Counting Down

Hello, Friends!
As this is my first official Blogspot posting, I just wanted to say HEY and WELCOME, and THANKS and all of that. It's cool that you are visiting, and I am thankful for you!
I thought this would be a convenient way for me to keep you friends and family members and supporters on top of what is happening while I am away teaching ESL in Budapest, Hungary!! So...without further ado..
 
I am wrapping up my last week at New Teacher Training in Sunny California! We have had a blast. It has been such a great blessing and treat for me to get to meet up with so many young people from all over North America! Most of just out of university, there are many newly married couples (one will be experiencing their second 6 months of marriage in the Czech Republic!) and there are also some mid-lifers, which is always great wisdom for the younguns.
As a first year alum, I had the chance to learn all of the ins and outs of this crazy 'teacher bootcamp', and to find out the secrets of why things are so intense for all of the 5 weeks...that the packed schedule is intentially set to help the teachers be prepared for the intensity of overseas living. (and that the leaders really are not out to get the trainees afterall!)
So, after 2 weeks of intensity, and my own working through the adjustments of being back in the States, I will be flying off for a fun and restful week with my sister Whitney and brother-in-law Mark on Saturday morning. Can't wait for the cool mountain air! Then, I will be home for 2 weeks (August 8-22) until I get on a slightly bigger plane and make my journey to a new adventure in Hungary!
 
I am so excited for the new year. So much will be familiar..the smells of the school hall (which are sometimes quite ambiguous), the smiling faces of the office secretaries, and the sounds of the students outside my office door, as I type away at my computer at the end of a busy day. The gentle breeze coming from the Danube, as my friends and I enjoy a cappucino along its banks on a warm autumn afternoon. I treasure the memories of my first year, but at the same time I know that I cannot expect to have such an amazing group of students.  So, as I fit myself to my backpack, and put on my walking shoes, I am gearing up for another year. I am sure I will write more before I leave....so... stay tuned. And treasure up these days. They won't come again.