My new second home

Bali!!

I think Random, monthly trips to this location are in my future!

My first trip there was a 5 day weekend, and it just wasn't enough time. It was lovely to be close to the beach again and to see Blue skies and breathe easily....things that can't happen in Jakarta. I spent hours in the sun on the beach, saw beautiful sunsets, ate amazing meals, partied on the beach, stayed in a huge villa, relaxed in the midst of the rice feilds and missed many other experiences that I will have to return for.

I think it is completely mind blowing that at any moment I could buy a ticket and be in Bali in less then 4 hours! Most people will never make it to this beautiful island. And others will save for months/years to come for a week or two, never to return. And then there is me....I used to dream about taking a trip to Bali, and now....now I can go this weekend if I want....it's like hopping over to Chicago when I lived in South Bend, or Columbia when I live in Pawleys Island....Amazing!

I am Blessed, and I encourage everyone to meet me in Bali so you can see what I am talking about....
I think I'll be in Indonesia for awhile, so plan a couple years out and start saving!! ;)

Here are some sights....

Traditional balinese Fire Dance....(can't remember real name)

 no instruments...the men did all the singing and created all the music vocally

 The Dancers

 The Rice field behind our Villa in Ubud...so quiet and serene!

 Bali Sunset @ Potato Head's...

Toilets, Taxis, and Traffic

The stories of Random weird things happening to me here are endless....but lets just share a few....


Toilets...not that complicated....or so you would think....

Here bidets are very popular. Not really my thing, but it seems to be the chosen method of many here in Indonesia. For the most part it's not a problem....but in some really nice hotels, restaurants, etc... you have to look twice before you hit any button and assume it is going to flush.

On this particular night, I went to the restroom and didn't even notice that this toilet had the bidet "function." That was, until I hit the wrong button. I turned the wrong handle and this little nozzle came out from it's hiding place from under the toilet seat, like a turtles head, and started spraying water ALL OVER ME!

I swung myself out of the way and up against the wall thinking the water would stop automatically, but nooooooooo....it continued to spray and was shooting high up on the door and starting to flood the stall! I had to reach over and turn the handle back the other direction in order for it to turn off! Meanwhile I had gone to the bathroom alone, but when I screamed I heard a familiar voice from the other side of the door saying..."oh god, Joanna is that you?! there's water going everywhere!"
OOPS!!!

So, once I got the water turned off and the turtle pulled it's head back into it's shell, I found the REAL handle to flush and exited the stall with the right side of my body soaked from the waist down....NOT REFRESHING!!! I was disgusted! I was SO happy we had just finished happy hour and were headed home! but I felt sorry for the person who had to squeeze into the back seat of the cab with me!



Taxi drivers...If someone is hired as a taxi driver in a big city, I would think that they would have a clue about where things are in said city....they should know where they are going...but that's not the case here.

I can't tell you the number of times I have gotten into a cab and the taxi driver had no clue where I was trying to go. And sometimes I'm not going very far!! I could drive myself to my destination, but unfortunately I don't have a car....

One night, Kristen and I had just finished dinner in a neighborhood not far from our Apartments, and when we got in the taxi we asked the driver to take us to Our apartment. We gave as many landmarks as we could think of including Jakarta International School (which is not a small landmark) and Hotel Kristal which a large number of taxi drivers know...but not this guy....

We tried all of our limited Indonesian, but he kept saying "I don't know! I don't know! Speak Indonesia!!" but then he started driving!!! So with my, once again, limited knowledge of where we are going and knowing how to say Right and Left, I tried my HARDEST to direct him to our place, but with in minutes I was lost....and Kristen is no help...(sorry girl, haha)

Now, we just keep looking at each other laughing and trying to figure out what to do...he keeps talking and saying "Speak Indonesia!" so we just start saying all the words we know....Left, Right, straight, What's up?, what's your name?, I'm from America, I don't understand, Where are you from?, do you speak English?......and of course then he yelled..."No! Indonesia!" it was hilarious to see the two of us trying to spit out anything we knew....

I couldn't stop laughing, and then Kristen asked in Indonesian "What's your name?" and
he answered..."Micheal"....
NO!! hahaha!
So, I asked, "What is your family name?"
"Jordan!"
Kristen's response was..."well, you must be really tall when you stand up!"
I was dying! I was laughing so hard I started crying and couldn't control my laughter...
and he just kept talking in Indonesian.....

Then we looked up and started recognizing things around us and realized he was just messing with us the whole time! And since we had had such a great time laughing with this guy, Kris gets the bright idea to ask him for his phone number so we can call him directly when we need a taxi. Some taxi drivers eat this up....but not him...I think she may have creeped him out! hahaha!
That's right hottie....she wants your number so you two can hook up later! hahahaha!!

At least I burned off a lot of calories from our rich dinner....   :)


And finally Traffic and Turnarounds....

When I chose to come to Jakarta the 2 biggest complaints I heard about the city were the pollution and the traffic....and Man...they weren't kidding!

You are risking your life walking down the street! The scooters and motorbikes will drive anywhere to get around the cars that are stuck in traffic, leaving you no where to walk....but wait....there is no where to walk...no sidewalks, nothing...there is the sewer. But your taking a chance walking on the "covers" that could crack and then you'd fall into it....I'll pass!! So the edge of the road is your best bet, and if you stand your ground then most motorbikes and scooters will let you walk, but it's a risk. You could end up loosing an arm, toe, foot, or whatever else gets in their way. Not to mention the debris and particles that are flying all around you, into your eyes and mouth. YUCK!

Then if you take a taxi, so you don't have to walk, you sit in traffic for hours and move 10 feet. What's worse? Walking and breathing in all that pollution, or sitting in a taxi and not moving?! I can't decide....I know the day will come when I get out of a taxi and just start walking! and then maybe I'll be able to answer my question....Especially when I can see the place I am trying to get to passing by me on the other side of the road because we have to drive an extra 500 yards down the road only to make a U turn and drive back to it!!!

Oh Jakarta.....you are going to take some getting used to....

so far...

So far ...its been great! I am really starting to settle in and feel comfortable here. I am really enjoying getting to know Jakarta. It is a confusing and sometimes crazy city, but it's exciting!  I've been really busy trying to set up my apartment and make it more homey.... I had a hard time finding a couch I liked, but one of the fun things about Jakarta is...if you can't find what you want, have it made! you can have all kinds of things made here! Couches, chairs, tables, clothes, shoes! I love this! So I went to Duta interiors and had my fantastic Brown monster made. It can easily sleep 2 people because it is SO Long!!

 Then I found these very cool tables made from recycled boat wood at a Gallery over a restaurant in Kemang....SO exciting! I love the colors in the wood and can't wait to find a rug to accent them and then buy lots of fun colorful pillows and stuff!

Now I need a TV and something for the walls.....all to come in time.... I also found a awesome RED bar, and a sweet East Javanese wedding Chest....totally in love with these peices! In weddings the chest would be filled with the brides jewelry and goodies and then they would carry it on a long bamboo pole that fit through the holes arcoss the top....so cool! I can't wait to get more goodies!

So far....I've made some great new friends! I am really liking the people I am meeting here. Our Newbie Cohort is GREAT! We all get along and have fun together and are respectful and it seems like everyone one is very genuine. I am liking the vibes I am getting from all of them. Plus the returning teachers I have met are very friendly and open which makes life grand. Also, I am doing something I had a hard time with in Germany....I am meeting people outside of my school community!! It is SO nice to meet people who don't work at the school with me. It really opens up so many opportunities for new adventures, and you can see Jakarta in an entirely different way. I am SO grateful to Christina, Kristen, and everyone else who has introduced me to their friends outside of JIS.


So far....My school Rocks! I love my co teacher who is relaxed and easy going, I enjoy all the teachers on my campus, and I love the fact that so many of the teachers have started off the year eating lunch together in the staff lounge! I really hope they don't all disappear over the year, because I really like getting out of my classroom for lunch and having an adult conversation! There are some things that need revamping, but my classroom is HUGE and pretty well resourced so I can't complain too much. And the best part of it all...I am treated like a professional. Very satisfying.


So far....the travel opportunities are just as great as I imagined! I've already taken a weekend trip to a cabin in the woods and had a very relaxing and rejuvenating time. And Next week I will be going to Bali for a long weekend, Saturday through Tuesday!!! I am overly excited about this! Never knew if I would ever get to see Bali, let alone have it as an easy weekend escape from reality! I LOVE IT! Plus plans are in the works to travel Australia over Winter Break and spend New Years possibly in Sydney! I am speechless when I think of this....I've wanted to go to Australia for as long as I can remember....


So far....from home...it is hard realizing how far I am and how hard it is to go home for any reason. I am planning a return trip to Charleston for My Bestie's Wedding and I will be spending just as much time in the air traveling as I will on the ground spending time with her! it's insanity! but I love her and want to be there for her day... Plus, I miss my mom and I know this isn't easy for her... but I gotta do what I gotta do to live a satisfying life.

so far.... <3

Why does this keep happening to me??

I've become accustomed to being rejected here in Jakarta...

First there was the bedding incident at the Mall...

I went to buy pillows, sheets, duvet covers, and lots of good stuff to make my bed more comfy. I actually spent a good hour picking out the set I wanted, testing the pillows out, changing my mind a couple 15 times...I found these great goose down pillows that Kathleen had suggested to me, and even found a flat sheet to match the bedding set I liked. you wouldn't believe how hard it is to find a flat sheet in this town! All bedding sets are sold with a fitted sheet, 2 standards pillow cases, 2 bolster pillow casses, and the duvet cover....no flat sheets.

So after spending a considerable amount of time picking everything out I went to the counter to pay... The ladies who had been helping me bagged up everything! there must have been 6 large bags filled with goodies and 6 ladies each holding one, standing in a row, waiting to hand me the bag when I was finished paying...

So I stood at the counter and found the total was around 3,350,000 Rupiah...
yes, I am dealing with numbers like this all the time now! I don't know how to cope!

Anyway, I pull out what's left of my brick of cash the school gave me to get settled and found that I was about 500,000 rupiah short of what I needed...

Backing the train up for a minute....let me just say, that all of my "friends" that were at the mall with me that afternoon had just bailed on me and went to the next store while I paid for my items...so no one was around to help me out. Could have really used a friend at that moment...

Next, I offered up my German card. I had been warned that some stores only except cards with "the chip" in them....so I was going to use my German card for sure! Plus that's where all the money is!

She must have tried that card 10 times, and it just wasn't working. So then I pulled out the visa...never had any problems with this card before, so it has got to work....

I also have never maxed out a credit card before...that is...I never maxed one out until this summer...OOPS! forgot I bought all those shoes and a new computer....That card got rejected as well...

At this point I was completely dumbfounded. I had no idea what to say or do, so I just grabbed my card and walked away, head hanging down, turning quickly to say sorry to the 6 ladies standing there with all that stuff bagged up! HOW EMBARRASING!

Looking back, I could have totally asked them to get rid of a few extra pillows and I could have paid with the cash in hand....but I wasn't thinking clearly! I've never been so badly rejected before!

This was only the begining....

Two weeks later I tried to buy a tv....guess I hadn't learned my lesson! BRING ENOUGH CASH!!!!

I basically went through the same thing....not enough cash...wouldn't take the card with the chip (who ever gave me that info was full of sh*t!)...even tried to wrestle up enough money between the friends that were there at the store....but no....got rejected AGAIN! Worst part was that I had gotten an Indonesian debit card that I assumed (big mistake!) would work like any other debit card I'd ever had. NOPE! they rejected that card as well!

Let's just say, I nearly have a nervous breakdown every time I approach a counter to make a purchase...large or small! it's getting kind of ridiculous!

Here's what I have learned....
1. go pre-shopping to pick out what you like and get a price in your head.
2. go to the atm and withdraw enough money, plus some, to cover the cost.
3. return to store and buy what you want with cash.
4. Walk out of store with item, not feeling like a loser!

The long Journey around the world

On July 23rd I made the LOOOOOONG trek around to the other side of the world and crossed the equator for the very first time!!! I must say, the 36 hours of traveling was well worth it!!!  I love Jakarta so far!

I began at 2 pm EST in South Bend by boarding the United limo with my 7 bags and heading for O'Hare airport....2 and a half hours later, and with the help of a lovely girl I met on the bus, I piled my bags on a luggage trolly and checked in for my flights!

I had 3 hours to waste at the airport so I treated myself to some delicious Macaroni Grill....

Chicago to L.A. was a 4 and a half hour flight and when I checked myself in for the next 2 legs of my flight the airline made me check my carry on luggage because it weighed over 15 pounds. Of course it did!!! I put everything heavy in it that I could to keep the other 5 bags from being overweight!!  Thank goodness they did not weigh the backpack I was carrying! they probably would have taken that away too!

LA to Hong Kong was a Whopping 14 hour and 50 minute flight....talk about painful! Cathay Pacific airlines does not have the most comfortable seats I have ever come across. In fact, I was so uncomfortable I didn't sleep much, and for those that know me well, you know I can sleep ANY WHERE!! So I ended up just watching a lot of movies. Once I made it to Hong Kong it was too early to do much at the airport....so I just sat for 3 hours....and waited...tried to guess if anyone around me could be teachers at JIS as well....I ended up guessing right ;)

Last leg of the trip was HK to Jakarta, another 4 hours and 50 mins...I was so over flying by this point! then I got on the plane and some woman took my window seat, but I was too tired to fight with her. I just wanted to get to Jakarta! Then a spark of light popped up from 2 rows ahead of me! Joanne was on my flight! oh, how LOVELY!! I was so excited to see a familiar face!!

We landed in Jakarta at 1pm on Monday July 25th. it only took...36 hours.....BLAH!! But at the end School reps were waiting for us, we gathered our luggage, and went straight to the hotel. There were quite a few people on our flight so we started chatting with some other newbies on the drive...it was so nice to have Jo with me as soon as I landed! what a comfort!

By this point all I wanted was a shower! Once I got that taken care of, I headed to the hospitality room where Steve Druggan, the same Deputy Head of school that welcomed me to Munich with beer a year earlier, was welcoming us to Jakarta with Beer... and a BRICK of cash! it's like 8550 Rupiah to $1, so we received 8,550,000 Rupiah to get us started in Jakarta....seriously...a BRICK of cash! I'M A MILLIONAIRE!!!! haha!

My long boring Journey was completely worth it!! I can't wait to share all I know about Jakarta with you so far....but you're gonna have to wait! Jet lag is still slowing me down! :)

More to come soon.....

<3 HUGS!

Never felt I belonged here, so why is it so hard to leave??

In less then a week I will be boarding one of three flights headed for Jakarta, Indonesia....SAY WHAT?!

It feels like Yesterday I was saying goodbye to everyone in Germany, and now it's almost time to say goodbye again....This summer is FLYING by!

It's finally starting to hit me that I'm moving REALLY far away....I started crying in the car yesterday on the drive back to South Bend from Indianapolis...don't think Chris noticed...but I just couldn't help myself!

For the last two weeks I've seen so many important people in my life for a brief moment, a drink, a lunch, a day, or a couple nights.....it hasn't been enough! Knowing that I won't see them for another year isn't easy...and knowing that most are too broke or not in a situation where they can come see me makes it even harder. My next job will have to be in South America so I'm at least on the same side of the PLANET! hahaha!

When I fly off to Jakarta, Indonesia July 23rd, I have the comforting feeling of knowing that I will be greeted by some familiar faces! There are 5 other MIS people going to Jakarta International School with me! Knowing that I will have others there with me whom I already have a connection with is very exciting and definitely calms the nerves! And to top it off, Joanne will be living in the same apartment complex with me, so I can run to her place anytime and we can be there for each other during this transition. I couldn't have asked for a better situation.

When I think of where some of my friends from Germany are headed in the next year I am so excited for them! They will be living in parts of the world that I would have never considered a year ago when looking for jobs, and now I'm totally jealous! I'm really looking forward to visiting some amazing people in some fantastic places! and I take comfort knowing they aren't too far away from me. it's just a hop, skip, and a jump to Thailand, and Vietnam!

This last week in the States is going to be tough...SO much to do and so little time....I'm 100% sure there will be more tears and many more hugs, but this is what I wanted, and at the end I will be starting a new adventure!

<3

Grew up in a small town
And when the rain would fall down
I'd just stare out my window
Dreamin' of what could be
And if I'd end up happy
I would pray

Trying hard to reach out
But when I tried to speak out
Felt like no one could hear me
Wanted to belong here
But something felt so wrong here
So I prayed I could breakaway

I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes till I touch the sky
And I'll make a wish, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway
Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won't forget all the ones that I love
I'll take a risk, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway

Wanna feel the warm breeze
Sleep under a palm tree
Feel the rush of the ocean
Get on board a fast train
Travel on a jetplane, far away
And breakaway

I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes till I touch the sky
And I'll make a wish, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway
Out of the darkness and into the sun
I won't forget all the ones that I love
I gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway

Buildings with a hundred floors
Swinging round revolving doors
Maybe I don't know where they'll take me
But, gotta keep moving on, moving on
Fly away, breakaway

I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
Though it's not easy to tell you goodbye, gotta
Take a risk, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway
Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won't forget the place I come from
I gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway

Breakaway
Breakaway...

Watch out Indonesia!! Here I come!! :)

Strict, stick to the rules Germans....

I <3 Germans... I've met a lot of good ones! but there is no doubt in my minds that Germans like rules, Germans like efficiency, Germans like things done a certain way, and Germans do not like when you throw a wrench into their routine. None of these things are bad....but they can be very maddening!!!

With roommates, I have always been a pretty clean person and I have always tried to carry my own weight when living with other people, but this is a whole new experience for me...I'm not living with an american....I'm living with a German....

I love the girl I'm living with. She is kind, funny and smart. But man, do I feel like I have been put in my place! American's are wasteful, have too many things, don't recycle to the extreme, and can be kind of naive (I'm talking about myself...) But I am learning I don't do anything right. I feel like a kid, and I have my mom following behind me re-doing everything I try to help her with. I don't wash the dishes correctly, I don't clean the floors well, I don't keep my room in order, and I don't take "German" showers.  I'm asked to do things differently all the time (in the kindest way possible) and I never quite live up to the expectations... this is totally weird for me, but maybe it is payback for all the times I've done the same thing to others....especially past boyfriends (yes, I admit it, karma's a b*%ch).... So, I try to stay out of her way, and when I move out, I will clean like I've never cleaned before! haha. She's taught me a lot in a short amount of time, and there are many things I will take with me.....German showers not being one of them!

Then there is the recent issue with the Germans and my police record check. I went to the Kreisverwaltungsreferat (say that 3 times fast!) office to have it sent to me because I "needed" it in order to get my Visa for Indonesia...

First, when I got there, I de-registered from my Munich address, the infamous Tal 28...
For everyone out there....when you live in Germany you have to register with the Rathaus, which is kind of like our county office, and tell them where you live, and every time you move you have to de-register from your old address and register at your new one....I guess we do sort of the same thing when we get a new drivers license every time we move...
Anyway.... I de-registered, which lets them know I do not live at this address any longer.

Next I requested a Fürungszeugnis, or a Police check. He then informed me that it would be mailed to Tal 28. The converstation continued like this...
Joanna "But I don't live there anymore"
German "I know"
Joanna "Which means I don't have a mailbox there"
German "I know"
Joanna "so could you deliver it to another address"
German "No"
Joanna "Not even my work address"
German "No"
Joanna "But my landlord took my name off the box and there is no where for it to be delivered"
German -Shrug of Shoulders "it can only go to this registered address"
Joanna "But I just de-registered!"
German "I know, but it has to go to that address"
Joanna "But I need this form in order to get my passport back from the Indonesian Embassy"
German "We have to mail it to that address"

And so forth....resulting in my getting NO WHERE and him just sticking to the "rule"

KILL ME NOW!!!!!

Luckily, the Indonesian Embassy, in Frankfurt, had a lovely Indonesian man working there (instead of a Strict, stick to the rules German) who helped us out after after my boss bought him a Harley Davidson t-shirt in Munich. This lovely man, has a collection of Harleys in Indonesia and was just THRILLED to get the t-shirt. He was so thrilled, that he gave us all our Indonesian Visas and returned our passports to us THE NEXT DAY!!!!! YIPPEEEEEEE!!! it was supposed to take 5-10 working days.... and with the lack of my police record check, I wasn't sure I was ever going to get my passport back.... what a relief!

It is obvious that I am about to enter into a country VERY different then Germany....

I'm not sure if I will like one more then the other, or if I will just love them both for different reasons, but I do know that when it comes to getting important paperwork done....I better change my tactics! Perhaps if I had offered the German guy a Harley t-shirt, I could have had those important papers sent somewhere else....

C'est la vie!


PS. A "German" shower is when you turn the water on only for a couple seconds to rinse off, then the water is turned off while you lather up and wash, then the water is only turned on for a couple more seconds at the end to rinse off all the soap. They're trying to save water, so many shower this way... All I know is it is WAY too cold in Germany to stand around dripping wet in the shower! I need heat and steam...these people are CRAZY! haha!  I <3 Germans!!

Crazy Girl!

While living with Dear Sweet Petra for 2 weeks, I tried to stay out of her hair as much as I could while still depending on her to drive me around...haha. On the weekend I would pack up my little black backpack and go stay with people in the city....AKA Bronwyn and Jenny :) and just hang out with them doing the usual weekend stuff....

Then there was last weekend....we had 4 days off.... a nice long weekend, but most the plans I attempted to make fell through....no biggie....

Well....no biggie, until I sat in Petra's apartment in Berg all day Thursday, never removing my big butt from the futon! I enjoyed my day on the futon...not gonna lie! But by 6pm I was pretty bored! So I got online and did some quick research only to discover every where I wanted to go was going to be expensive....Barcelona being my first choice.

Then, while fooling around I came across a website of the top things to do in Italy. Now, I had pretty much come to the conclusion that I was not going to see Italy during this year, because it was just too big and I wanted to spend a lot of quality time there...but then I saw these pictures of Rome.

ROME! Perfect! So I jumped online and found a ticket to Rome that was cheaper then anything else I looked up and bought it!  It was about 7pm on Thursday night and my flight was at 7am Friday morning. I BETTER START PACKING!

I've never packed so light in my life! I transfered everything I really needed from my big purse into a tiny wristlet, and then only packed my little black backpack with about 5 sundresses and a 2 t-shirts plus 4 pairs of flipflops and the bathroom essentials and I was off! I was proud of myself! Last thing to do....Leave Petra a Post-it note saying "Decided to take a last minute trip to Rome! Be back on Sunday! have a great weekend! <3 Jo".....I can hear her now..."Crazy Girl!"

Long Story short, I ended up sleeping at the airport that night, but arrived in Rome at 12:00 and was lucky enough to find a hostel with one open bed and was checked in by 1:20 and was out the door exploring the city by 2.....First stop, the Colosseum!!

And the Roman Forum!! I got to see where Caesar was cremated....

Then it was time to make my wish at the Fontana di Trevi.....guess I'll be returning to Rome one day!!

Then off to the Spanish Steps...there was a group rehearsing for a concert that I would go back for later that night after eating an AMAZING meal :P

And finally, the next day I would go to Vatican City and See the Sistine Chapel and other beautiful things from Michelangelo and Rafael.....

It was a whirlwind weekend, but I will never regret it! I had SO much fun! I still am not in love with traveling alone....but I made the most of it and had the best time! And I must go back because I definitely missed some things along the way....

I returned on sunday and on Monday I moved out of Petra's....

What next?!

3 eggs in a plastic baggy

There are so many things that I love about my life in Germany....I often feel so blessed....and then I return to my little piece of hell....my apartment...Tal 28.

I love the People I have met - They are some of the most open minded, down to earth, confident, knowledgable,  compassionate, considerate, fun loving, exciting, Risk takers I have come across in my life... (did I use enough PYP lingo!? hee hee) I'm in the right place, at the right time, for the right reasons... I am experiencing for the very first time something I wasn't sure I could.... I feel like I belong.

I love the country I'm in - It doesn't have a beautiful past, but it seems it has learned from it's mistakes and never wants to repeat them. It's admirable that they do not deny what happened here, but at the same time are trying to move forward and progress. I love that about this place. Munich is a beautiful city. I feel as if I've aged a couple years while living here, because it's not the most youthful city, but it is still a wonderful place to spend a year. And how could I not LOVE Oktoberfest! Not to mention how easy traveling around Europe has been while I'm here.

I love my job - The teachers are great, the administration is great, and the students are amazing! I didn't know if I would love teaching elementary school, but it is pretty great. I am not 100% satisfied with the job because I don't have a choir and therefore feel like I'm not teaching to my full potential, but I do love teaching fun silly songs, dancing around like a fool, and just having fun some days. The school is a great place, and I feel like if I could have stayed longer I would have been able to grow more professionally. But even after one year, I have definitely learned a lot and feel confident about my teaching. I know that teaching at this school is what helped me get a great job for next year.

Then there is my apartment....my personal hell. We started our relationship off on a positive note...I was nieve and didn't know any better... Then as I became more knowledgable I became more bitter. It's expensive and small and not all that wonderful....

Then there was a leak discovered in the bathroom and our shower had to be torn out...we were left with a toilet and sink in the apartment and were told to shower downstairs in the janitors closet...This would never be tolerated in the states...no way! are you kidding me! So with a lot of false promises of when it would be fixed, and a ridiculously small reduction in rest, I tolerated it for week after week....which turned into month after month...until 3 months past and I just decided to stop paying rent and move out... 

So, long story short, last week I packed up my life, or what was left of it after the movers shipped everything back to the states, and moved in with my dear sweet friend, Petra. She came to my apt and stuck my 3 bags of clothes in her car, and took me back to her place. To her surprise I showed up with more then 3 bags of clothes...

As I started to unpack a few things, I remembered that I had brought food with me that was left over in my fridge... including a plastic baggy containing 3 raw eggs...

"did you seriously bring 3 eggs in a plastic baggy with you?!" She was dumbfounded...who was this crazy woman that she just brought into her house?

"I couldn't waste them! and look....only 1 broke on the way!" haha

In combination with a tube of wasabi, 5 bratwurst, a tube of mustard, and 2 yogurts...what else would you expect from me!

What a great start to the next 6 weeks of couch surfing!! All future roommates should prepare for my complete randomness...Who's next?!

Better Late then Never....

So cliché, but so true....


I probably should have started this blog when I moved to Germany so that I could write about my travels and so forth.....but I didn't....oh well...maybe I will reflect on the last year in the next post...or maybe not...wait and see :)


Now as my time in Germany is coming to an end and the next adventure is starting to unfold I figure...why not...maybe someone out there cares enough to read about what I'm up to...even if it's just my mom....and there are no guarantees there! If there is one person who truly doesn't understand what I'm doing with my life...it's probably her. Love you mom!


Some of my favorite Students at Waccamaw Middle said I "Dream the undreamable dream, and reach the unreachable stars." They also said I inspire them to do the same. Here's hoping my ramblings will continue to inspire them and others.


In February 2010 I didn't know where my life was headed, but I decided to leap, and I've had some amazing adventures ever since. There are people in my life who think I'm crazy...there are some that just don't understand....then there are the ones who would like to trade places with me...Whichever way you look at it, you may change your mind after reading this Blog....