30 Before 30

Here I go... 

Upon contemplation of turning 30 years old, I realized there were so many things I wanted to do, but kept putting off. So I decided to make a list which somehow morphed into a 30 before 30 challenge. Before I decided to do this, I had no idea how popular they were. After looking at a few (a bunch) or other lists, consulting my friends, and really thinking about it, I decided on these 30 things. Judge all you want, but there are the things I want to accomplish before my 30th birthday. 

1. Run a 5k
2. Take a solo trip
3. Learn how to shoot a gun
4. Go camping
5. Go to Harry Potter World
6. Sing Karaoke
7. Take a spontaneous trip
8. Go to a brewery to find a beer that I like
9. Watch IMDB top 50 movies
10. Be comfortable riding Shotgun.
11. Learn how to cook three fancy meals
12. Have a photoshoot of myself
13. Go on a wine tasting tour
14. Go on a Women’s retreat
15. Buy a nice gold bracelet.
16. Go to the Zelda Fitzgerald museum.
17. Blog once a month.
18. Go to a concert.
19. Name a star after myself
20. Donate my hair
21. Be debt free
22. Go hot air ballooning
23. Make a baked Alaska
24. Lean how to box
25. Learn how to Smock
26. Complete 30 acts of kindness
27. Get a spray tan
28. Find a new church
29. Take a cooking class.
30.  Buy a House.

29

Well today is my 29^th birthday. I honestly don’t know where the past few years have gone. If you had asked me what my life would look like 10 years ago, this is definitely not what I would have pictured. I know no one feels like their age, but I especially do not. I think a combination of the fact that I teach teenagers and have friends that are younger than I keeps me feeling young. Also the fact that people don’t treat me my age because I haven’t done the things expected of me for my age (get married, have a kid or four, buy a house, etc). But there are moments when I do feel every bit of my age.

Let’s be honest. My 28^th year on this earth was not my most amazing. It had its moments of awesome: visit from Robyn, stage managing “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” and “Tuesdays With Morrie”, being in Radio TBS, trips to New Orleans and Nashville with my gal pals, and getting the opportunity to teach Theatre at PJHS. However, it also had its struggles. I “lost” some people this year, lost some self confidence, lost some pieces of myself.  But I am done with all that.

I am claiming 29 to be my year!

My year to enjoy life.

My year to gain confidence.

My year to enjoy simple things.

My year to cherish those who love me.

My year to give.

My year to not hold back.

My year to develop more awesome.

My year to learn how not to care what others think.

My year to straighten out crooked parts of my life.

My year to grow.

My year to regain myself.

One way I will do all of these things is by completing a “30 by 30” bucket list. I love lists. I live by lists. I have a constantly fluctuating bucket list that I have checked numerous things off of. In fact, in researching what I wanted to be on my list, I realized I have done a lot of the things on other people’s lists. But I have my own personal list. Things I want to accomplish for myself. Things that might not look normal to others, that are very personal to me. So tomorrow, I will finalize my bucket list and put it on the world wide web for everyone to see. I hope no one judges me for my list, but you know what? I DON’T CARE ANYMORE!! These are things that are important to me or that I think are fun, and that is all that matters. I will be updating my blog with photos when I complete an item! Please celebrate with me!

Why I Teach

Today was the last day of my school’s state mandated standardized testing. Today my students (and the other 1,000 students at PJHS) sat down and had to choose correct answers for the English portion of the ACT ASPIRE. They also had to write a well thought out, well planned, well explained essay in 30 minutes. And as I sat there wincing and wanting to shake them and ask, “How could you forget to indent your paragraphs?!?!?!” I couldn’t help but think about why I teach.

I do not teach for standardized testing.

I teach for the kids.

That is what it boils down to. To these precious 12 and 13 year old kids who are too street savvy for their own good, but still innocent and ignorant in some of the most basic ways.

I teach for the kid who draws me a new picture every week just because he loves to draw and wants to give them to someone who will appreciate it. He tells me I am the best teacher in the universe. (I know this isn’t true, especially since some of the best teachers I know are friends and mentors. Still it’s nice to hear.)

Yes, that is me riding a dinosaur. Are you this cool? I think not!

I teach for the kid who is severely Autistic, but since hearing I used to live in Taiwan has read all of my tour guide books and is a veritable fount of information about that country. He has decided he wants to live in Taipei one day.

I teach for the kid who, last year, hated everyone and everything. This year, when I talk to him, he is staying out of trouble and credits myself and a coach with teaching him how to control his temper. This child gave me a candle last year for Christmas that was half burned and unwrapped. Did I mention that it is one of my favorite gifts EVER! When he does big things one day, I will totally claim responsibility.

I teach for the girls who talk to me about boy issues. I teach for the kids who come and ask me for snack because their parents don’t send one for them and they don’t have money to buy one. I teach for the small moments of time where I can teach a morality lesson because of something we read in class. I teach for the kids who ask to stay in at break and sweep my room. They know they have a safe place with me.

I love that he was so concerned with correct grammar. And he labeled at least one part of speech!

 I teach for the kids who become readers after reading “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe”. (You mean there are more books after this one? Can I borrow it?) I teach for the kids who suddenly understand what it means to cite evidence in a response. I teach for the kids who understand that I teach a much harder concept so that they will better understand the easier concept.

I teach for the kids that I can encourage and be their cheerleader. That is why I go to every single sporting event, band concert, funeral, and club event that I can. And they know that I am there. And it means so much to them (most of the time). I teach for the kids that I can comfort and reassure when they cry. As good as I am at making kids cry, I am equally as good at stopping tears just by being a tad bit weird and blunt.

Now granted, I have bad days. There are days when I cry and get angry and throw away papers that they STILL didn’t write their name on even after I reminded them twice! There are days when I raise my voice, and days when I make kids cry because of their behavior. (I am really good at making 7^th grade boys cry.) There are days when I get frustrated because everyone understood the concept YESTERDAY, yet failed the test I gave today.

But I teach on. I teach for the opportunity to affect someone’s life, to help a child find his love for poetry, to have a safe place to talk, to teach correct behavior to. If I only affect one person, one child I will consider it well worth it.

That’s why I teach.

,

Home is where the heart is

Well here I am. It has been a year and a half since the previous blog post about leaving Taiwan. Honestly, for a while I didn't blog because it was too painful. For two years, my blog was a way to keep my friends and family updated about my life. And I couldn't cope with blogging about adjusting to life in America because I missed my life and friends in Taiwan so much. Then I got busy. In order to combat the sadness, I took on far too much (like that is new) and buried myself in work.

Now I am finally at a place where I feel like I should begin blogging again. I don't labor under any delusion that a large amount of people read this. However it is cathartic to get my thoughts out.

For the past two years I have lived, breathed, and eaten teaching 7th grade English. There are days (last week) where I feel like I am a teaching rockstar and then there are days (like today) where I want to crawl under a rock. I teach one class of three ESL students where I either teach them English and American customs, help them with their homework, or just make sure they are doing what they are supposed to. Second, Third, and Fourth period I teach Basic English which is Special Education and lower students (I call them my Basic Babies). Fifth period is my planning period and sixth period is my regular English class.

Being a teacher is hard work despite what people think. I teach all day long arriving normally around 7 and not leaving until AT LEAST 4:30 or 5. Most days however, I am busy running one of my five clubs or attending sports events, band concerts, or just trying to catch up with my crazy amount of paperwork.

I am currently in the middle of Baseball season. I am the sponsor of the Diamond Dolls, eight delightful young ladies who are managers for the team. I keep the baseball stats and am in the process of teaching them to do the same. I also help run the Cat's Meow Theatre Troupe, BETA Club and the Cat Spirit Club as well as being in charge of the Spelling Bee and putting on the first PJHS Talent Show in November!

I have also had the privilege of being involved in two productions at The Wetumpka Depot Theatre. This summer I was assistant stage manager for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and in January/February I stage-managed I Love You. You're Perfect. Now Change. Through this wonderful theatre, I have met some wonderful friends that now seem like family after our long days and nights together. As if this did not give me the opportunity to re-kindle my love for theatre, being so close to amazing venues with amazing shows certainly has. I have had the opportunity to see Mary Poppins, The Great Gatsby, The Taming of the Shrew, A Christmas Carol, and Dracula - the ballet at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. I have also gotten the opportunity to see Newsies and The Book of Mormon at the Fox Theater and the BJCC. Tomorrow I will go back to ASF to see The Importance of Being Earnest.

Though I struggled for a while, I have made some amazing friends. It is of course wonderful to be back with my family. My dear friend Mallory married David Breed last January and my baby brother married the sweet Anna Jean Cox in November.















It has been a busy year and a half. There have been extreme highs and devastating lows. There have been days where I doubted my decision to leave Taiwan and days where my choice was confirmed to be the right one. The old saying, "Home is where your heart is." is correct and for now, my heart is here.

Leaving Taiwan

For the past two years, I have lived, taught, played and loved in Tainan, Taiwan. Now I am leaving Taiwan to go back to the USA. God has blessed me so much in this time. He has given me a fun job, AMAZING co-workers, FANTASTIC friends and a great church family. I have had so much fun and learned so much.

I have tried several times to write down what God has taught me while in Taiwan. I have also tried to really sum up what Taiwan means to me and I can’t do it. I am not a great writer. I don’t have that knack of describing in a few words the essence of something, or  emotions.

Taiwan has been a time of releasing. When I came here, I had to release so much of my former life. I had to give up friends, family, possessions, pride, and independence. When you are overseas, you learn which of your friends really cherish you by the ones who make an effort to stay in your life. You learn to be okay without seeing your family often and not having people to constantly depend on. You leave everything behind, taking with you only what you can fit in one or two suitcases.  You have to lose your pride because when in a new environment, it is like you are a small child having to ask what to do even in simple situations. You have to learn how to be okay with sounding and looking dumb quite often. You have to give up some independence because, unless you speak the language, you can do NOTHING alone. You have to have help at the hospital, bank, post office, grocery store, gas station, everywhere.

But I have also gained SO much more than I had to give up. I gained new friends, a new perspective, a new language, new cultural traditions, new independence, new self esteem.

I gained friendships that are much deeper than ones I lost. I met people from all walks of life who are bound to me by such intense bonds of fellowship, laughter and tears that it makes other friendships seem silly. I gained such a huge global perspective. The world no longer seems so vast. I know people in all corners of the earth and I learned that those people are all very similar. They love, they cry, they hurt, they smile and they laugh. Nationality and culture mean little if you laugh and cry together. I learned how to communicate efficiently in a new language. I learned how important body language and charades are when you don’t know the right words! I learned how gracious people are when you are obviously, hopelessly confused! I gained a knowledge and appreciation for different traditions and holidays. Forevermore, I will celebrate Dragonboat festival, Moon Festivals, Chinese NewYear and other festivals. I will incorporate Taiwanese wedding traditions into my American wedding plans! I learned how to make traditional foods. I gained a different kind of independence that says… “Psshhh this isn’t hard. Hard is moving to a country where you don’t know anyone or anything and thriving.” I gained the independence that knows I could always move to another country and teach English! I gained the self esteem that comes with these skills. I gained self esteem from knowing that I am tough and can handle myself in a foreign country. I gained self esteem from my precious students telling me every day that I am beautiful, even when I felt I looked my worst. I gained precious life experience.

God has used Taiwan, my church, my friends and my experiences to tear down some large walls I had built around myself. I learned how to REALLY trust him with my life. He took painful experiences from the past and replaced them with positive things. I went through my first real crisis of faith here and have emerged much stronger and resilient.

And now I will leave.

Part of me is crying out to myself, “Why are you leaving? Are you crazy?” Another part is very happy and excited about the challenges I will face at my next job (which I will announce as soon as it is officially voted upon!” A large part of me is sad to leave the people who have taught me so much and supported me along the way. And yet another part is ready to  be home with my beloved family!

So… Taiwan. You have part of my heart. I will never forget you and I love you!

Firsts and Lasts

In the past two years I have had a lot of “firsts”. Now that I am leaving Taiwan and going home for good, I am experiencing so many “lasts”. I was thinking about some of the first and last things I am now doing.

The first time I flew long distance alone.

The first time I drove a scooter.

The first time I rode a high speed train/ or any train for that matter.

The first time I went grocery shopping at Carrefore.

The first time I celebrated Christmas without my family.

The first time I managed to order food in Chinese.

The first time I taught English to students whose native language is NOT English.

The first time I rowed with a dragonboat team.

The first time I went to Kenting.

The first time I traveled to India and China.

The first time I went to Taipei to see Alicia.

The first time I introduced holidays to people (Thanksgiving, Halloween)

The first time I took a ferry.

The first time I ate Stinky Tofu!

Now it is the last time I will

Shop at the open traditional market.

Bake in my tiny oven

Eat at Willy’s or Bus-7

Skype for hours with my parents

Chat with my roommate and friends.

Drink blueberry or raspberry juice.

Listen to Living Water Church worship and pray in Chinese.

Drink Bubble Milk Tea

Eat Mango Ice!

Eat dumplings!

Drive my scooter to the beach.

Be stared at wherever I go.

Be adored by all my students.

Take a nap during down time at work.

See my beloved friends and students.

Joke with my coworkers.

Sweat just sitting at my desk.

Live in fear of it raining on my way to work

Kill spiders and bugs large enough to eat a small dog! (just kidding)

Bake cookies for my small group

Eat sushi for one US dollar.

Teach students how to have basic conversation

2013 Graduation

This past week all of my 9^th grade and 12^th Grade students graduated from Junior High and High school. It is a bittersweet time as I am happy that they are graduating, sad because I will miss them and happy because now I have fewer classes!

For the high school’s last class, we had a “English Graduation Ceremony”.  High school graduation here is not a huge deal. They don’t wear anything special or really do that much, so I wanted to do something different.

So a few weeks earlier we started preparing. We used black paper to make graduation caps, took graduation photos, learned about graduation in America, and prepped for the ceremony.

On the last day of my class, we had our English Graduation! They did the usual walking in to Pomp and Circumstance, receiving the diploma and hearing a (very short) speech from their two teachers. It was fun and I think they enjoyed it!

On the actual graduation day, the students had a short(ish) ceremony that of course I understood little of. They sang a song together and after the ceremony, we partied!!

Of course, what I really mean is that the senior class and their teachers went to a Japanese restaurant and ate lunch together. It was a fun lunch though!