"In the Zone"

Greek Architecture project and a project about daily life in ancient Sparta from two of my 6th graders.

Co-worker (and good friend) and I at our first restaurant stop on our blog-quest for "100 adventures in our corner of paradise".

One of the rocky islands near where I went diving last weekend for my 17th and 18th dives since arriving.

I am in the middle of my second quarter at CIPLC. The first quarter was filled with adjustments to my new home and to a new work environment with teaching duties thrown in on top of all that. This quarter I have hit my stride and I finally feel like I am "in the zone".

The kick off moment for this feeling was the halloween haunted house that was created for the PTO Carnival by my the 6th graders and their moms in a mere 7 hours. After that day, we were a team and we were proud of it. Since that weekend, the 6th grade "hypers", as they have named themselves, have been diving into learning and achieving academic success. It is not enough for one of them to get an A on a test, the more hypers who get A's the louder they cheer. Their first concern is for the "hyper team". Often, after I teach my lesson, the floors become littered with sprawling bodies, huddled heads, excited whispers....as they consult and guide each other on their educational journey. It's such a a proud moment for me as a teacher to see their thirst for knowledge grow and become contagious.

In addition to settling into the zone in the classroom, I am settling into the zone as a mentor outside my classroom. Last week I volunteered to take on the yearbook after the previous team of sponsors dispersed for various reasons. Even though I tackled a project that was already 100 days behind schedule, the high school students I know from the fitness class I teach, rallied behind me with manpower and positive energy. After just one week of meetings we have editors, sub editors, a plan, a theme, and ...a goal. It's very rewarding to collaborate on projects like this with students of all ages. Just like my little cheer squad-they continue to make me smile with their pure joy over wearing their uniforms, making up new chants, practicing old chants...and all but two of them are elementary aged. I love it that my "zone" at CIPLC reaches from grades 4-12.

During my spare time, I have found my zone as well. Although I always knew I was a water girl, I never knew how much peace my soul could glean from diving to 40, 50, 60, 70 feet and immersing myself in an underwater world. I have found a new passion in scuba diving. What's more, my dive instructor has become a friend of mine and she has introduced me to other Venezuelan friends of hers who have also become my friends. I have friends....that is the zone I have been longing for to make this really feel like home. These new friends help me with Spanish, hang out with me on weekends, and show me the parts of the city that I have missed.

As soon as our blog "100 adventures in our corner of paradise"is up, I will let you know. That way you can see even more aspects of the this place I call home. Until then.....I hope you enjoy the adventure of life in your corner of paradise!

Mastering Neutral Bouyancy

PHOTOS: Beautiful rock formed islands, dolphins, weekends on boats, and my hammock on my balcony...all such happy places in my new home of Venezuela.

Scuba diving is my new hobby. The first step in diving is open water certification. During my 5 open water dives I learned about the mechanics of diving and had to prove that I could be generally safe while under the water. I spent most of those dives imagining how precisely dangerous diving is and missed the joy of the experience entirely...almost. Two weeks after my certification, a co-worker asked me to help chaperone a dive boat full of students in exchange for a "free dive"'. That day, I really "saw" my new world-coral, fish of every color, and sea creatures in action.

At the end of the day I signed up for my advanced open water certification course. During the 5 advanced dives, I dove at night with only a flashlight and the moon as my guide. I dove into wrecks and down to 100 feet. I learned to really watch fish and remember things about them-colors, groupings, behavior, habitats. I dove in caves. I learned how to navigate underwater (and no, my instructor was NOT happy when she asked me where the boat was and I merely pointed "up"...guess she was looking for a more specific response). Diving became a passion as opposed to merely an activity after all these discoveries and not once have I ever thought of the "dangers" of it again in a way that prevented me from "seeing" my surroundings as it did in the beginning.

Over my 15 dives so far, the most important thing I learned in diving is the art of mastering neutral bouyancy. This is the process of using your breath to control how far off the bottom you are. If you hold your breath, you float up and away from the bottom and you can't enjoy the details of the sea life from there. If you exhale fully and then breathe slow, controlled breaths, you float effortlessly along the bottom and you become just another fish. You merge right into the sea environment, getting a intimate view of the beauty of it all.

Funny thing....mastering neutral bouyancy is an art even out of the ocean. When I am uptight, I hold my breath, I hold back, and I miss the details of life. I float away from the things that are important, and I lose perspective. Yet, when I forget my fears and anxieties and I exhale; I sink right into the heart of life and lose myself in it's beauty and glory. For me, exhaling is sitting on my balcony listening to the sea, feeling the breeze, smelling the water, and tasting the salt; or rocking in my hammock; or chasing dolphins; or enjoying the hum and sway of the boat navigating around the rocky islands of the Caribbean and so much more....I have discovered passion again in my life. I just have to remember....when things lose focus... exhale, and get lost in the adventure. It's the only way to become an expert at neutral bouyancy-under the sea...and above it.

Time flies!

*A view of the city streets of Quito....it was like a european city.

*The 5th grade class and their chilli-they won best costume!!

*The restaurant on the mountainside overlooking the Caribbean...ate here during my day on the mountain visiting a student.

*The group of four teachers who traveled to Ecuador together during fall break, at the top of the mountain in Quito-4100 meters up.

Time flies...these past few weeks...

I did a night dive as the first step in my advanced SCUBA certification which I will finish this weekend;

My 6th grade HYPERS created a dance/cheer for spirit day cheer-off to a portion of the song BoomBoomPow, complete with homemade T-shirts with "gotta Gecko" logos;

Student council held a school-wide chili cookoff that had chillis of all flavors from around the world and crazy costumes...and I was a judge;

I visited a student who lives on the mountain near our town that has breathtaking views of the Caribbean, to see his family's organic garden project...an hour drive each way on a switchback road;

Cheerleading started, and I am the coach-10 girls ages 8-11 who cheer American chants with a cute Spanish accent and end every cheer with a salsa style swing of the hips and a smile;

Fall break just ended-I spent 6 days in Quito, Ecuador with three other teachers....it is a quaint European type city with booming tourism and interesting Andean culture;

Spanish learning continues...for the past two weeks, I have been on a daily plan of at least 90 minutes of studying Spanish-I will conquer this language!

TIME FLIES in other ways too....

Two decades ago I was in Africa and...

I remember thinking that there was so much more to life and my "career" than what a village in Africa could offer me....now I see that I was a shallow person until that village humbled me.

I remember thinking that I had the corner on the market of "doing good" (from African villages to inner city kids)....now I realize that everyone needs someone to care, the rich kids I know are often more lonely than the village women and inner city kids I knew.

I remember thinking that I was so much smarter and more "with it" than my older teammates...now I lament the fact that I did not take time to soak up their wisdom.

I remember thinking that what I was doing was just temporary and that my "real life" was just around the corner after the next degree/move/job....now I soak in every minute of my current reality, with the goal of making each new day the best day of my life.

ahhh, yes, time flies....I can only hope that my wings are strong enough to stay high above the clouds in order to keep perspective as I continue on this adventure called my life.

Exhale

As quoted from "Tales of a Female Nomad" by Rita Golden Gelman...." ' I tell my brother I AM in a real world, it's just not HIS world, and he smiles knowingly. "I give you another six months. You'll get it out of your system."

They do not understand, the more I live it, the more I want it. 

...I'm not running away. I'm running toward....toward adventure, toward discovery, toward diversity."

My world is not perfect...the picture here shows what rainy season in Venezuela looks like out the windshield of my car on my drive home. The streets are flooded and often impassable. Last week, in addition to days of flooded streets, the one day that streets were somewhat dry, we had a protest. That day, citizens burned tires in one of the two main roads in town to protest the constant power outages. The regularly 20 minute drive home from school became an 80 minute epic maze. See....it's not perfect.

Yet....I am happy. My job is fulfilling and fun. Teaching students from around the world who come from families of influence is inspiring. I truly hope that one day I will see the name of one of my students in world headlines as a leader who is making a difference.

I am meeting new people. This week, those new people included men...DATES.....and that was interesting. Both men turned out to be no-so-available....but it was fun to see my new culture from that point of view. Men here chase after MUCH younger women. Thus, women in their 40's are often doomed to a life of single-parenthood as their husbands move on to start new families (often TWICE, even,....as it is not rare to see 60+ year old men with 20 something year old women and toddler children).

Where am I headed?....onward...for sure. I am addicted to this adventure and the experience of pushing my limits. In some ways that does include things like kiteboarding and SCUBA-yet, in other ways, that merely includes an insatiable thirst for experiencing new things beyond mere physical challenges. I yearn to know women across the globe-their trials and their joys. I want to taste the sounds of new languages. Finding the key to new cultures is better than being a spy and uncovering a devious, subversive plot. My energy is derived from these drives.

I hope to continue to give you a glimpse into my soul...and not just record the world that I see. This adventure is about so much more than teaching. It is about more than a salary or a foreign language. This is a lifetime dream realized. When I went to Africa as a young mom of two toddlers, I knew I could survive....yet, I missed the part about truly living. Now, I have been handed a second chance to truly live life in the fullest way possible. I am not going to miss a single minute...I am going to meet people, and learn languages, and taste foods, and make friends, and try to understand the hearts of people all over this globe.....and my quest has begun in Venezuela!!!

Thanks for traveling along.

This is the week that never ends.....

My first open water dive.

The waterfall at the end of the 1 hour jungle hike on ED-ventures.

The hammocks at the Eco-lodge in Paria where we stayed for ED-ventures.

THE STORY OF MY WEEK....

Take 50 middle schoolers plus 90 degree heat with 90% humidity, mix in a constant cloud of mosquitoes at a rustic camp of cabins, tents, and hammocks, add a fair amount of stomach flu and fevers, and, just for good measure, throw in treacherous trails along ravines with boiling hot springs below, careening truckloads of students sitting on benches in the bed of the truck, along with a downpour to flood the tents….and you have what my school week looked like last week. This grand adventure is an annual trip called ED-ventures sponsored by my school. This year, I was one of 8 chaperones and leaders for the trip.

 

I took notes about the trip instead of keeping a journal. It’s not that I was too busy to write, I was merely too hot or too tired or…..well, once, I even cried. It was tough. I was the only chaperone who had actually ever raised kids and, thus, by nature, I was the only one looking at it from both the parent and the teacher point of view. To be fair, I am not one of those parents who sheltered my kids-I mean, I let my 13 year old daughter climb UP a rock (El Capitan) for four days. My perspective on safe and reasonable is pretty broad, I thought…..until this trip.

 

Monday, after 6 hours on a bus-winding through the backwoods of Venezuela on two lane roads with 95 speed bumps (literally, we counted), coaxing kids through their carsickness the whole way, we arrived in Paria. It’s a peninsula on the eastern side of Venezuela that contains a large amount of biodiversity as well as the eco-lodge that would be our home for the week.

 

For the next five days we hiked through rainforests, around lakes, up hot springs, down mountain ridges, as well as visited a cocoa plantation/factory/museum and planted trees. The nights were hot and the days were scorching. All the guides spoke in Spanish so I made up my own story about everything in my head, and so did the 10 or so students in my same boat.  At least I have cool photos, even if I cannot tell you anything about what is in them=). During our downtime in camp, we played games like capture the flag and various forms of tag-all organized and led by 8^th graders. Many of these activities took place at 7 AM…yeah, you can imagine how those went….at least it was not scorching yet at that time of day.

 

The high points…???....swimming in the cool springs at the base of the water falls, carving the totuma pods,  and seeing the villages on the mountain hike.

 

Now that I am home, I have spent my first two days (my whole weekend) finishing my SCUBA Open Water certification.  The first day we dove and had to return to the dive shop in a rainstorm with pelting rain, strong winds, and lightening….it was exciting….and cold. In spite of that, we did see fish of so many colors that I thought I was in the Disney movie with Nemo…..and we saw octopi-which apparently are rare to see. Day two was sunny, thankfully. Our day started with a pod of dolphins cavorting near our boat on the way to the dive site. On the dives we saw a shipwreck and eels among other beautiful sights. I did end up with an annoying jellyfish sting, but it was worth it. SCUBA is an exhilarating, fascinating, and nervewrecking activity. I am glad I am doing it.

 

So, tune in next week, you never know what will happen next….(like the 6.3 earthquake that shook the country’s  capital yesterday and sent mild shock waves all the way to us-never a dull moment).

 

 

The day I said..."I'm sick of this CRAP"

Forget Pollyanna and her glad game. I am just plain not glad! Forget thinking happy thoughts. I am out of them! Forget looking at the bright side. I am sick of the heat on that side!...this week, I am plain old "sick of this crap!"

Before you panic and think I am jumping off my balcony or quitting my job and running away, I am not. In fact, I really am exaggerating (mostly)-but I really have had one of THOSE weeks. Here is the rundown on my week...

PARENTS-love 'em when they help kids get tutors, make sure homework is done, and oversee adequate sleep and eating patterns. This week, though, parents were asking for group changes, questioning project requirements, and demanding extra security for our camping trip next week. Thus, I have lost most of my planning periods to parent meetings.

POWER-pretty much can't count on it these days at school or home. My room temp hovers around 90 degrees with humidity so high we merely drip through the day.

COMPUTERS-curse them....I have lost so many documents this week when power has gone out that I could wallpaper my bathroom with them (that is, if I still had them-wah!). Plus, those handy-dandy classroom websites and interschool messaging systems and internet based grade keepers are useless without internet connections (which, require power-ahhhh-eeeemm).

WATER-with all the sweating (see POWER), one form of relief would be a nice cold shower, right? PSYCHE!! Nope, because as soon as the power comes back on, the water turns off-it's a rotten cycle (and I smell pretty rotten too!)

CULTURE SHOCK-yep, that nasty little rat is rearing it's ugly head all across the campus. People are tired, and hot, and irritable, and sick, and impatient, and homesick, and, well....just plain not very nice. This is normal (so don't worry...this is just FYI, that's all)....but it still doesn't make it fun.

TRAFFIC-The police stops were bad...the lawless traffic patterns were worse....now throw in ad hoc construction projects with illogical detours and roads closed for random demonstrations and assorted street parties...and, well, couldn't they have saved those for NEXT week?

ED-VENTURES-this is the bane of my existence at the moment. We are preparing to take 50 middle schoolers on a camping trip for a whole week next week. To further complicate it, I am a leader and I am clueless. Everyone knows how I hate to be clueless....so camping in the heat+middle schoolers+no apparent plan (at least one that I am able to decipher)+language challenges=UGH!!

On the horizon is a silver lining, though...
I am learning to salsa dance at classes twice a week
I get to finish my scuba open water certification next weekend
I am planning a trip to Quito, Ecuador with friends
A few other teachers and I are working on getting a boat-wait 'til you see it! (it's not what you think)
My students are motivated and refreshing
The views and opportunities continue to be AMAZING...so,
....I am done complaining=)
...I will just be glad to be alive and lovin' life in VENEZUELA afterall!

10% of my year....GONE! plus...one year anniversary of this blog

The Island beach called Playa Blanca...we ventured there on 2 hours of winding roads and a 20 minute boat ride last Saturday. Another fresh fish and fruit lunch beach-side...with views of paradise!
Strangely enough, though, the whole two hour drive was sprinkled with colorful villages like this-or smaller and less developed-that reminded me SO MUCH of Benin. 

***I am sitting on my balcony typing this while watching the lights of the city bounce off the caribbean and reveling in a spontaneous fireworks display across the bay. Bob Segar's "Night Moves" is playing in the background and the waves are lightly lapping against the docks where the dozen or so yachts are parked. I don't think this could ever get old....sigh.

I have been here a month-that is 10% of the 10 months of the school year. I cannot believe how quickly it has passed. Even more strange than that, this blog is one year old! As I look back at the uncertainty of last fall, I am stunned by the role of providence in where I have landed. 

This week was a bit more challenging than others. Some new teachers are starting to enter various phases of culture shock and are struggling. I remember those first months in Benin and my heart goes out to them. To make matters worse, the power and water and have been intermittent for the last 5 days. I am more prepared than most with jugs of water stored to flush toilets, various battery powered lights and a small generator, and even a bucket of water in the shower to take a dip shower. For me, it has been a small inconvenience, that is all. We did have to cancel school Friday afternoon, though, due to the heat. No one could learn in that heat. 

Thursday while a few of us were at "our place" having drinks and dinner, the power went out. We ate by candlelight. The breeze off the caribbean just 10 feet from us kept us cool while we shared our joys and frustrations of the week. I treasure the process of building these new friendships. Friday, after getting out of school early, we had a staff pot luck. It was a huge success-many people came and stayed a long time so we talked and laughed and made crazy memories. Then Saturday we all ventured to the island pictured above. The roads were narrow and winding, which made the return trip in the rain a bit (A LOT) sketchy. It was heart wrenching seeing so many villages that reminded me of Benin...such a dichotomy of the wealth of my condo/town/school and what exists a mere 20 miles from me.

I have found a cool church in English. Many of the Oil Company families attend as well as a few other straggling ex-pats. A few members are parents of my students-the ex-patriot community is small so that happens pretty often.

Life is good....very good. I love having Skype to talk to people as much as I want and email and facebook....so many ways to stay connected these days. So, until next time...connect with me when you think of it by any of the above methods=)  PEACE....

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

The GIRLS out on the town in Lecheria (our town)!!!

LOVED this mural from El Yaque in Margarita Island...it is my computer screen saver now!

PHOTOS BELOW are from Margarita Island as well....my happy place=)!

DISCLAIMER: if you are looking for a true life account of my adventure-read on. If you are looking for embellished stories or flatly fictionalized anecdotes-stop now and never return to this site. This blog is about my life as an international teacher-nothing is made up, nothing is imagined, no identities are concealed...no need to play hide and seek to separate fact from fiction-IT IS ALL TRUE=). Enjoy!

MARGARITA ISLAND!!!... is the paradise pictured in the photos here. I spent last weekend lounging on that beach, eating seafood and fish so fresh it literally came right off the boat and onto the grill, drinking coconut based drinks straight from the trees you see, and learning to kiteboard from a tall, dark and handsome professional kiteboarder named Luis! TRUE STORY!!! It was the best way to end three weeks of meetings and adjusting and our first week of school. Seven new teachers (including me) and our Venezuelan "adopted-new-teacher", Keyla, all took the ferry Friday night to the island and returned late Sunday night. We stayed at the world famous wind surfing and kite boarding (world championships were held here in May of 2009) beach called El Yaque. We came back tanned, tired, and itching to get back to the island!

Earlier in the week we had our first day/week of school. I have 17 6th graders who hail from over 11 countries. Many have Italian heritages via some Latin American nation, and thus speak English with a cute Italian accent-while they are also fluent in Spanish. The students are AMAZING-not a single discipline problem. When I make an assignment and tell them to write one page-they write one and a half. If I tell them to research a few facts about China, they come in with typed notes that they have memorized to present and color coded, hand-drawn maps of ancient dynasties. The challenges are keeping everyone learning at deeper levels and making sure that everyone is understanding the English I speak since only about 25% are native English speakers.

Another challenge is that this is rainy season so there are daily afternoon storms. When storms hit, the power goes out. That means the AC goes out and the computers do as well. Unfortunately, teachers are very dependent on their computers....so this makes planning a bit trickier. It hasn't really annoyed me yet-I just have to always have a back up plan for planning in place.

Also, although I LOVE LOVE LOVE being in a small school (it is my favorite type of teaching situation), small schools carry the additional challenge of having to wear many hats. So, for example, I am the 6th grade Social Studies, PE, English, and Math teacher, the HS personal fitness teacher, and the grade 4-6 cheer/dance coach. I also am helping with yearbook and with the school's preparations for our upcoming SAACS accreditation review next year.  I am sure that as the year rolls on, I will continue to amass even more "jobs". The great part is that our superintendent encourages us to create clubs and sports to offer for students that are things we know and love. Maybe I can start a kiteboard club...hhhmmm????

Driving is not as nerve wrecking as I anticipated. The memory of police stops from my years in Benin makes me very nervous when I see police here (and they are EVERYWHERE). I thought I would faint if one ever stopped me but I was stopped this week and it went well. Thankfully, my principal was in the car when it happened or I would have cried. Not speaking spanish is certainly to my advantage when that happens again-a crying, blonde-haired gringo who can't speak spanish is something no policeman wants to deal with. One up side of driving is that gas is so cheap that I filled up my tank in my truck for 80 cents!!! TRUE STORY!!!

Other good news is that I have a cell phone, cable TV, a maid once a week who cleans my house and does laundry and dishes, and the lunches at school are so good that egg and toast in the morning and peanut butter at night is all I need. The food here is terrific-rice, plantains, or potatoes with shredded meat of some kind (including terrific fish), lightly sauteed fresh veggies, soup (pumpkin, fish, vegetable cream), and fresh salad. It is not spicy but is well seasoned. And the coffee...oh, the coffee...mmnnnnnn=).

Oh, and lest I forget...last weekend we went out and enjoyed local nightlife on Friday. Then we went on a boat with fellow teachers to an island on Saturday. We swam and wake boarded (yep, I even got up on the board...after 6 tries) and ate fresh conch ceviche' (meaning they walked up with shells right out of the water and pulled out the conch, chopped it up, and marinated it in lime right there in front of us) and enjoyed cruising around the islands of the national park that are scattered over this corner of the caribbean. That night, the board of directors hosted the new teachers and put out a spread of food that was delicious and plentiful. Everyone is so nice and soooo laid back! They sent us all home with "doggy bags"=).

If you want my stateside forwarding address, my cell number, or instructions on how to call me from your computer to my computer via SKYPE or on your computer to my phone for 3 cents a minute (it is only 2 cents for me to call you, though)....then send me an email or message. If you have any questions you want me to answer in my future blogs...ask away!!! 

Until next time...PEACE.....

-.lovin' life in Venezuela!!!!

My Arepa lunch....fried plantains for dessert!

Our group at "our place"

My classroom....I have four small balconies too-one is out the door you see in the center of the wall.

Honeymoon period

No, I am not married, nor planning to get married anytime in this lifetime. The honeymoon period is a phase of cultural adjustment when everything seems to be fun, interesting, an adventure. My first two weeks here in Puerto La Cruz have been a honeymoon period for sure.

My classroom is ginormous. I could fit 40 students in there, yet I have only 17. As I have been putting around my room preparing for the start of classes, several of my students have popped in-mostly girls. From their screams and excited giggles, you would think I am a rock star. They are as excited to meet me and start school as I am to meet them and begin teaching. It's a wonderful feeling.

Having fun with co-workers is a high priority. We vowed to work hard and play hard-and we have been true to that thus far. To us, everything is a reason for a party-from coming to my house to all use my internet connection ("internet party") to dinner and dancing in the huge living room of another couple's condo ("dinner party") to movie night at yet another co-worker's house with popcorn and movie projected on the wall of one of his rooms ("movie party")... we really do have fun. Last Sunday we strolled down the beach to a little restaurant/bar that we have claimed as our own. We drank sangria, ate plentifully, and laughed at ourselves for hours.  Tonight we are going back to "our place" for dinner and then headed out to dance the night away with a Venezuelan co-worker as our guide.

Daily life is pretty darn good as well. I have a women coming to clean once a week beginning Monday. She has worked for another family for years so I don't have to train her or worry about anything. I bought an OLD truck for cheap from a departing teacher so I could be independent. On my first journey home from school I got lost and ended up in the mall parking lot. I had to park, pay to "park" at the ticket window, then get back in the car and head out the other way. It was a hoot. I am doing better now-but still a bit nervous about all the police. As for other things-well, I was the only new teacher with internet for 2 weeks and we have only had one power outage for about 4 hours-which is really good since it is rainy season.

The food is delicious. Arepas are these corn meal patties that are fried, then split open and filled with anything from shredded beef to cole slaw, eggs, cheese, veggies...you name it. YUM. Another funny thing is that Venezuelans LOVE hot dogs. Most street vendors sell only hot dogs-topped with crumbled chips, salad, corn, beans, ...anything you want, really. On of the best things to have, though, is the fresh juice. All along the side of the road in the AM are guys with piles of fruit and blenders. You choose your fruit and they slice it and blend it into juice for you. WOW! It's funny to think but everything we buy fresh here is organic-like I have my own whole foods store.

The weather hovers around 85, medium humidity and afternoon showers daily. It is rainy season so it will stay like this until November. I wake up at 5:30 and watch the sunrise over the water while I sip coffee on my patio. Then I leave for school at 7 and come home by 3:30. After school I try to swim laps (a mile) or hike for 45 minutes or so UP the huge rock peninsula we live on. My classroom is on the 4th floor and my condo is up 9 flights of stairs-and I ALWAYS take the stairs. So, in addition to the great food, I am getting great exercise. Plus, beginning next week, I teach a PE or fitness class for 80 minutes each day. By 9:30 each night I am back on my patio watching the reflection of the moon off the water and reading my book before bed.

Yep, it's a great honeymoon. I wish you were here. It's hard to put into words the full effect of all I see, hear, smell, experience every day. I hope this gives you a glimpse of it, though.

Me with my bags at airport in Venezuela.

The view off my balcony in my new home.

What's it like?

Friday the 24th of July I said a glum good bye to Kenni and Amanda as they dropped me and my bags off at the Westin Hotel by the Atlanta airport. Then I spent my last night stateside for awhile with Tori and Clark. I picked this hotel because they said I could check all 10 of my bags directly onto my delta flight from the hotel lobby. The next AM at 5:30, that was true for 4 of my 10 bags. Yet, thanks to a kind porter, he jumped in the baggage truck, put in all 10 pieces of my luggage, told my kids to grab the hotel shuttle and meet us at Delta, and drove me and my luggage to Delta himself. At the airport, two more nice Delta employees finished checking my other 6 bags AND fudged a bit so I could actually check 11 bags (my 45 pound "carry-on" was the 11th). I found the kids and the good byes were HARD - all three of us cried. That was the easy part of the day, though-I just didn't know it then (thank goodness).

In Miami, I found another porter to get my 11 bags from baggage claim and push them all the way across the airport to the little one counter airline that would take me to my new home. When the porter arrived at the airline desk, the man apparently in charge told him to pile my bags against the counter since I was the first to arrive and the desk was not scheduled to open for another hour. Two hours and 20 minutes later, the desk opened. Two of my new co-workers had arrived right after me and between us we had about 26 bags piled from the counter back about 10 feet-a mountainous stack. Behind that stack was a line of at least 20 passengers wanting to check in. The first thing the airline lady told me was that I had to move my luggage "away" from the counter. Where? Away. I moved it back 5 feet so that she would allow me to move it forward 5 feet to the exact same spot to check in.

The flight to Venezuela ran "on time"....30 minutes after scheduled departure. As we landed, an overhead console (the part that contains the lights, fans, call button...) "popped out" just across the aisle from me and was dangling from a few colorful wires above the passengers' heads. The stewardess who was called to fix it, merely tried to smash it back into the ceiling with a bang and then walked away shaking her head when her attempt failed leaving many shocked passengers in her wake. At the international airport in Venezuela, there was one gate, one baggage conveyor and one customs agent with one scanning machine. We waited for everyone to leave before trying to get our 26 bags through. So, after 16 hours of traveling I was in my new home. 

My first impressions last night...the city looks like any other developing world city I have been to-lawless traffic patterns, street vendors, houses in walled compounds, street front stores with barred windows and doors...some highlights I noticed despite my fatigue were; there are Lebanese fast food restaurants all over (and the food is YUMMY), and my condo patio is the most peaceful place on earth. 

My second impressions today...the city is colorful, the people are warm, the Caribbean is breathtaking, my condo is excessive (3 bedroom, 3 bath, 6th floor, 2 story penthouse with astonishing views and all the amenities such as resort type grounds that include pool, tennis court, beach/barbecue area, and boat slips for yachts), my co-workers are fascinating/cool people, and the local food is very good (note to Tori and Clark-the guavas here are the size of softballs...can't wait for you to come eat some!).

Today I unpacked bags, went grocery shopping at two little stores that were crowded and filled with completely random items (from Campbell's cream of mushroom soup for $4 a can to ignams like we grew in our village in Africa), went for a boat ride to an island where we picnic-ed, snorkeled and swam in water that was like something off a postcard, test drove a Ford Explorer I might buy, and went to dinner with five co-workers at a Chinese restaurant. 

I am very happy with my decision to come here. My kids are sacrificing a lot having me so far away and the depth of my gratitude to them has no limit. I know there will be times of frustration with homesickness, loneliness, language barriers, school pressures....but, I also know that this is the right place for me right now. Let the adventure begin!

Slip 'n Slide

Last May my friends and I attached two slip 'n slides together on the sloping lawn outside Amanda's house. Then we spent the afternoon running across the grass, diving onto the slick, wet plastic, slipping down the hillside, and spinning into the ever growing mud puddle at the end of the wet runway. Even though we would end up covered in mud and scraped up from the sticks and sharper stones that poked through the plastic, we merely laughed, showed off our newest wounds, and ran up the hill to do it again.

As I look at the past month, I see it as my running approach to my slip 'n slide tumble towards Venezuela. In the past 30 days I have literally crossed off three pages of TO DO's on my list. I arranged for changes of address and email alerts for bills; set up turn off dates for utilities; secured a storage unit; closed out a school year; graduated my son from HS; packed and weighed my duffel's; packed most of my house; visited the Dr./dentist/optometrist and said many good byes. In addition, there was the three-day country music festival in a peanut field in Lower Alabama with my friends and a visit from my daughter to celebrate mother's day and her brother's birthday. I even found time to email my 15 new 6th graders for next year in order to start getting to know them-they are a very witty, smart, diverse group! It went by quickly but....as I start my slide, I am thankful for the speed.

The slide has officially begun now-and it is no less unpredictable yet fun than the real slip 'n slide in Amanda's yard. I will move one load of furniture each Friday for three weeks and be out of my house by June 28. In the middle of that I will deliver Clark to Georgia Southern University to start summer school...and thus, his college career. I also have to take one more certification exam and spend three days at the Atlanta zoo to complete my continuing education credits which will keep my teaching certificate valid for another 10 years. Then, beginning June 28th, I will be on the road (or in the air) visiting friends and family in FL, CO, MN, IA, and WI. Finally, I hope to grab a few days with my kids at the beach before I fly out on July 25th.

Like the scrapes from the sticks in Amanda's yard, the little annoyances that inevitably will pop up along my slide through these next 47 days will be nothing compared to the exhilaration I will feel when I land in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela at the end of my slide...smiling, laughing, and ready for the next adventure.

My LIfe Syllabus...for the year...

EDU411sec.2009
International Teaching-the Ultimate “Real Job” Adventure
7-9 pm Tues-Fri (14 month class)
Instructor: Shawn Allen- global gypsy, addicted adventurer, and educational box breaker

Course Description:
A you-can-do-it, no-better-time-than-the-present, what-have-you-got-to-lose, kick-in-the-pants excursion designed to get you from here to there.

Pre-requisites:
Students are encouraged to have completed at least three of the following
MATH: 072-Excess Baggage Weight Exchange- shady ex’s for Xtreme sports gear
EDU: 222-What Box?-educational theory minus ethnocentrism
ENG: 369-Facebooking is the New Scrapbooking-journaling the journey 140 characters at a time and documenting “out of work activities” in “work appropriate” photo albums
PE: 123 Skin Thickening- techniques for deflecting the criticism and judgments of people whose idea of risk-taking is trying a different route on the drive to work…once.
BUS: 421-Opting Out-investing in viable alternatives to the “American dream” (AKA-spouse, 2.5 kids, dog, hybrid SUV, SEC season football tickets, and house in the suburbs)
AVI: 747-Flight Lessons-giving your chick-a-dees wings

Required reading:
Students need to be intimately familiar with various websites including Joyjobs.com, The International Educator online, The Lonely Planet, Yahoo travel, the US State Department, and Rosetta Stone.

Section 1
B-O-R-I-N-G….
There must be more to life than THIS?
Lesson 1 (June): MAP READING; realizing that your current job and/or relationships are not taking you where you want to go in life
Lesson 2 (July): DEMOLITION; breaking down walls (people, ideas, financial obligations) that block your view of possibilities that are available to you.
Lesson 3 (August): ORIENTEERING; finding your way in the labyrinth of international teaching opportunities
Lesson 4 (September): FISHING; figuring out what bait to use and where to look for nibbles and bites in the international school job market

Section 2
I AM OUT OF HERE
The world is my playground
Lesson 5 (October): FIRST AID; recovering from blunders such as mixing up headings on cover letters and incorrectly guessing the gender of a recipient
Lesson 6 (November): TARGET SHOOTING; researching and focusing on schools who are the best fit for you-location, benefits, size, staffing needs
Lesson 7 (December): SCUBA DIVING: taking the plunge-attending recruiting conferences, SKYPE interviewing, signing a contract

Section 3
DID YOU KNOW THAT CHAVEZ WAS THERE?
Did YOU know that Atlanta is the #1 import point for illegal drugs and location for drug related violent crime? (Also known as the art of eye-rolling at doomsday soothsayers and all-of-a-sudden experts on your new location…and other keys to getting through the toughest months.)
Lesson 8 (January): SPELUNKING; surviving the change from the brightness of a signed contract to the dark tunnels of to-do lists and certification tests.
Lesson 9 (February): MUSHING; keeping focused on the trail even though the end seems distant-not letting doubt and doubters make you quit.
Lesson 10 (March): ROCK CLIMBING; carefully grasping hold of each new task and piece of information about what to do and how to prepare-relying on the random “beta” and steady belay from those at the top- as the climb to the goal begins through purchasing, packing, and document assembling.
Lesson 11 (April): MOTO-CROSS; holding tight and adjusting speed as needed along the twists and turns of the trail while also remaining strong-willed when faced with extra bumps and road blocks like booking tickets, storing possessions, severing leases, learning a new language, and arranging banking and other financial obligations.

Section 4
LEAVING THE LAST CHECKPOINT
The end of the “class” and the beginning of the dream!
Lesson 12 (May); SURFING; enjoying the moments of swift forward movement propelled by waves of activity such as securing a departure date, interspersed by both the anticipation of waiting for the next wave and the hard work of paddling out for the next ride like setting up final doctor and dentist visits .
Lesson 13 (June): SNOWBOARDING; letting go and going with the flow as the ride gains momentum through activities such as finishing the school year, moving out, turning off utilities, selling your car, completing continuing education credits for future certification renewal -hoping that all the preparations you did up to this point enable you to weave smoothly through these obstacles
Lesson 14 (July):SKY DIVING; after a cross country trek of visiting friends and family, this final lesson entails packing the parachute (in 8 or so 50 pound bags), boarding the plane and making the final jump….embracing the adrenaline rush that accompanies the thrill of the free fall into the realm of the unknown and the out-of-your-control.


Attendance: Weekly class times optional and negotiable based on workload/To-Do lists. Mandatory class session-Meet at Atlanta Airport July 25th at 6 AM and board flight to Miami, change planes (with the help of porters to transfer all of your extra bags), then be on flight to Barcelona, Venezuela at 3 PM.

Grading Scale: Pass/Fail (any failed portion=fail for class)
50% sign contract
50% arrive at final destination (Venezuela)
Extra credit for passing the ESOL re-certification test, the PE certification test, the Health certification test, and the middle grades Social Studies certification test.

*Enrollment limited-sign up early.

Categorical ramblings-not to be confused with "lists"

What I have been doing-teaching Clark to cook in the crock pot, watching as he garners enough scholarships to pay for 100% of his college (and gains admittance to the Honors college at Georgia Southern University), giving Tori wings to navigate her last 9 months of college and to finalize plans for her future move to Portland to work at Nike, studying for more teacher certification tests, taking said tests in the areas of Health and PE, knocking out 75% of TO-DO/BUY lists for Venezuela detailed in previous post from February, making memories with my true blue friends, cheering my sister/nieces/brother-in-law on as my brother in law completed the Iditarod dogsled race in Alaska (in spite of an erupting volcano, blinding blizzards and wind chill of up to 50 below zero), mentoring three Sr. girls who share a common life struggle I recently experienced, dreaming of this next step in my life that seems to be the one taking me through that proverbial portal into my "future"

What I have read-Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (5 stars), Elements of Health textbook (UGH), More Magazine, Travel Magazine, Timberhouse Living Magazine (designing my dream home eco-cabin) Fitness Education for Children, The Sports Rules Book, Teaching Cues for Basic Sport Skills for Elementary and Middle School Students, The Eyre Affaire (Fforde-4 stars), assorted Chelsea Handler books not fit to detail here (...but laugh out loud reads...)

What I am Reading-mcsweeneys.net (WOW-my new addiction), beginning Spanish phrase book, Good Omens (Pratchett and Neil Gaimon), Eat, Pray, Love (Gilbert-I reread it almost as much as I reread Anna Karenina-Tolstoy), GACE middle grades social science study guide (UGH), Goalfree Living (Shapiro), Yoga on the Go

What is on my mind-Which version of Rosetta Stone should I purchase in order to learn Spanish? Should I buy a new laptop? Where will I store my "stuff"? How will I see everyone before I leave? Where will Clark live for the three weeks between my departure and his move-in date at college? How can I integrate sustainable exercise into my weekly routine now (since I won't have a health club with daily classes and fitness equipment in Venezuela)? Which topic in my mind am I going to turn into my first free-lance article pitch in the next few weeks? Will my car-Karma allow my car to stay alive and reliable until I leave? Which of my friends will make the effort to sustain the relationship across a hemisphere? Yikes....I only have 16 weeks, how will I fit all this plus finishing the school year, one more teaching certification test, and mastering Spanish into these 4 short months?

Please stay in touch. Make sure I have your correct email and phone number. If you are on facebook, "friend" me at Shawn Eggers Allen. Call me if you want to meet for lunch or coffee before I go. Most of all....send your thoughts, prayers, karma my way.......this is an exciting step for me=)...yet there are many "unknowns" ahead!! PEACE**

"Me do it MESELF"-Tori Allen, 1990, age 2

Two weeks ago I received my official welcome letters from the Board of Directors, School Director, School Principal, and representatives from the faculty and staff of CIPLC in Venezuela-along with three pages of lists of things to gather, buy and do! Oh, don't get me wrong, it is exciting meeting my new co-workers via facebook and phone calls. And my Ipod is expanding it's repetoire with singers and groups such as La Factoria, Angel y Kris, Tambor Urbano and about 25 others. Plus, I have learned about fun events and theme days at school that I need to plan for such as the Western Chilli Cook off, Halloween Costume Carnival, wedding of Q and U, and spirit days (colors- green and white; mascot-GECKO)...along with great celebrations held in the community like Carnival (complete with a huge water fight that takes place on a bay full of boats with the help of plenty of rum!)

So, what are on these all-important lists? Since they were compiled by the director for purposes of contracts and visas as well as by staff members who brought too much, too little or just plain the wrong stuff...they are quite exhaustive. Here is a taste of what I am up against:

Official stuff-make sure bank account will accept wire transfers, 30 passport photos, 2 profile photos of right side of face, 3 photocopies of entire passport, 2 page resume with my permanent address in US (and WHERE would that be I'm wondering?), 2 originals of all diplomas, 2 originals of all teaching certificates, 2 originals of all transcripts, 2 original birth certificates, 2 certificates of police clearance, complete physical including chest x-ray (2 copies), international driver's license
Important stuff to buy and bring-extension cords for the generator during power outages or a portable power pack, rechargable battery safety lights for same, 5 surge protectors, flashlights with rechargable batteries and charger, sport watch, battery powered alarm clock, wireless router, plug adapter pieces, SKYPE phone, computer battery backup, unlocked cell phone with US SIM card with minutes on it, assorted kitchen items like can opener and collendar, various linens like beach towels and good blankets, cloth grocery bags
Just Stuff to fit in the remaining duffle bags-roller blades, wet suit, peanut butter, games, baseball caps, sunblock, mask/snorkel/fins, rash guards, oven mits, spices, yoga mat, jacket, rainwear, umbrella, jeans, US stamps, holiday decor, home decor, shoes (sandals, heels, athletic shoes), school clothes, play clothes, swim suits, hangars, cooler bag, assorted medicines like motion sickness meds and cold meds, various toiletries like make up and deodorant, hair accessories, DVD player, important books, computer, camera, ipod

...you get the picture. So, now that I am buying, begging, borrowing the above items along with mentoring Clark through the college scholarship labyrinth, coaxing Tori to conquer her senioritis, boxing up and storing my own life, guiding my students to the end of their year, tricking my old brain into learning spanish, studying for 3 more certification exams, and, and, and....I AM EXCITED!! As I tackle each task, I cannot help but think of the phrase Tori used to repeat ad nauseum when she was 2 and wanted to do it all..."me do it me-self"....yep...I SURE AM!!!

Venezuelan TimeZone Trivia

Just FYI-The time in Puerto La Cruz is 30 minutes LATER than Eastern Standard Time. That means that when it is 4 PM in Atlanta, it is 4:30 in Puerto La Cruz! (For my farflung family and friends, this means it is 1 hr.& 30 min. later than central/Iowa-Eggers time, 2 hrs.& 30 min. later than mountain/Colorado-Tami time, and 3 hrs. & 30min. later than pacific/Oregon-Tori time!!)

Calm before the storm

So, over the past six weeks, I have been in email contact with many of my new co-workers. They are giving me hints about everything from packing to phone options to hobbies to spanish lessons. Over Christmas break I also spent a good bit of time researching and making purchase orders for materials to teach literature and ancient civilization to my sixth graders in Puerto La Cruz next year. In between these emails and unit planning sessions, I studied for my English as a New Language re-certification test that I took January 10th. Although all this flurry of activity may not appear to be a "calm", the truth is that compared to the looming lists of things I'll have to accomplish in the next six months, it was very, very calm.

What have I learned? I learned that most of my new co-workers own boats and spend weekends on the water. They enjoy scuba diving and get-togethers when they have free time. I also learned that I need to learn Spanish to get around my new home and to communicate with many of my new students. I learned that phone service to Venezuela doesn't have to be expensive if I use SKYPE and that everything I plan to bring should come with me as excess baggage. Finally, I learned that Venezuela contains many developing world challenges such as power and water outages and creative "maintenance" on just about everything (which leads to even more challenges such as water heaters falling off the wall because they were screwed into stucco with four standard screws and leaking pipes in walls because they were out of PVC and used a segment of garden hose instead.).

For now, I am battening down the hatches as I prepare for the storm of prepartions to come. I am very excited so I think when all is said and done, it will merely be one grand adventure.

Oh, and I am taking up a new hobby that is quite popular in Puerto La Cruz and surrounding areas-Kiteboarding. My daughter and cousin are going to join me in this crazy endeavor. Stay tuned for more details and stories.