Churchill Downs- Horse Racing

The Kentucky Derby, held at world-famous Churchill Downs, is said to be the fastest two minutes in sports. The races are quick but exciting, and the best part is there are often 10 or more races, with sufficient breaks between so visitors get to experience the heart-stopping, adrenalin pumping two minutes in sports again and again! Last night several friends gathered at this iconic location for "Downs after Dark" to celebrate the upcoming wedding of one of us. Thanks to the very generous husband of another one of the girls, we had full VIP access to the (air-conditioned) Jockey Suite with a balcony overlooking the beautifully illuminated race track. It was an amazing night of girls placing their bets in our own suite at our own electronic "ticket window", choosing our favorites using a variety of fail-proof methods including the horses names, the colors the jockeys were wearing, lucky numbers (the order they were at the gate), and random number picks at the betting machine. I was one of the luckiest, winning both times that I placed my minimum $2 bet! Both of my horses, #8 and #2 were picked by their names (funny how their unique and clever names are both eluding me now that I try to immortalize them in my blog, lol) and both placed "win". I'm not sure if the grammar for that last sentence was right, but I bet for them to "win", not "place" or "show", and they did. With the different odds for each race, factoring in scratches, I won a total of $16. It cost me $2 to bet each time, so I actually ended the evening $14 ahead! Include in the good food, drinks, friends, and location...it was a great night alongside the twin spires!

Joys of Teaching

Educators often hear how lucky we are to have summers off. And of course, we are. Not waking up to an alarm, special afternoons with family, leisurely lunches with friends, and plenty of time to travel are some definite perks to teaching. Being an educator isn't about having the summers off, though. Maybe it's just me, or how much I actually enjoy my job, but I miss the hours of my days that are spent teaching and learning. In fact, I seek out opportunities in the summer for those experiences. This week my "fix" comes in the form of another summer day camp. Yes, it's hot outside. Yes, there are lot of other things that I could be doing with my time. No, of course it doesn't pay very well. Monetarily, anyway. Giving kids who are interested in particular topics the information they're dying for, planning for and allowing authentic learning experiences, and guiding students to better understand the world in which they live are only a few of the joys of teaching. The rewards that happy faces and eager students provide are immeasurable. We are also paid by witnessing understanding spread across a confused face. We are given the chance to expand a future generation's view of the world through discussion. A specific amount of money in the little white box on a check doesn't create the same pride, reward, and hope that making a difference in a child's life does. A joyful face, a tight hug, adoring eyes, or comments like "I love camp, I couldn't have imagined it any better!" are only a few of the many joys of teaching.

Sentiment or excess?

I tend to be a very sentimental person- objects remind me of special moments, people, and things I've done. Memories and emotions are evoked when I see particular items from vacations or gifts from important people in my life. I've always enjoyed keeping and having these little treasures that are insignificant to anyone but me. The prospect of condensing my life into one suitcase and a carry on, however, is forcing me to re-evaluate many of their purposes and if I truly need everything I've accumulated. Having to let go of some of the material possessions in my life has helped me come to the realization that stuff is just stuff. The memories, thoughts, moments...are still in tact. Digital pictures are a very efficient and space-friendly way to keep these same souvenirs of my life. It's been very freeing to realize this and our house is emptying quickly! :) Thanks to a "moving sale" today, we have $300 in dollar bills and coins in a Tupperware bowl- merely from letting go.

...there are some things, however, that can not be replaced. Those are packed away safely with a few other items that we simply couldn't have become the people we are without them. :) Daisy and Radar will now reside, plastic eyes gleaming and smiles permanently stitched, inside plastic bins at Paul's parent's house.

Happy Anniversary!

It seems impossible to have been married ten years-yet impossible that we've ONLY been married 10 years. Paul has always been part of my life, a part of me. I can't remember when I didn't love him. A decade can seem like a long time, but in terms of a lifetime, we have just started our journey. :) There are no words to fully convey the joy, excitement, and love that I share with my husband.

How perfect (even though unplanned) for us to embark on such an adventure in our lives after our first decade together. I simply can't imagine what is yet to come...

20 days

A fortnight is two weeks, but I'm not sure what other names refer to three weeks. Whatever it is called, in that amount of time-20 days to be exact- our Louisville lives change forever. We board Europe bound flights on the 5th, leaving not only the city we've called home but distancing ourselves from the past ten years. We are confident (and yes very optimistic), that the house will be empty and rented, the boxes stored at Paul's parents' house, and our work visas securely tucked in a pocket of our carry-ons with our passports. Only then will we have the freedom to enjoy the month in Europe without work or worry before moving to the UAE. :) I am hopeful! And busy. ;)

We did take time out this weekend to spend time with my family at the lake...relaxing, laughing, swimming, and enjoying.

Johnathon's Birthday

Going to Western KY to visit family and hopefully make it to a little bit of my nephew's first birthday party!

In the middle of it all...

The red pin is the location of our apartment. :)

Parisian Apartment

We've booked our apartment in Paris! We have confirmation and this is where we will be staying!

Descriptions (copied directly from the website)

Location

This lovely studio is located in the deep heart of St Germain, two steps away from the rue de Buci, pedestrian street famous for its shops and cafés and the rue de Seine where Art lovers wil enjoy the different galleries. The neighbourhood, although alive, is safe by night and by day and you will love the pleasant strolls that will be ofered to your feet. The closest subway stop is Odéon.

Standing

The studio is located on the 1st floor of an historical building. The access is made safe by 2 digicodes.

Layout

This 24sqm studio is divided in 3 parts. First, the living room area with a sofabed that can accomodate 2 people. Then the dining area, with a convenient kitchen corner (installed in a large closet where you will also have room to store your belongings, and where you will also find a safe). The dining table can accomodate up to 4 people. In the sleeping area you will find a double bed and another closet to store clothes. This area gives the studio a feeling of space as this bedroom corner is separate from the living area. You will access the bathroom from the bedroom corner. It has a hip bath and the toilets. To conclude this lovely studio with wooden beams and wooden floor is small but functional. It will be perfect for a couple or for a group of 4 people who want to stay in the heart of St Germain des Pres without spending all their money in the apartment !

Special note

The studio has A/C.

paperwork submitted!

YAY!!! We have finally finished the battery of medical exams for the paperwork for our work visas. We now know that we're extremely healthy and normal. :) lol We have received the contracts from the Glenelg School and signed them. Paul will send it all to UAE tomorrow by DHL and it should arrive in Abu Dhabi in three days. We're getting closer...hopefully we will get our clearance and visas soon...

busy, busy, busy!

Whew, this week will probably see only a few (if any) posts. My mornings start at 7am, hosting professional development workshops for teachers on how to best use their smartboard software (interactive touchscreen whiteboards) and create lessons on them. Then, when we conclude with the PD's at noon, I rush to Indiana and teach a Falls of the Ohio camp for kiddos from K-3. I really truly enjoy this camp, because I don't teach Science during the school year and it gives me an opportunity to do "exploring" and learning outdoors . The challenging aspect of this camp is keeping the attention and creating engaging, appropriate activities for kids with a difference of nearly 4 years in some of their ages. This may not seem like a lot, but from 5-9 it really is. This is the difference between being able to read and write and not. Also several evenings, we have shown the house to potential renters. The good news is that I have my report cards turned in, found a home for Squiggles, and most of my classroom is packed up (mostly thanks to my husband and his packing skills!)

My life is busy, but honestly I wouldn't have it any other way. :)

Time

Time is such a relative quantity...yet so defined at the same time. My days pass all too quickly, moments and hours slipping away barely unnoticed- never quite getting as much done as I had hoped. Yet, the very same time that blurs by daily is seemingly at a standstill until we leave. It feels as if mere weeks are eons away and I ask myself if these events will ever come to pass, are they ever truly happening? Are those same moments, hours, and days passing as quickly for the future as the time passes in my present? It certainly doesn't feel like it. How long will it be until we leave? Moreover, how long will it feel? Will the moments pass by unnoticed until the time is upon us? :)

“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost. That is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.”

Henry David Thoreau
(American Essayist, Poet and Philosopher, 1817-1862)





...working on foundations at the moment. :) Completing report cards, still selling things that we don't need (thank you Craigslist), and found a great home for Squiggles! It's been a productive day!

Gandi

While walking through the school of education today at UofL, I noticed a Ghandi quote on a professor's door. I thought it applied to our "teaching in Abu Dhabi" blog and wanted to share it:

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Traditions

As we pass through our lives, day to day, week to week, with months turning into years there are traditions with which we measure the passage of time. Birthday celebrations, winter holidays, and of course the beginning and ending of summer. This especially rings true for teachers...another year of school has ended and we're on summer break. Teachers slip into the more comfortable, laid back versions of themselves without having to carry the burden of educating the future on their shoulders. Not to say that it's an unwelcome burden while we're in school, because I personally do not feel that way. My choosen career path is very dear to my heart and happens to be very important to me. Many teachers take their jobs just as seriously as I. In my own life, Awards Day was this morning; I've said goodbye to my kiddos from this year. Summer has officially started! So as tradition dictates, I'm off to Havana Rumba with some good friends.

(Don't misinterpret this post, though, I start teaching a summer camp on Monday as well as administering a professional development workshop on integrating the use of interactive smartboards into the classroom. Yes, I am also still packing and finishing up our extensive medical exams. But we can celebrate the accomplishment of another very successful,and enjoyable school year.)

Report Cards

I'm finding it extremely difficult to focus on finishing report cards, since I either want to continue planning our trip to Europe this summer (Sweden and Paris) or devour any information on Abu Dhabi that I can find. I'm also trying to find a suitable renter that is willing to pay what we're asking to rent our house, and sort our belongings into three categories: taking, selling, giving away. Even though I know our report card deadline is looming over my head, it just seems so much more interesting and fun to do anything else. *sigh* I'd even rather keep blogging...

...ok, I will stop procrastinating...

Last Day of School

I'm alone in my classroom right now. The kids have taken their books and pencil boxes, the chairs are stacked in a corner, and the desks are all pushed to the side. The rugs are ready to be rolled and the bookshelves covered for the summer. It's very quiet now. :) (Well, with the exception of our class guinea pig, Squiggles, who is available for adoption should anyone feel the need for an adorable rodent in their lives!) :) Today could very well have been my last day of school here at Walden. It has been my home, my career... a place that I not only enjoy, I love. It is filled with children I've taught, people that I love, and books to accompany an endless supply of lessons. The walls echo memories that I've shared here with friends, parents, other teachers, and of course my students. We've lived, loved, studied, learned, and grown within these walls and I will be forever changed by my years here.

Tomorrow is awards day, so I will see my kiddos again but I don't quite know what it's going to be like to walk down the halls one final time as their teacher. I'm not sure I fully understand the emotions that I'm sure linger beyond my consciousness right now. My eagerness for what the future holds masks the uneasiness, the parts that I love and will miss. Saint Augustine once said that “The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” It is always bittersweet to close one chapter in your personal book of the world. I am comforted, however, because my hands are all too eager to flip to the next page- to delve beyond what I have read thus far.

I do feel a tinge of sadness when I smile and nod to the now first graders that excitedly tell me they're ready to start second grade, and that they want to be in my class, five of which squished with me on the bench today at recess, ready to begin their second grade experience and share some popsicles. :) I'm sure it wouldn't matter what year you choose to leave part of your life, there would always be some upcoming students that you miss out on teaching, some experiences that you won't be able to have. Those experiences, however, will be filled with new students. Students who do not yet know Mrs. Fiely but will soon be walking through a similar classroom door, into a similar classroom environment, even if it is in a very different location. The learning, the students, the teacher is constant.

So I'll post these thoughts, log off of my computer, and turn the lights off on my sixth year here at Walden. It's time to turn the page and continue reading. :)

excited, nervous...more excited than nervous

Paul and I have known for a few weeks now that we're (hopefully) moving to Abu Dhabi. To teach, of course. Everything is progressing and we're even to the point of bequeathing our stuff to family and friends. Thanks to Paul for the analogy of us dying and giving away our worldly processions, it is somehow morbidly fitting. It is SO exciting to think about picking up our lives and literally moving halfway around the world! I can't wait to experience a new location and culture. The title of my blog may be misleading...I'm not nervous about moving to Abu Dhabi at all. I can barely contain my excitement! I want to tell everyone I talk to and shout it from the rooftops. My trepedation comes from the fact that we don't officially have our work visas yet because our security information and medical exam paperwork is still in process (we have our final doctor appointment for testing on Friday to do an audiogram which apparently is a hearing test). So far, everything has been normal and we're very healthy (and have numerous tests including EKG's, xrays, spirogrpahs, exams, and labs to prove it! haha) There is just a lingering, constant hum of fear right behind my left ear that reminds me that our plans are not finalized yet. We are constantly assured via email, however, that the final tests are "formalities" and that we should be packing our bags. So we are. Actually more accurately, we're getting rid of the immense collection of material things that we've just recently realized don't mean nearly as much to us as we thought they did. That's another blog entirely, though, I think. I guess I should start closer to the beginning...

Wanting to live and work abroad, Paul and I began applying for international teaching jobs through a variety of avenues. A month or so ago, an opportunity presented itself for us to actually interview with a private school from the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi (UAE's capital). Once we scoured the school's website and spoke with the head master of the school and high school principal, we KNEW that we couldn't turn down this amazing offer! I think my dad had it right when he called it a "working vacation adventure!" The people at the school are amazing, dedicated, friendly, funny, and passionate about education. The school is fairly new, it will be starting its third year but this will be its first year to have an elementary school. Paul and I are very excited to be a part of the growing process with admin, teachers, parents, and students that love learning and value education. We will teach an American curriculum and nearly every class is taught from K-12 in English by native English speakers. Apparently, there are teachers from America, Australia, Britain, and all over the world moving here to teach.

So, my nerves control my excitement to a point...and I don't really tell many people that we're moving. Not yet anyway. Hopefully the paperwork will be finished soon and I can shout from the rooftops. Or at least post it on my facebook status- which now seems to be the equivalent to said shouting. :)