasure to meet Clare and get her perspective. She was certainly someone that I knew understood what it meant to be going through these same emotions and all of the to-do lists! She had wonderful tips and pointers, she was full of information about the UK schools, customs, food, and all sorts of useful things!  She told me about things to expect, what sorts of things to pack, how people might act, an

Driving on the other side of the road is tough.  I remember driving on the other side in New Zealand, and I was so thankful for time just to sit in the front seat and feel more comfortable with it.  I did fairly well, but taking turns, backing out of parking spaces, and other similar things were still a little difficult to remember.  And somehow, even though I just drove there for a short time, that time took away the automaticity of knowing where the lights and windshield wipers were.  They were on opposite sides there from what I was used to and still, six years later, I often wash the windshield when I mean to turn on my brights! Driving in the UK is certainly a daunting thought, but because of this prior knowledge, I was not all too intimidated, until... I asked about the car I was going to be driving.  I had always been embarrassed by the fact that I did not know how to drive a manual.  I had fears that I would be a good citizen, and offer to drive someone home who had had a lit

Wow!  There is so much to do!  This exchange is teaching me so very much about organization and planning!  The thought of being gone for a year is quite daunting, and thinking of all of the things that need to be taken care of is a bit overwhelming.   I'm thinking about... -UK visa -car insurance -driver's license -home insurance -bank accounts  -transferring money -cell phones -ways to stay in contact -home repairs -finding ways to ship items -places to visit -what I'll be teaching -what to pack!! There's so much to do and plan for!  I know that things will still through me for a loop, no matter the amount of planning I do, but I hope to be as on top of things as I can be.  I'm also very thankful for the communication and comradery from the other Fulbrighters as we share thoughts and tips to help each other through this checklist (and all the things I'm forgetting about!).