Tales of a Traveling Teacher

As I begin to get settled back into my life at home, I’m thinking about all of those things I’ve missed this year and all of those things that I know I will miss from my new home in England.   Of course the “things” that I have missed and will miss the most are not things at all, but rather the people who fill my life with joy and laughter each and every day.    What I’ve missed from home: ·       Mexican Food o    There is some Mexican food in England, but very little and it is not quite the same.   I’m so used to tacos, chips, guacamole and margaritas on a regular basis, and I did miss it.   It does make sense that there are fewer Mexican restaurants, as there are not nearly as many Mexicans as there are in the US.   In the UK, Indian food is found on every High Street because the Indian population is so great. ·       Dryer o    I consider myself a “green” person, so I...

Well, the day has finally arrived. There were a few times this year when I thought the day would never get here, but for the most part, the day arrived all too quickly. I'm at the airport about to board the plane that will take me home. My stomach is in knots as the excitement in me grows and the sadness to be leaving so many wonderful new friends starts sinking in. This has been the most amazing, life changing, year of my life and I'm very sad to see it come to a close but eager to see what next adventure awaits me!

I'm very sad to leave this incredible country I've called home for the last year, but I must admit that I made the absolute most of my last day. I woke up this morning in the perfectly idyllic village of Castle Combe and wandered the streets spotting scenes from a favorite film. Five months ago I booked tickets to go to Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey) and I was thrilled Leslie, my friend from high school, was able to go with me. If its possible, the home and gardens were more beautiful in person than onscreen. They were truly breathtaking! We enjoyed exploring the house, having photo shoots and wandering through the fields of wildflowers. I also enjoyed a scone with clotted cream and jam, one of my favorite British treats. This evening, after saying goodbye to the flat, the doves and the neighborhood cat, Gemma and Charlotte and I had a pub dinner where I enjoyed some more of my favorite British delights: fish and chips and pear cider. I topped the night off with star-gazing, ...

I had really wanted to see the coast of Wales before I left and since I leave in two days, I decided today would be good!;) Unfortunately, the weather did not really cooperate and it rained for a good bit of the nine hours I was in the car. But that did not take away from the beauty!  The country is incredibly green, thanks to all of the rain. There are large ferns, extensive fields at the bottom of tall hills, and small lakes in the passes. The roads are very narrow and windy, many lined with stone walls, similar to those I drove on in the Lake District. The roads have signs for crossing sheep and falling rocks, and many didn't bother with a median line as, well, there wasn't really room for two full lanes.  They are the kind of roads where going 35 feels like you are living dangerously, but driving through these roads with overhanging boughs feels almost like entering another world and it is truly gorgeous.  The coastline varied greatly from great expans...

Wales is really a beautiful country! Today, I got to see just part of what makes it so beautiful. At the beginning of the year, Jessica, a couple other Fulbrighters and myself climbed a large hill in the Lake District. As nice bookends to our year, Jessica and I have meet up in Llanberis in Northern Wales to climb a mountain. This morning, after a delicious breakfast at our B&B, we set off to climb Snowdon, the tallest peak in Wales, 1085 meters tall. It was a long, steady climb with several difficult straight up bits. Just shy of three hours of climbing brought us into the clouds with cooler temps as we touched the very top of the mountain.  It was such an accomplishment, and despite the ache in my thighs, I felt elated! Unfortunately, the clouds were so thick that all around us was pure white, but that just meant we knew we were high up. Thankfully there was a cafe at the top where we refueled ourselves and purchased "I climbed Snowdon" buttons before returning down the...

Today, Herman and I set foot in our 12th country of the year: Wales! It is a truly stunning country and I'm eager to do some exploring!

It is so weird to say I'm leaving Friday.  Not three weeks from now, nor even next week, just Friday. After breakfast and a send off to two gorgeous ladies, I got to work!  There was (and still is!) lots of packing and cleaning that needs to be done before I feel like I'm leaving it in tip top shape for Kelly to come home to.  I'm not sure how I acquired so much stuff, but I'm incredibly envious of Hermione who was able to pack everything from clothes to food to potions to books to a full sized tent into her handbag.  Being magical certainly has it's advantages! As a lovely distraction from the day of packing, Carrie, a fellow teacher and dear friend came and picked me up for a meal with her lovely family.  We had a great BBQ and her two girls had prepared a cheer for me as well as made me this beautiful, thoughtful necklace! After dinner, Carrie even went to the trouble of getting smores supplies and we roasted our own marshmallows over the BBQ!  It ...