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For a year, I updated this blog every single day.  I did so religiously, and looking back at it now, I am so thrilled that I did as it is such a wonderful account of my adventure.  But, for months now, I have wanted to do one final blog entry and yet, I have not.  I am not sure what has taken me so long to write this final entry.  Perhaps it is that life quickly caught up with me and I was just busy, but I think it was actually deeper than that.  Writing this final blog entry is like closing the book on the grand adventure that I was fortunate enough to experience last year.  Perhaps I have not been ready to officially tell my year abroad goodbye.

But it is at this time, Thanksgiving, that I have been flooded with warm memories of my life a year ago and I just felt compelled to finally write this last chapter.

I arrived in Atlanta on August 2nd, just one day after being at what seemed like a world away - at Downton Abbey, then eating dinner with dear friends at the pub and enjoying the soothing sounds of summer sitting on the back porch with Angela and Graham.  As soon as I stepped off the plane though, I could feel the warmth (literally and figuratively) of home surrounding me.  Those familiar southern accents and friendly warm greetings just made me tingle with joy.  Greeting my parents at the arrivals gate was just perfect - broad smiles and tears of joy as we embraced, reunited and thrilled to be back together again.

At the airport

Besides being reunited with my parents, I was also reunited with family that I hadn't seen in seven years.  One of the families that I lived with in New Zealand, the Sopers, were in the states visiting and had made a point to come to Alabama and spend some time with us.  It was so much fun to be surrounded by so much excitement and energy while we enjoyed the warm sunshine and warm lake waters together.  The boys, who were 3 and 10 when I was living there were now 10 and 17 and there was a third precious boy whom I had not yet met.  It was a glorious way to "re-enter" the states by having the house full of joy and enthusiasm!  

My New Zealand "brothers"

My Kiwi Family

I was also thrilled to spend some time with Kelly, my exchange partner and soul-sister.  She came to spend some time with all of us at the lake and we enjoyed sharing many stories and exchanging lots of laughs as we talked about the differences we had encountered.

Kelly and I took a turn on the inner-tube 

After that, life got incredibly full for a time, but it was so full of friends, family and laughter that I certainly didn't mind it!  

Two of my best friends from elementary school got married and I was honored to be a part of their weddings!  These celebrations called for bachelorette trips to Miami and New Orleans, then a two-day wedding in Birmingham and a perfectly lovely wedding on the beach.  

Caroline, Monica and I at Caroline's Wedding

Monica's Wedding

I spent lots of time reuniting with family and spending time with all of my adorable little cousins, who quickly warmed back up to me.  There were dinners to catch up with friends, nights to share stories of our year apart from each other.  

Reuniting with little cousins

I turned 30 and celebrated with a dance party in my garage - just what I had always wanted.  

30th Birthday

And oh yes, there were the other little things too, like settling back into my house, moving back into my classroom and teaching my 22 bright-eyed and energetic fourth graders.

Life through early October was hectic, but happy.  When life finally slowed down a bit, I decided it was time to find a new furry companion.  I have had a cat since I was four years old, and going an entire year without one just seemed so very odd.  It didn't take me long at all at the Humane Society to choose a new friend.  The second she was brought to me, her purring started and I knew she was right. Her energy and crazy tears through the house keep me laughing.  I named her Lizzie after Elizabeth Bennet, and certainly a reminder to me of my year in England.  

Lizzie

Last week, I celebrated Thanksgiving, incredibly thankful to be surrounded by so many that I love and cherish.  However, I couldn't stop thinking about all of my wonderful memories of last year's Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving 2013

The incredible staff of Fulbrook Middle School surprised me with a Thanksgiving feast, complete with the traditional sides and even hand-made decorations.  Gemma and her delightful parents treated me to a glorious Thanksgiving meal, fully embracing the American tradition of this lovely holiday. I was able to teach my students all about this beautifully unique holiday in which we celebrate being thankful.  I loved watching as the students decorated (with mounds of icing) the "turkey" cookies and shared what they were thankful for.  Friday evening, the PTO hosted a quiz night as a fundraiser and even let me contribute questions.  Some questions were all about the holiday while some were about this great country of ours.  Then I drove, well into the night, to Hull where I met up with three of my fellow Fulbrighters to enjoy Thanksgiving with them.  We had so much fun cooking and preparing the feast together: it was an all day event including lots of giggles and questions (including what is that when cleaning out the turkey) as we tried, for the first time ever, to prepare our very own Thanksgiving feast.  The meal did not disappoint, but it was the laughter that I will remember longer than the taste of the food.

People keep asking me, "How was your trip?"  I appreciate the sentiment, but "trip" seems like such a little word when I try to think about what I did last year.  It was not a trip at all, but an adventure, an experience, a great feat, an undertaking, a...  Just as the commentators cannot distinguish the right word to describe what happened in that one second in Jordan-Hare stadium on Saturday, I too am in search of just the perfect word.  There truly is not a single word that can capture what I did last year, which is why, I understand why people put it simply into the word, "trip."

Someone asked me, "Do you think you have changed?"  To which I quickly responded, "Absolutely!"  But when I was asked, "How?"  I was dumbfounded.  I could not possibly pinpoint how I had changed and yet, I in no way think that I'm the same person that left here just over a year ago.  I know that it is more than just the second-guessing I often do when I pull out onto the right side of the road; or the fact that my fingers keep typing a "u" in "favorite"; or the fact that I use words like "lovely," "brilliant" or "smart"; or the fact that I often feel "I need a cup of tea."  It's so much more than that, but what exactly...

I cannot even begin to explain how absolutely amazing last year was.  It was a year where I learned more about my own country as I shared it with others.  It was a year where I realized how important it is to have friends, where ever you go.  It was a year where I learned first-hand what the kindness from a near stranger can mean.  It was a year where I learned all about life in another country, the ends and outs of what makes the British beautifully unique.  It was a year where I learned strategies and techniques that will forever be present in my classroom.  It was a year where I gained confidence in myself.  It was a year that I found out I was capable of doing much more than I ever thought possible.  

I will forever be grateful to the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program and the people who made this eye-opening experience a reality for me.

When people ask me, "Are you glad to be home?"  I am able to answer with a genuine smile, "I had a fantastic year, but it is great to be home."

Thank you all for reading, and thank you all for your support throughout this whole "trip."  

Who knows where this teacher may travel to next...