Twirling and tumbling through life

Top to bottom photos: With Terry and Jaycey at Juan Valdez coffee shop in Bogota, Colombia; Sharing a laugh at the monthly cooking challenge(d) club with Melissa and Ama; one of the many BEAUTIFUL views in Bogota, Colombia

We are just finishing spring break and heading into our last 8 weeks of school. In these 8 weeks we have to finish our curriculum, do end of year testing, and say good byes. It is a bitter sweet time for me. I am very very happy in my job-the 6th graders have worked their tails off this year and I am super proud to be their teacher. Yet, the bitterness is in the reality that some of my closest friends here will be leaving VZ for good at the end of these 8 weeks. One heads to Algeria, one couple heads back to NYC, and one family heads to Colombia. The positive side is I know more cool teachers will take their place-it's the cycle of international teaching.

This past month has been a busy one. I spent my weekends learning how to make sushi and Indian food and touring the historic part of town where the school is located. I also started french classes at the Alliance Francaise and found a tutor to help me with my Spanish. On the business side of things, I booked my summer travels all over the USA (CO, FL, GA, WI) in June, my flights home and back to VZ, and my flights to and from Ecuador for my month of intensive spanish language study in July. WHEW-oh yeah, and I taught=).

For spring break I traveled with the Thomas family to see their new home-Bogota, Colombia. It is nestled in the Andes at 8000 feet so it is a perfect 65 degrees all year round. The city has so much pride in itself-rightfully so-it is forward thinking ecologically, organized, safe, and friendly. The brewpubs and Juan Valdez cafe's kept smiles on our faces for sure! In addition, we took the cable car to the top of one of the mountains and toured the historical part of the city. CNG, the school where they will be teaching, has 1800 students and sprawls across acres and acres on the side of a mountain-it is gorgeous. The classrooms have huge floor to ceiling windows that afford a panoramic view of the city. I am certain I will return to Bogota-it is a place that has captured my imagination.

For now...I am tumbling into summer beginning with these next 8 weeks of fun. I'm off....!!!!