The obligatory "school's out for summer!" post
So, yes, school is FINALLY finished for the year....and I've been thinking hard about one thing. Who is happier at the end of a school year? The students? OR the teachers? This year I'm in the position of being BOTH a teacher and a student. And I kind of have to say........I think teachers are the happiest!! At least that's how I feel right now....though I'm certainly glad to be done with grad school for a few months.
When I look back on the year, it's crazy to me what has changed. Last year at this time, I was low, depressed, a bit broken. I was all but packed to move home. And then I got a phone call from a man who would change my life....A year later, I'm in Ostrava and, sadly, Honza has passed on. But I'll forever be grateful for his belief in me.
When I moved to Ostrava at the end of August last year, I was staying in an old college dorm. Now, I'm in my fabulous flat. I was teaching in a school directly across the street from my flat in a public school that absolutely did not want our International school to be a part of it. Now, we have a lovely school set up right down the street from my flat, and we're going to expand to 2 floors next year! I started out the year knowing nothing about International Baccaleaureate. Now, I've finished one semester and I'm looking forward to next year!! Last summer, I was struggling to be accepted into graduate school. Now, I just finished my third semester with a cumulative 3.6 GPA- not perfect, but seeing how my classes were in the middle of the night during the work week- I'll take it!! Whew!! A lot going on!!
Along the way, I've made some students cry. Some students have made me cry. I've lost sleep thinking about classes. I've fallen asleep in my classes (grad school, not while teaching- well, I don't think I have....)I've made some mistakes and I've learned a lot. I've, also, had the privilege of working alongside some wonderful, hard working colleagues. And met some amazing professors and students at USC.
And now......it's time to celebrate, relax and recharge!!!!!
The next few days will consist of laundry, cleaning, and packing. My summer tour starts in a week. I'll be leaving Ostrava and heading to Prague for a few days on the 4th. Then on the 6th I fly, via Frankfurt, to Dublin. I'll meet my friend, who is newly married, in Dublin. We're going to take a little trip to Powerscourt Gardens and just enjoy the city of Dublin. Early in the morning on the 8th, I'm off for the States!! It'll be a long day of travel, stopping for a long layover in Charlotte, NC before landing in Denver. And as soon as I land in Denver, I'm on another plane bound for Durango!!! That's going to be a long day. Can't wait to see the mountains- it's been 4 years!! Hopefully, it will rain while I'm there- or at least the place won't be on fire! I'll head up to Denver for a weekend to see my cousin and some old friends who I've not seen in.........(wait, how is this possible??!!!) over 10 years?! My friend, Amie, is going to come out for a few days to Durango- that should be a great time. Then on the 1st of August, it's goodbye to the States and Hello to London and the Olympics!! I'll be staying for a long weekend with my friend Elena. And hopefully we'll get to get into some of the Olympic atmosphere. Then it's finally back to Prague and after a day of rest in Prague, home to Ostrava.
But the fun doesn't end there.....the weekend after I get back, it's back out. This time to the Beskydy Mountains for our summer fun camp!! I'll be there for a week, then home again. A few day trips during my last week and then back to school the last week of August.
Wow- where's my relaxation time??!!! Haha. I'm so excited for this summer and feel so lucky that I can travel this year.
OK- this post has gotten away from me a bit....so I'll leave you with some pictures from the ISO end of year BBQ. We had some authentic Mexican food, a dixieland band (weird combo) and loads of tequila! A good time was had by all...
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| The chef Ryan toasting with some of Ian's homemade cider. |
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| Rowan and Ivo celebrating the end of the year |
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| Big announcement time |
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| Verca, Martin, Aggi |
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| Tequila anyone?! |
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| The food was amazing! |
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| Jirka, Phil, Aggi |
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| Me, Phil, Aggi |
Dixiland music and Mexican food amkes a sort of sense: they are both a sort of Southern. :)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have GREAT travels plans! Recharge and make sure you are doing plenty of relaxing in there!