Why am I here?

Well, here I am. I've graduated college, and now I'm on the other side.

There were so many times this summer when I sat down at my computer, and I tried to decide which part of my life I wanted to write about. SO much has happened this summer between training in Atlanta, celebrating my grandparents' 50th Wedding Anniversary, moving across state lines, and now training in the school system that I'll be teaching in. So much has happened.

So, I'm going to focus on what happened yesterday. Yesterday, we were asked to write our visions for our students and this school year. What this means in the education field is essentially a sentence or two about why you (and perhaps your students) are there. Essentially is the question: Why am I here?

When You Can't Sleep

I don't know how many of you have this problem, but I have a lot of trouble sleeping. I've tried the therapeutic exercises, the warm milk, the meditating. The whole shebang. Recently, I've been writing in a journal to help clear my mind, so far it's worked pretty well to get my concerns written down. After everything that happened yesterday, I figured writing would do the trick as it has for the past week. But this time, it didn't help.  Rather, it made things worse.

Encomium for Fall

This was assignment from the fall, and I thought I'd share it with y'all :)

The Beauty of Fall

At the edge of summer, a time for bliss, lies the season of fall with its chilly kiss. When the kiss's fresh fall breeze touches bare cheeks, it signals a change in weather and time. One of the breeze's subtle signals of change can be sensed by the nose. Fall's breeze carries its crisp scent to countless creatures just as bees distribute pollen from rose to rose. Following the breeze, changes in appearance soon arise. First, the leaves transform from luscious green to a collage of yellows, oranges and reds that surpasses the beauty and complexity of a bird's feather or a butterfly's wing. As the leaves shift colors and the breeze brings chills, people pack on layers, so even to humans fall's change spills. Although fall brings these beautiful transformations, its power over people's hearts is my greatest fascination.

The Little Things

I've been writing to my middle sister, Marissa, for a while now, and she and I have a similar problem.  Both of us forget to find the good in little things. I told her to start writing a journal to write down the good things that happen to her day to day.  Sometimes I forget to take my own advice, so here's just a little shpeel of thanks to God and the people that love me for making my day great with little things: Writing to Marissa, Getting to be a part of Al's birthday, Talking to my parents and siblings even if for a moment, Joking around with my roommate, Talking to Daniel longer than we say we will because we have so much to say, Finishing my homework for tomorrow...and the next day...before 6:00, Running out on the trail, Enjoying the beautiful weather, and all the other things I left out. Thanks for making my day everyone!

Second Glance

The ride back to the Abbey is always a long one, but interesting things always seem to happen.  Six of us crammed into this tiny car and left at 8 in the morning to make the long drive back.  We rotated drivers, and something happened when I was driving that I will never forget. It happened as I took an exit and had to wait at a light. The car filled with chatter because there was a homeless man sitting on the corner by the light, which just so happened to be right next to our car. From my time in New York, DC, and Richmond, I had always avoided interacting with the homeless or approached them with caution. Stranger danger right? It's not smart to just roll down your window and invite a stranger to approach your car - especially if you're a teenage girl. I set my eyes on the light, waiting for it to change as the others in the car read his sign aloud.