First Day of Easter Break

And what did I do? Shopped and saw The Hunger Games, of course! I went down to Chichester again to look for some gifts and do a little shopping for myself.  I swear I looked at every shop there last weekend, but apparently I did not because I managed to find some stores I had not yet been into.  I have to admit, I love buying things that I know no one back home will have.  Cute dresses, scarves, jewelry...I can't help it!  There are so many gorgeous things!  But, in addition to what I bought myself, I found some really nice gifts for my sister and nephew today.  I'm still on the lookout for the rest of the people on my list, but I think I'm done with them until I go to Paris.  I was at a loss on what to get my nephew, because he doesn't really play with toys anymore.  I discovered buying for boys is pretty difficult, but when I found this little gem, I knew it was perfect!

It's an egg cup for soft boiled eggs! He's a very picky eater, but I know he likes eggs.

I don't want to spoil the surprise for any readers who may be getting gifts and trinkets from my travels, so I won't post anything else that I bought. I think I'll put off shopping again for a little while, though...at least until I see what some of the big cities have to offer.

After shopping, I headed over to Chichester's cinema.  It looked just like your typical American movie theater, except they a)charged ridiculously high prices for tickets, b)they had a bar IN the theater (I couldn't take a drink into the movie, but it came in handy while I waited for it to start), and c)they only offer two types of popcorn: salty or sweet, and neither comes with butter.  I thought (c) might have been a deal-breaker, but I actually didn't miss the butter and I probably saved a truckload of calories (that I made up for by having a beer).

"Stellaaaaaa!!!!" in a cheesy Sylvester Stallone voice, is what I hear in my head every time I drink one

Their "small" popcorn really is small

 So, I watched The Hunger Games.  Loved it (and no, I did not think it was too violent nor did I think Rue was "too black," as apparently some racist Tweeters do.  Assholes.)!  Would see it again, but don't really want to spend six pounds to do it.  Guess I'll wait on the Blu-Ray.

Well, my first day of Easter Break was pretty great and I still have a little over two weeks left.  I wonder what I'll see and do...

Ups and Downs...Such is Life

This week has been full of surprises, both good and bad.  Here they are, in no particular order:
 - I found out I get to go to an Arsenal football game (that's soccer for all you Americans who aren't in-the-know).  It's against Manchester City and it's in London on Easter Sunday.  It's supposed to be a big game and it  should be pretty awesome.
 - One of my hosts is incredibly sick.  Because of this, we had to cancel Stonehenge and the Jane Austen museum this weekend, as well as the Paris trip.  I'm really hoping we'll get to reschedule all of those things during the Easter break.  Fingers are crossed!
 - I have planned two trips in April, one to Brighton and the other to London with a lovely girl from school.  I can't wait!
 - The weather has been beautiful this week.  It's supposed to turn cold and rainy all next week.  Boo! Typical English weather, I suppose...
 - I officially have the use of a bicycle.  Not having a car really sucks, for lack of a better word.  A bike will help an awful lot (at least on the days it's not raining).

That's all for now.  I'm trying not to get too bummed out about Paris, although it's disheartening.  I just hope there's time to reschedule and that we're able to get tickets on the Eurostar without much notice.

For those wondering, my grandfather passed away Sunday night.  The past few days have been a difficult, but I'm trying to focus on what I'm here to do and enjoy the rest of my stay here.  I know he would have wanted that.  He will always be in my thoughts and my heart.

Unplanned Weekend

Plans got rearranged this weekend, so Stonehenge and the Jane Austin house and museum got moved to next weekend.  I ended up spending yesterday morning shopping in Chichester.  It's a beautiful little town, centered around the Chichester cathedral.  It's actually an old Roman city, and parts of the original Roman wall still stands. 

One part of the wall.  In other areas it is much taller and impressive.

Beautiful day to shop!

Lunch at The Fountain (fancy fish and chips - pretty good, but the best seem to be the ones they throw on newspaper and serve to you in a less stylish fashion).

 Today I helped my hosts set up their beach hut.  The weather is turning warmer, and since the beach is only 1 mile away, it's a nice place to go read, cook out, and relax on pretty days.  Not sure that the water will be warm enough to swim in before I leave, but it's still a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend the day.  I think the rest of the afternoon I'll just catch up on some of my television programs I've missed and then read a little. 

All in all it was a pretty relaxing weekend, apart from receiving some upsetting news about my grandfather being in the hospital.  I wish there was more I could do, but from 5000 miles away it's difficult.  I'm trying not to think about it until I hear further news, but that's not very easy. 

Morning Run

I got up for a morning run today, even though I really, really, really wanted to stay in bed.  I'm glad I went, though.  Now I am ready to take on the day!

Part of my morning run route that ultimately leads to the sea.  There and back, it's only about 2 miles...I'll need to find a longer route, soon.  (P.S. I love the houses that have brick walls instead of wooden fences!)

A beautiful sunrise makes getting up early to run completely worth it.

I really, really, really want to stay here.  I'm only living a block away, but every time I pass this B & B, I am drawn to it.

So cute!

Mossy tree under which I chose to stretch.

Hump Day

I cannot believe this week is almost over.  It was another eventful day of Charity Week.  I thought I was done with baking, since we ran out of flour yesterday.  Turns out I was, but there were several kilograms of chocolate that needed melting and loads of fruit that needed to be cut for dipping, as well as children who needed supervision while doing the melting and the dipping.  There were also several chocolate birds' nests that needed to be made, and guess who volunteered to organize the students in doing that? This girl! While I love being in the classroom, I am really enjoying these nontraditional days I've been having for the last week.  It has made each day different and I've gotten to interact with several students, instead of those from just one classroom. 

During this time, I've become known as The American, and have delighted children each day with my accent.  I hear squeals of excitement as the students enter the kitchen and see that I'm in there, and then they all crowd around me and ask me to "say something".  As flattering as you may think this is, it has put me in the position
of "odd circus freak," which is somewhat unsettling.  You'd think I was from Mars, or something (which I'm not, because everyone knows women are from Venus).

It looks like tomorrow will see more fruit being chopped and chocolate being melted.  I think we're all done with the birds' nests and the baking completely, so I'll have to find something else to get into.  Another field trip, perhaps? Friday, the Fifth Years are having a walk for Sports Relief at 11, so I'll be doing that until lunch time.  Not sure what the rest of the day will bring, but at this point, I think everyone knows that I'm up for just about anything!

I've already mentioned my plans for the weekend (a date with a mysterious group of rocks and the birthplace of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy), but I realized I forgot to share what I did for the rest of last weekend.  Saturday was our day in Portsmouth and Chichester, but Sunday was Mothering Day (or Mother's Day, depending on who you ask), and we celebrated by going to Weald and Downland, the open air museum here in West Sussex.  Essentially, it's a small village recreated using original buildings from the 16th and 17th centuries.  They were originally standing throughout West Sussex, but as the towns and villages grew, developers wanted to tear down these buildings that had stood for centuries and replace them with new housing developments and commercial buildings.  From what I understand, the property for the museum was purchased and its founder began purchasing these buildings that were in danger of being lost forever.  They took them apart, moved them, and then rebuilt them as they were.  Now, you can go and see live demonstrations and walk around the property, which is quite large.  For Mothering Day, they hand out daffodils to the mothers who visit, and hold more demonstrations than normal.  We went with my hosts' children and their families for the morning.

The Mill

The pond where baby Theo wanted to go for a swim

Sheep!

Black Sheep...I think its name was Heather...?

Old school house...can't imagine teaching here!

Geese and an old home (the outhouse was IN the house and was designed to empty right onto the street from the 2nd floor)

I would have taken more pictures, but with four children in the group, it became difficult to focus on much else! One was busy jumping into every puddle he came across, another wanted to get out of his stroller the entire time, one was fast asleep in his carrier, and the other wanted to climb trees the entire time.  It was very eventful, right up until the moment we had to leave because it started to rain.  I absolutely adore my hosts and their family, and I love that there's never a dull moment here.  It's definitely keeping me on my toes!

Oui, Chef

Yesterday and today I got roped into helping bake biscuits for Charity Week.  Both mornings I supervised 15 children as they made several dozen Easter Biscuits (lemon zest, sugar, butter, flour, currants, candied citrus peel, and spice powder).  The point was to sell those, along with Bird's Nests, raffle tickets, and Easter Eggs, to raise money for a local charity.  Both days went really well, although today went somewhat better than yesterday (no burnt biscuits! took an hour less than it did yesterday!).  Today they sold yesterday's biscuits and tomorrow they'll sell today's.  Hopefully, all the children's hard work will earn loads of money for their charity!

I'm not sure what the rest of my week looks like.  I can't say I've really had a single "normal" day at school, which I'm perfectly okay with.  In fact, the time is going quite quickly and it's hard to believe tomorrow is Wednesday already.  Next Friday is our last day before our two week Easter holiday, and then I'll only have two more weeks left.  The time is flying, really!  During my lunch hour today, I spent some time looking through some of the brochures my hosts picked up for me.  I'm trying to plan out my first trip to London, but it's really difficult because there is so much to do.  I think the first time I'm there, I really just want to take a ride on a double-decker, and just see most of the sights that way.  Then, I can go back and do some shopping in Notting Hill, go to the British Museum, see some of the Harry Potter landmarks, do a Jack the Ripper walk, etc.  It's only about an hour and a half away, and a two week holiday leaves me with loads of free time.  We'll also go to Paris during that time, so I'll have to decide what I want to see there, too. 

This weekend, it looks like I'll be able to visit Stonehenge and Jane Austin's house/museum.  They are both relatively near each other and will make for a nice day trip.  Hopefully the weather will be good.   

Observations Thus Far

Though not applicable to everyone who lives in England, here are some things I have noticed during my first week in England:

1.  It is acceptable to drive at 50 mph with only half a car-length separating you from the car in front of you.

2.  Gravy is served with nearly every cooked meal.  Mushroom gravy, onion gravy, turkey gravy, duck gravy, and chicken gravy...it all goes well with meat.

3.  English mustard is hot.  Like, wasabi-hot.  Mushy peas are not as disgusting as they sound, and are quite good, actually.  Steak and kidney pie is pretty good, and even better with that English mustard.

4.  Beer goes with everything and is appropriate just about any time of the day.  Room temperature is preferable.

5.  Well-dressed English children in their school uniforms are not necessarily better behaved than their American counterparts, although they look like they would be.

6.  Biscuits are NOT cookies, though they would like you to believe so.

7.  Potatoes are chips, chips are crisps, rubbers are erasers, and pants are underwear.  Do not confuse them.

8.  Hunter boots (or Wellies) are acceptable for any occasion.  Do not buy them because they are cute.  Buy them because they will prevent your feet from getting cold, wet, and muddy.  Be prepared to get said cute Hunter boots wet and muddy, and don't be sad because they are no longer in pristine condition.

9.  Smiling or making eye contact while passing someone on the sidewalk is not necessary, nor is it preferred.

10.  Kids will do funny imitations of Americans, that sound like a cross between a Southerner and a California surfer dude.  They will expect you to say a sentence or two in your best English accent, in return.

I worked for the weekend and it's finally here!

Friday at school was pretty chaotic.  I was busy all day and then after lunch, the afternoon consisted of what the school calls Shine Time.  Once a quarter, the students are given an afternoon to choose from several fun activities to participate in for the remainder of the school day.  Yesterday, there were groups of students baking; learning to draw cartoons; making Easter chicks; cleaning out the cages of and playing with the school's guinea pigs; making friendship bracelets; building birdhouses; learning how to care for and train dogs; participating in a contest for an Olympics poster; and making Mother's Day cards.  There were several more activities, but these were all the ones I roamed around the school to see.  It was a good afternoon.  As I walked around to the groups of students, I had several ask me if I was an American.  They wanted to hear me talk "American" and try to "speak" British.  It was highly amusing.

Today, I woke up rather early, because my host and I planned to go to do some shopping.  We left this morning and drove to Plymouth, where we went to some of the outlets so I could buy a few things for school.  Plymouth is a lovely little seaport, and they have a naval base there.  It was quite cloudy and rainy today, so the fog prevented us from seeing much, but from what I saw it looked lovely.  There were sail boats in the harbor and we watched some of the ferries coming in from other ports.  Then we had lunch at The Old Customs House, a traditional pub that was built in the 1700s.  It used to be...a customs house.

After lunch, I had to go to see one of the many things Portsmouth is famous for....the Charles Dickens museum.  Portsmouth is the birthplace of Dickens, and his old home (he only lived there for a few months) is now a museum.  You can explore the house, read about the history of his family, see the some of the original illustrations approved by Dickens himself for his novels, and see some things he owned, as well as the sofa he actually died upon and his death certificate.

After visiting Dickens' former home, we stopped in Chichester on the way back to Bognor for some more shopping.  The shopping is unbelievable, with traditional chains like Top Shop and Jigsaw, as well as a several quirky independent shops.  We walked around and did some shopping, and stopped in one of their many traditional tea rooms for afternoon tea and cake.  I could have spent all day there, and I actually plan to, in the upcoming weeks.  There is a beautiful cathedral in the center of town and a university as well, with a theater and lovely grounds to walk around.  I think the next weekend that isn't raining and is a little warmer I will have to spend in Chichester!

Tomorrow is Mothering Day (Mother's Day), so I believe we'll be spending it with my hosts' family.  If the weather is nice, we plan on going to an open air museum just outside of town.  If its raining, I'm not sure what we'll do.  I actually wouldn't mind just spending some time at home tomorrow, because I feel as though I've been running around nonstop since I arrived one week ago.

Girls Are Mean!

I had school again this morning.  After yesterday's field trip, I found myself somewhat reluctant to go back to the classroom.  While I realized that was what I signed up for, a part of me wished I was solely over here on vacation, instead of the "working vacation" I signed up for.  Sigh.  Guess I'll have to get over that wish pretty quickly!

The morning was fairly uneventful.  Students worked on map coordinates, I read with a handful of individual students for their weekly oral check, and then they worked on posters for next week's charity fundraiser.  After lunch, we returned to the classroom for the afternoon's PPS, which is two hours of weekly music, French, and spelling (and no, I have no idea what PPS stands for).  Music began, and I could see there were two little girls who were making faces at each other and arguing a bit.  I directed them back to their music teacher, and it stopped for a little while.  After music, students went to another room for their French lesson.  Again, the same two girls were having issues.  When I went to ask them what the matter was, one of them started crying and telling me how mean the other was. I separated the two and they went on with French.  Finally, spelling began as the last 40 minutes of the day, and it just so happened that the two girls were partnered up for that period.  As you can imagine, it created quite a problem and they were separated again by their spelling teacher after I told her there had been issues with them all afternoon. 

After spelling was over, it was time to go home.  I ushered the class back to their room and as everyone was cleaning up and preparing to leave, I noticed several girls standing round a poster at the front of the room.  All the girls were scratching out words on the poster, using a poster.  I was curious as to what they were up to, so I went over and asked what they were doing.  Apparently, one of the girls who had been having problems with the other had gotten all of her girl friends to remove themselves from a club the other girl was a leader of.  The club leader got wind of it and got quite upset, causing a stir all over again.  A few teachers got involved, there were more tears shed, and lots of shouting before one of the girls stormed off and the other left with her mother who had come to pick her up.  What a mess!  I suppose more time will be spent tomorrow trying to deal with that. 

All I could think the entire time was how mean those girls were being to each other.  I thought back to when I was in fourth grade and realized not much has changed.  Girls are mean!  They can be downright vicious, actually.  As my hostess said to me this afternoon, it's funny, because boys just have a fistfight and then they are friends.  Girls play mind-games and get others involved, and it can be quite the emotional breakdown of the one being bullied.  It's really sad, actually, because those kind of hurt feelings can stick with you for quite a long time, years actually, depending on how brutal it is.  I still remember a few instances that occurred in elementary school with me, and  even now if I have lingering feelings of dislike for those girls (women now, I suppose).  I can only hope that as a teacher I will be more aware of what is going on and create a sense of community in my classroom, so things like that don't get entirely out of hand like they did today.

On that note, I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday! Adieu! 

A Surprise (or Two)

I got to school this morning, ready to take on my second day.  I got to school early, had some tea, spoke to my cooperating teacher, and ran to the bathroom with about 5 minutes to spare.  Just as I finished washing my hands, a woman I had never seen before opened the door and said "Are you Dawn?"  That was when the day I had planned shot out the window, and a new day presented itself before my very eyes.

I told the woman that, yes, I was indeed Dawn.  She then asked me if I would like to go on a field trip.  "Ummmm....of course!?!" I replied.  I followed her out into the hallway, and as I did, she introduced herself as a 4th year (3rd grade) teacher at the school.  We ran into my cooperating teacher in the hallway, and they proceeded to tell me that one of the parents who was supposed to chaperone their field trip that day had just called a few moments ago and said they couldn't make it.  When the 4th year teacher went to talk to the head teacher, my name was brought up as a possible replacement.  Turns out, the 4th years were going to Cowdray, a set of ruins in Midhurst that was build in the late 1400s and was visited several times by royalty, including King Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.  A fire burned much of it to the ground in the late 1700s, but much still stands.

Well, it didn't take much twisting of my arm to get me to go! I was improperly dressed, having just found out about the excursion that morning.  While everyone else wore jeans and trainers, I was in dress trousers and heels.  I froze all day, but it was completely worth it.  I can't even begin to describe the feeling of walking in the same footsteps as some of the most important figures in history.  To walk in a building that is older than the United States itself was incredible, and while logically it has always made sense that things as old as this exist, I was unable to appreciate it until today.  I was completely in awe.

We walked the grounds, went into the still-standing and functional kitchen, and climbed a turret to a room at the top where the kids learned about writing with quills (more of a time-waster than anything else).  At the end of the day, we loaded up the buses and rode back to the school.

I got picked up by my hostess shortly after, and told her all about my fabulous day.  I didn't think it would be any more exciting or eventful than it already had been, but lo and behold I was wrong! When we arrived home, it turned out that she and her eldest son had spent the morning talking about me and my Harry Potter obsession (yes, I believe I told them within the first 24 hours of my being here that I was a huge fan).  Marc had gathered information about the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour in London.  They told me about what they had found and asked if I wanted to go.  It took me about 1/10 of a second to say "YES!" and we booked tickets immediately.  I can not WAIT to try butterbeer and see the Great Hall, Dumbledoor's Office, Diagon Alley, Harry's Nimbus 2000, and the Gryffendor Common Room! It's going to be even better than Paris, I know it!  The only bad thing is that I have to wait until April 24, the very last week of my trip, to go.  That is SOOOOOO far away!

Until the tour, I suppose I'll have to busy myself with other things.  Saturday we are going shopping in Portsmouth, an old naval town.  There are supposed to be some good shops there, so I'm excited.  Sunday is Mothering Day (Mother's Day), and if the weather is nice we are going to an open-air museum.  Next week the high school is having a fashion show that I'll be attending with my hostess, and the same evening is a retirement party for one of the ladies at the school I'm working at.  Then, in 2 weeks, Easter holiday begins, so that's when I'll head into London and Paris.  Breaking apart my stay like that makes it seem quite short, now that I look at it!

First Day of School

I was quite nervous this morning, as it was the first day at my new school.  I am in a Year 5 classroom (4th graders, basically) which is an age group I'm used to, but I was still nervous about the kids and the people I'd be working with.  Turns out, I had nothing to worry about!  The kids are great (and their English accents make them absolutely adorable) and the staff is wonderful.  It also doesn't hurt that we start an hour later, get a morning tea break, and have an hour for lunch every day.  Sweet!

Aside from all of the perks mentioned above, I am incredibly excited to take what I can from my experience here.  I can tell already there are some new teaching methods and class management strategies that I will be able to take back with me to the States.  I hope those will be assets when it comes time to look for a job when I return!   I'm eager to learn about the English school system and to witness how it works, compare it to what we have, and see how I can use what I've seen to become a better teacher. 

On another note, I've been asked what I want to do this weekend.  That's such a difficult question to answer! I don't think I want to go into London just yet.  There is a castle nearby and an open-air museum as well.  I'd like to do some shopping, as it turns out I should have brought some different things to wear to school (not quite so formal).  I did go to gap.eu and I think I'll order some things from there and have them shipped to the house.  They have some good sales and I need to save my money for London and Paris!  Aside from the usual, though, I'd like to see what some stores in the other towns have to offer in the way of clothing and souvenirs. Hmmm.... I guess I have a few days to decide. 

Exploring Bognor Regis

Today was a fairly relaxing day.  I spent the morning reading, and then made a trip to Tesco for some food to bring for lunches this week.  Afterwards, we went to another pub just outside of town for my hostess's weekly Monday Lunch Club.  I had a lovely meal of fish cakes over creamed leeks with...(you guessed it) a pint of Guinness.  It was delicious!  You may think that I've been drinking an awful lot of wine and beer since I arrived, and you would be right.  Turns out, the English drink one or the other at just about every meal, which works out quite all right for me!

After lunch, I decided to walk to the town centre and check out some of the shops and restaurants.  It's about a 30 minute walk at a leisurely pace, which takes you down to the pier.  On the way are a few B and Bs before you get to the touristy part, where you'll find an arcade, a skateboard park, and a few other attractions open during the summer.  In the centre is a fair amount of restaurants and pubs, as well as some shops.  I managed to find a Body Shop, which made me quite happy since I haven't been to one in years.  They have the best body washes! I also found a cute clothing store called Dorothy Perkins, where they had loads of cute summer dresses, shorts, tanks, and a ton of other things that made no sense for me to buy while I'm here. I may wait until I'm getting ready to leave before I go back to look at summery stuff.  It's just not that warm here yet and I really don't have the proper shoes or accessories to wear with it. 

I also found a Boot's drugstore, which I recognized right away.  I remember Target sold their brand of makeup and skincare for a while back in the states, and I used to buy it then.  I was looking for a few things I forgot to bring, as well as some band-aids (which are called plasters here) for my poor feet.  Since my plane ride, my feet and ankles have been pretty swollen.  I looked it up online and it's pretty common, however, it could be a problem if the swelling doesn't go down soon.  Apparently, blood clots may be an issue but since I'm pretty active the chances of getting one are pretty slim.  However, that didn't stop my poor, swollen feet from getting riddled with blisters.

You probably weren't expecting a picture of my feet...sorry about that; however, it was the only picture I managed to take today.  Looks like it will be a little while before I walk to the town centre again, and it will probably be at least a few more days before I begin my morning runs. 

The South Downs

Today was another lovely day in Bognor Regis.  The sun was shining, the weather was warm...it was a day that warranted being outside.  We started out late in the morning by driving through the South Downs to a lovely area in which to walk. 

After our walk, we stopped at a nice little Pub called The Partridge Inn.  The atmosphere was wonderful inside, but because it was so nice we decided to eat outside on the picnic tables.  I had my first "real" pint of Guinness, along with some fish and chips and mushy peas.  It was delicious!  As we sat and ate, I watched two children playing croquet in the yard. It was very....British?!  

After our lunch, we drove to Goodwood Motor Circuit, where they do motorsports, horse racing, and aviation.  We watched my hosts' eldest son Marc fly for about an hour (takeoff and landing, anyway), and relaxed outside with tea and snacks.  It was so neat to see all of the planes coming and going.  Some of them were open roof, but most of them were small four-seater Cessnas.

It was a pretty wonderful day.  I expect tomorrow will be enjoyable as well, because I plan to spend it wandering around in town.  I want to check out some of the local shops and try to find a good curry takeaway.  Then, I start school on Tuesday, so it's sure to be an exciting week!

Welcome to Bognor Regis

After a few hiccups at the beginning of my trip, I arrived safe and sound to Merry Ole London.  I got picked up by a driver sent by my host family, which felt odd because, frankly, I've never had a person standing at Arrivals holding up a poster with my name on it.  I felt fancy.  :) It took about an hour to get from London to Bognor Regis, and I must say that it was one of the most beautiful drives I've ever been on.  The houses are all brick or stone, and look like they would fit right in on Privet Drive.  The country side is luscious and green, and usually accompanied by grazing sheep or lazy cows.  The villages we drove through were absolutely adorable, and filled with antique shops, old pubs, and tea houses.  I did see the odd Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut now and then, which was strange, because they stick out like sore thumbs.  I also saw a Starbucks...I can only imagine how badly they would rip me off over here, after paying $5 for a stupid latte back home.

I finally arrived at the house I'll be living in for the next 7 weeks and it was love at first sight.  Beautiful brick, lovely English garden in the back, and the people who own it are simply wonderful.  I had a lovely afternoon making conversation with my hosts, as well as two of their three sons, two of their three daughters-in-law, and four of their six grandchildren.  I formed an especially tight bond with a precocious little girl named Cara.  After all our talking, we went to the beach which is about a 15 minute walk from the house.  It will make an excellent route for jogging in the mornings and a beautiful place to stroll at sunset.  The kids got to wade in the water ( I declined, because my Hunter's were still somewhere at Heathrow).  They splished, they splashed, and had a jolly time.  When it was time to go, the littlest, Theo, kept crying "More sea.  More sea!"  I loved every second of it.

The evening consisted of good food and lots of good wine, which leads me to believe (in addition with what I experienced today) that I will get along with my hosts just fine.  I think the next seven weeks are going to be amazing, and I can't wait to see what's in store.

Now, after 31 hours, it's time for a proper sleep.  Good night!

On My Way!

Today got off to a rough start.  My original itinerary looked something like this:
     Leave Rapid City at 1:10pm. 
     Fly to Denver.
     Change planes in Chicago.
     Arrive at London Heathrow at 11:05am Saturday.

I arrived at the airport (after a lovely breakfast at my favorite morning haunt, Tally's Silver Spoon) only to find out that my flight to Denver had been cancelled.  WHAT?!!!?  After spending a lengthy amount of time at the ticket counter, I got put on another flight to Chicago (totally bypassing Denver) and was told I would arrive in London the next morning.  As Aaron and I sat down to wait for my flight, say our goodbyes, etc. my Smartphone received an email from my airline saying that my new flight was delayed, as well.  UGH.  With the delay, there was no way I'd make my connection in Chicago.  I was bummed.  This is not how I envisioned my trip starting out.

We went back to the ticket counter and I managed to get a 9:00 flight out of Chicago.  That means I get to spend a few hours in Chi-town's airport (at least it's not Midway!).  Again, I was not prepared for this.  I had planned to be somewhere over the Atlantic in a deep sleep, thanks to 5mg of melatonin.  Oh, well.  I still arrive to Heathrow at 11:05 tomorrow morning and at least I don't have to run from one flight to another in O'Hare.  Now, I think I'll relax at the airport, have a nice meal and a glass (or two) of wine.  Hopefully, if all goes as planned, I'll actually be in England at this time tomorrow.

Speaking British

As most of you know, I've been student teaching this year.  I spent it in a 3rd grade classroom at one of the local elementary schools here in town, and it was a wonderful experience!  Last year, I made up my mind to do an international student teaching program as my Senior Project for my university's Honor Program, which effectively split my student teaching nearly in half.  Though I could have gone just about anywhere in the world, I chose to complete my student teaching in England for several reasons.
   1.  My father's side of the family (and some people on my mother's side) are from Cornwall, England.  My grandmother did extensive research on our family's history and it's truly fascinating.  I would love to see where it is they came from.
   2.  I have always loved history, although I am by no means a "history buff" - I just do not have the recall like some people I know (ahem...Aaron).  The history of England, particularly that of London, has always interested me so I wanted to take the opportunity to see what I have only read about in history books.
   3.  The thought of a language barrier terrified me, so I wanted to go to an English-speaking country.  I'm a chicken, I know, but I rationalized it this way: I am already using every ounce of bravery I have to go at this all alone.  I never thought I'd travel abroad for the first time by myself, so a language barrier coupled with what will surely be periods of loneliness and uncertainty would be too much to handle.
   4.  The thought of seeing Princess Kate or Ricky Gervais makes me all giddy! Heck, I'd even take a Warwick Davis sighting and be happy...

So, having made this decision, the time time has finally come for me to leave Rapid City and embark on this incredible journey.  I will miss my husband most of all (thank God for Skype and email!), and I already miss my 3rd graders.  Luckily, I will begin at my new school on Tuesday, and I am sure that my 4th graders (or 5 Years, as they are called there) will be just as wonderful.  Plus, they wear uniforms, so I'm sure that it in itself will make them absolutely adorable!  But I cannot wait to come back in May and share my experiences with my 3rd graders and tell them about all the things I did, what I liked about the school I was at, and how the children were.  It's funny, because when I told them I was leaving for England they were very interested and had lots of questions.  Before I told them, I was unsure how they would react - would they care that I was leaving? (Yes.) Would they be upset? (Some were.) Were they interested in what I was going to do? (Absolutely!)  I got some really great questions from the students.  One little boy asked if my husband knew I was going.  That made me laugh, and I told him that although there are some things I have managed to keep from my husband, I thought this was something he would notice almost immediately, so YES, he knows I am going!  Some students asked what the school and children were like, so I showed them pictures from the school's website.  Others asked about the culture - what kinds of foods I would eat and whether or not they eat hotdogs there (I'm not quite sure - yes?).

Finally, one of the last questions was "Are you going to learn to speak British?"  At the time I laughed, and told the little girl that they actually speak English in England, so I wouldn't have to learn "British."  However, as I thought about it later on, I realized that I would indeed like to learn to speak British.  No, I don't mean I want to come back with a Madonna-esque, fake Detroit/London accent.  I just want to immerse myself in the culture and really take advantage of my time over there.  I want to learn the customs and see and live their normal way of life.  I want to forget about the fact that I am an American and do not belong there, because I think in a way, I DO belong there.  After all, it is my heritage and it is my very own family history.

So yes, I think I will learn to speak British.  Wish me luck!