Wet & Windy Weather

My first week in England has been a real treat! Because none of the other student teachers will arrive until the 23^rd, I have really been given the royal treatment by the school staff and others: dinners out, personal tour guides, and all-knowing locals to drive me about.  I’m glad to get to experience a lot of the simple local culture of the countryside as well as partake in the touristy hot spots. 

I love it here.  The wet and windy weather means its always time for hot cocoa or a tottie.  England is aged to perfection: stone walks, flint houses, & iron gates all seemingly older than time tell the stories of the lives lived here long before my own.  It is all hoped it would be as ancient traditions seem to collide with what modern fads have to offer for a time.  The streets, though narrow & bumpy, are filled with cars and lorries where once where simple carts and carriages -there hardly seems room for so many vehicles in such a place.  And while the shops and villages look similar to those in Harry Potter, sadly, mom jeans and bad lipstick run untamed.  I can say that Suffolk is a perfect balance between Pride & Prejudice combined with Bridget Jones. 

The air force bases are lovely and I am quite impressed with the schools and the curriculums I am to teach.  The staffs from all the schools on all three bases are one big family that has very quickly taken me under wing.  I feel confident that my student teaching experience is going to be so much more than I thought it could be & I can not wait to get started.  

Collect Moments Not Things

My family has always thought me a bit of a silly or foolish person for wanting to live my life with the soul purpose of enjoying the now to create one-of-a-kind memories - rather than surrendering to the complacency of being a stodgy adult, like so many do.  Having the heart of a gypsy with an insatiable travel lust fueled many of my life endeavors.  I now know that said purpose in life was a desire of a young and callow heart blamelessly blinded by desire.

             While I thrived on living “wild and free”, I admit, there were times when my personal decisions were not the most conducive to flourishing finances, successful relationships, or a well planned future; however, I regret little.  Every feeling, thought, choice and action has lead up to this very moment.  Every hour punched on a clock, every den of depression, every musical performance, every frustrated tear has helped me to learn that I don’t have to be complacent, nor does adult life require me to be stodgy.  I began to think more of my future, rather than only living for the now.  I turned to one of my many passions to create a guideline for where it was I wanted to go.  Furthering my education in being a general educator was the foundation for creating a personal life map. 

A huge part of building a plan for my future was a vow to love the people I meet while collecting moments rather than things.  This has been a beautiful undertaking.  I do not own much and live quite simply, but my “moments” collection is vast: individuals met, places visited, facts learned, stories heard, nature seen, food tried, books shared, men kissed, songs sung…the list truly go on & on & on & I wouldn’t trade these moments for anything!

I’m about to add a whole new chapter for collecting new experiences in my compilation of moments, and it has an accent!  Packing and readying myself for my move to England has made me thankful that I really don’t accumulate things.  The few items I own are worth little to me as I pack only what I NEED into two cases and a carry-on.  With luggage in tow, I’m ready to go forth collecting moments with a few simple guidelines to make this chapter as enriching as possible:

1. Be progressive: I will strive to do things differently than most, more creatively, more passionately.
2. Take action: Collecting moments holds no boundaries.
3. Miss Frizzle: I’m prepared to “Take chances, make mistakes, & get messy!" 

As I travel onto Suffolk, I hope to instill these guidelines into my students to encourage a generation fueled by collecting meaningful moments rather than things.