Goodbye, Sokolov...Hello, Future!

(At the zoo in Plsen for my birthday, with our friend Lenka and two girls she was babysitting, Lucie and Jasmine; a falcon, or sokol, which Sokolov is named for; our rafting group in Cesky Krumov, on a trip for ESI teachers and friends; with one of my classes, 3B, and yes we're at the playground; with a study-abroad friend Kayla who came to visit, in Karlovy Vary; with some ESI friends in Vienna, at the Schonbrunn palace gardens and at dinner; the view out the kitchen window on a very stormy day.)

I have to confess, that I write this blog post somewhat unwillingly--for a few reasons, but maybe not for what you'd initially think; allow me to explain. Rest assured it's not for lack of a desire to communicate with you, my readers and supporters. I have so much enjoyed staying in contact with you, having a safe place and listening ears to hear my stories; and receiving your words of encouragement. Really, the reasons aret twofold: So much has happened since my last post, and the ugly procrastination beast has reared its head...I have so much to say, and no time, so I put it off again, and it cycles in a snowball effect. But you deserve an update. And the biggest reason for my reluctance is that this is my final post: it means I'm leaving!

As you can imagine, I have rather conflicted feelings about that. To be sure, the overwhelming feelings are those of relief, joy and excitement. I made it through the year! In less than two weeks, on July 3rd, I'm boarding a plane and heading back to places that are familiar and loved, to my dear friends and family, and always foremost in my mind, to a fiance whom I absolutely can't wait to marry!! I've literally been dreaming of our reunion since the moment I left. What a sense of accomplishment it will be when in 13 days we are face-to-face, on the other side, and this time no more goodbyes in sight, only the promise of never being separated again. This is what I am most looking forward to upon my return. This is what I would never in ten thousand years trade for anything. My life, my future, will be patiently waiting for me at the international arrivals in Chicago O'Hare airport!

But behind the overwhelming sense of happiness and anticipation, there certainly lurks a kernel of sadness. I've spent a year of my life here, and Sokolov will always be a part of me. I have been shaped, changed--spiritually, emotionally, relationally--in ways that I only partially understand, that will probably start coming out of the woodworks later on, and that will always be a piece of who I am. I've been thinking a lot about how Change is just about the only constant. All of our experiences move and shape us. Your year, wherever you are, has been no less impactful, important and precious than mine, only different. I do feel that this year has brought so much growth for me, as challenges always do: professionally, culturally, personally. I apologize for being vague about it all...my own understanding is very imperfect, and I'm glad I have a 9-hour plane ride to sit and think, journal and pray and reflect. But I know that far and away, as is usually the case, the people I met here are the most important factors. We really can't come in contact with anyone without feeling their mark or leaving our own, however big or small. I think of my wonderful roommate Sarah, with whom I shared tears, frustration, daily life, and lots of fun and laughter. I think of our Czech friends, Jarda and Lenka and Michal and Lenka and Petr, who were so generous and understanding and welcoming to us. I think of Milena, a patient and excellent teacher; Sam, a fellow American to share American and Wheaton culture with; all the other wonderful ESI teachers; and definitely my students. Not going to lie, some of them I definitely won't miss, though every one of them is special and worthy of my best effort. And a few of them probably have no idea how much I appreciate their eagerness, questions, and really just who they are as people. Kids are a lot of fun to be around, and every one of them has such a unique and precious story. I saw some of them once a week, some four times a week, for ten months. You can't brush shoulders with someone so often without having some form of relationship. I really, really wish I could bring home some of my primas, the squirelly but fun 5th graders, with my 3C class of juniors. What would I do with them? I don't really know, but I do know I'll miss them. I can't help but wish and pray the very best for them. Who knows what the future holds; I hope that I'll be back for a visit, because the Czech Republic is so special to me and to Michael. Perhaps some students will one day be in the US. Even if not though, I'm reminded of some song lyrics from the musical Wicked, and I know this is so cheesy, but it's appropriate:

"I've heard it said/that people come into our lives for a reason/bringing something we must learn/and we are led/to those who help us most to grow/if we let them/and we help them in return...who can say if I've been changed for the better/ but because I knew you/I have been changed for good."

So as this chapter closes and a new and hope-filled one opens, I have to look back with joy and thankfulness for what this year was. Thank you for being a part of my life, just like my students, friends and colleagues from this year. Thank you for listening, caring, and being interested; that is always the most helpful thing you can do for someone. Many of you I will see oh-so-soon!

Na sheldanou, goodbye, Sokolov!

(Pictures: The view of Prague near the Petrin Tower, overlooking the city. Me with Ester, one of my students, on an excursion. Me in he castle in Cheb--the oldest castle in the Czech Republic--on an excursion with the teachers from the Dutch exchange program. The castle. Visiting ESI friends in Ostrava: at their flat; all of us at the zoo; Ashley unable to decide which roommate to join; Erica, Shelly and Jess with the noisy and smelly but pretty flamingos [would you like me if I was noisy and smelly but pretty? I think not, but they can pull it off]; and the front of the zoo. Pictures of my walk to school: the picturesque old cemetery I pass every day; me in my office that holds the whole English library; the view from my office; a pretty house I walk past; and a watchtower at the top of the hill near my flat.)

Well, friends and family, it seems that I've become less punctual in my updates as time goes on. April is half-way gone already! The busyness and rush of spring can be a good thing though--a burst of energy brought on by the end of the long, muffled winter. Spring is finally here in Sokolov: the days are warmer; I no longer have to bundle up when I go for a run; and I've (I think) retired my winter coat. It did snow the other day, but that's the exception now. This is one of the most welcomed springs ever! The grass is a bright, young green. There are many songbirds I hear and see on my walk to and from school everyday--cute little colorful ones that I've never seen before. Daisys, daffodils and other little flowers are appearing. The ice-cream stand in the New Square has opened up, and I may or may not have taken a couple of my older classes to ice cream and chatted with them during the class period! It's interesting that a season of new beginnings is the beginning of the end for me: two and a half months left now. What a journey. And I remind myself it's definitely not over yet! There are still many important days ahead.

As regards school, I think a lot of the students are feeling a mix of spring fever and being burnt out. Who ever wants to work when the sun is shining outside, inviting you to play (or go rollerblading--an activity that is so popular here, but that my students can never pronounce). The graduating students--and their teachers, which I'm fortunately not one of--are feverishly preparing for their Maturitas--the school leaving exam. This year a new state-wide exam was instated, in addition to the school's tests; and everyone is nervous about it and has their opinions about its virtues and vices. Once it's over, everyone will catch their breath and relax.

So, some highlights of the past month and a half: 1. at the beginning of April, I celebrated one year together with Michael: truly the best year of my life, and one of many more spent with him! Of course, celebrating with have to wait until we meet shortly in Paris for Easter, but it was an important mile marker. Now is not the time or place to get sappy and reminiscent, but suffice it to say that I can't imagine my life without him anymore, nor would I ever want to! 2. I took a weekend trip and visited some ESI teachers across the country in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic: Shelly, Ashley, Chelsea, Jess and Erica. Five wonderful ladies that I am so blessed to know! They are all staying for another year in Czech, and I think I'm vicariously living through them a little, since I'm so happy that they're staying. I took a few different trains and buses for 7 hours on Friday afternoon, and the journey included a very crowded compartment with a cat in a carrier that two men brought and let out, and it shed everywhere--good thing no one was allergic!--and chatting in French with a man from Tunisia (who also spoke English and Czech. I envy people like him). I arrived, a little exhausted, but happy to see them. The visit included some yummy food and wine; a trip to the zoo, with bird impressions included free of charge by Shelly; movies and relaxation; a trip up a viewing tower, to see the whole city--the center of which is not a square and church, like most cities, but factories, since it's an important industrial center; church in Czech, but with a translator through headphones so it was more like really listening to the sermon; and most importantly, lots of really good conversations. Oh, and a tradition that started back at training in July, with the Cinnamon Challenge--eating a spoonful of cinnamon . . . since then, Shelly and I have, for some unexplainable reason, found it necessary to create new challenges for ourselves. When she came out to West Bohemia in the fall, we did a Cocoa Challenge in Cheb; and in Ostrava, it was the Coffee Challenge--a spoonful of instant coffee. (The video is on Facebook somewhere.) So, a great, refreshing visit to see friends and get out of Sokolov. And Stanislav, who I practice English with, went to university in Ostrava, so he was excited to hear about my trip! 3. This past week, I was invited to take part in an exchange program that Gymazium Sokolov did with a school in the Netherlands. Twelve of our students went for a week in Holland in the fall, and now 12 Dutch students and a couple of teachers visited us. One of the organizing teachers, Dana, is busy with her maturita students, and asked if I would participate in some of the activities, particularly since I speak English and that was how they communicated with the Dutch. I was glad to meet some new people, speak English, and get to do some sight-seeing with them. We spent the day on Sunday with the teachers, Leonie and Ronald, as well as the members of the program who were staying in Karlovy Vary. We took them on a tour of Frantiskovy Lazne (another nearby spa town) and Cheb. On Tuesday, the whole group of Czech and Dutch students went to Prague. Unfortunately it was a gray and rainy day, but that didn't stop the high schoolers from being a little loud, a little crazy, and having a lot of fun. I have three of the students in classes--Bara, Ester and Michelle--and it was fun to spend some time with them outside of class. The Dutch students were happy to speak with someone who spoke better English than most of their host families. The best part of the day was certainly sharing a girly moment with Leonie and my students on the Charles Bridge, telling them the story of how Michael proposed there! Finally, on Thursday, I was able to see the students give presentations about all they had done during the week together. While it all made for an extra busy week, I enjoyed being a part of a school event that so many people enjoyed.

So. Here we are, on the verge of Easter holidays. In so many ways, and for so many reasons (one about a thousand times more important than the others . . .) I'm ready to be back. But for other reasons, I know that I need to be here now. It's so important, more than ever, to be invested and present in this town, this school, and these people. And what a joy it will be to look back and know I did my best here! Please remember, too, how important you are to me; I would not be able to do my best here were it not for you. It's incredible to think about how you, my friends and family, are involved in the lives of Ester and Stanislav and literally hundreds of other people I've come in contact with! And how blessed I am be be that link. So, as I've said many times and will continue to say, thank you for your support!! Enjoy the spring, and the busyness, and the breaks, and the details, wherever you are.

February Thoughts

Pictures: Adventures in Cologne with Mom and Alex--Chocolate factory, the oldest Roman road still in existence in the city, the amazing cathedral; Mom in Dresden, in front of the Zwinger fortress, or museum paradise; Mom and I on the Charles Bridge in Prague, and in front of the statue of St. Wenceslas; dancing at the Ples; the cold view out the window in mid February; and a visit to Che' and baby Kathleen.)

Dear friends and family,

(First, I'm sorry this post is atrociously late...the last one was forever ago! Thank you for your patience:)

February has always been my least favorite month of they year. It's the shortest in number of days, but by this point everyone is ready for spring. Snow was nice and festive around Christmas, but it's overstayed its welcome. So has the cold. It can be rather dreary, and I have to look a little harder for bright points. Fortunately, while I'm still not a fan of February, there were some good events and thoughts this month.

I'm having some mixed feelings about a lot of things pertaining to my life here in Sokolov: are we done with February already? Where has the time gone? Have I been here in the Czech Republic so many months? I've paused to reflect, nearly every time I Skype a loved one back home, how very far away I am, and how different my life is from theirs; and yet, my life seems pretty normal to me now. I feel mostly at home here. But also: Is it only now March? Why is it still cold, grey, and snowy outside?? (Ok, to be fair it's been sunny and warmer this week--and I'm crossing my fingers it'll stay that way.) I've only just recently finished the first semester. I had spring break, which usually signifies 3/4 of the year to me; yet it's almost closer to the half-way point. Is it July yet?? :) The middle of the month was the deadline to officially make the decision of whether or not to stay another year with English Services International. From the beginning, I was planning to only stay for a year, and now I have the absolute best reason in the world to go back to the States, and would never trade that for anything. I don't feel like I'm meant to stay here; as incredibly glad I am for this year, I'm content that it's only a year. And yet--forgive me if I'm getting ahead of myself, with 4 months still left--but I can't help but wonder who will be here next year; living in this little flat, in this town I call home, discovering the ins and outs, finding things they love and things that bother them a little, and mostly, teaching MY students!

This is the season of Ples, the "balls" they have for the graduating students. It's a mix of a graduation ceremony because they announce all the students and give them a sash; but it's also like Prom, because there is dancing and many younger students buy tickets to come party too. It's a pretty impressive, formal, fun production. I actually went to one at the end of January, but there have been more since then that I've opted out of...For as little of the speeches, etc. I understood, it was heart-warming to see how proud the students and their families were, and to see many of my students all dolled up (what's the equivalent term for guys??) At midnight is the "Midnight Surprise," some kind of dance or skit the class plans with their class teacher, that no one knows about until it happens. There are in fact, five groups of students graduating from the Gymnasium, and three Pleses. One was enough for me, but a very good experience :)

A much-anticipated visit from my dear Mother came over spring break, which was so much fun. As much as I am thankful for Skype, it just can't compete with face-to-face conversation and the way that being with another person feels. I loved catching up, talking about important and unimportant things, and being travel buddies. We spent a little time in beautiful Prague, then came back to Sokolov. Unfortunately she didn't get to meet anyone from school or even go inside, but she took the walking tour (an hour is all it takes) and now has a point of reference, which is huge. We took the train to Dresden and had a whirlwind look at some incredible museums (art? armor? porcelain, anyone?) and buildings; then off to Cologne, to visit a friend who was the best hostess in the world. Not joking. Alex greeted us with balloons at the airport, was a personal tour guide and translator the whole time, and was just so thoughtful and sweet. We appreciated it so much. It was all over too quickly, as usual!

Since then, life continues...busy, but rewarding. Regular events are interspersed with fun variety--ice skating, going to the movies, seeing a hockey game in Karlovy Vary...these are the memories and conversations I will take home with me. These are one of the big reasons I came--time spent with people. These are the things I will miss!

Side note: I've been thinking about how I don't take pictures of the everyday things, which are what I'll actually want to remember--no pictures of the school! So, one of these days it's my goal to take and post some:)

Engagement and thoughts

Dear friends and family,

Here are a few long-overdue images of the most exciting and important event that has happened since my Czech journey began. Michael and I are on Charles Bridge, and a kind passer-by humored us and took our picture. Pictures cannot do justice to the gorgeous ring, and I'm not such a good photographer anyway. But you get the idea; and must ask me to see it in person when I return :) I'll be more than happy to oblige.

We've been engaged for almost a month, and it seems the past weeks have been consumed with figuring out how to start wedding planning. I'm sure that will be the case for the next six months while I'm still here, as the tasks will only mount. I'm so excited to plan such a momentous event, and am grateful beyond words for the participation and eagerness to help of Michael, Mom, Aunt Em, and others. It will be wonderful to have so many people actively involved in the process--something that I would be lacking if I were in the States and able to do it all myself. This is the same lesson I've been learning all along about how I could not be here without all the many-faceted support and encouragement of YOU! We are none of us islands; God has given us communities of caring people surrounding us. It can be hard to ask for help, when we are used to achieving and succeeding, or even just getting by on our own; but there is so much abundant blessing that comes from letting others help you.

School is going fine. I can't believe I'm reaching the half-way point, in just another week or so! How time flies! To be honest, part of me wants the next six months to fly by so I can get married already. And yet, I don't want to waste the time I have left here. As I enter the second half, I have some friendships and relationships, a routine, a place here that I didn't have six months ago. Students like Esther, who comes in and chats to practice her English, or Nikola, who asks me lots of excited questions about my wedding; coworkers like Dana, a fellow English teacher, or Sonja, a sweet and funny biology teacher, or Milena, who has provided limitless help and advice; and friends like Che', Pavel, and baby Kathleen from church, or Stanislav whom I help with his English; all these people and more, are part of the fabric of my life as it stands here and now. They don't know how thankful I am for them, or what they are subtly but quickly growing to mean to me. This is an exciting time to be in, as I have somewhat of a foundation laid, and still more time to build on that and appreciate it. I'll be helping out with an English conversation competition in two weeks, and then going to the Ples, which is like a mix of senior prom and the graduation ceremony. I'm honored to be a part of those events. Sometimes I feel I have nothing to offer them; I'm young and inexperienced, I don't have particular skills or even an excellent understanding of my own language which I'm trying to teach. But I can only hope that God is using me as a light, whether or not I know it, whether or not they know it. Some days I'm frustrated by the chatty little students, or when I have to teach a boring lesson that no one wants to learn, or when it's snowy and slushy outside and I haven't seen the sun in 3 weeks. These things, I won't miss. But places and people have a way of getting to you; and maybe I'll only realize how much I love Sokolov when I'm gone. (Let's be honest, I'll be marrying the love of my life so I won't be that sad!)

I could use prayer for continuing and developing relationships; for presence here, when I'm tempted to check out and pour all my energy into wedding planning (which is an awful lot of the time!); and an attitude of appreciation for the time I have here. It's a good thing that the Lord knows best what I need and when I need it. I can fully trust him that here, in Sokolov, at the Gymnazium, is where I should be. It's what's best for me right now, and for the people around me, and what brings praise to God; thus, even when it's not always easy, I can find joy and peace in being able to trust him! He is good.

Friends and family,

Can you believe it's already December 1?? Ask yourself honestly, "How is this possible?" Time is quickly picking up pace. I've been in the Czech Republic for over three months now, which is by no means huge in the grand scheme of things, but somehow seems big to me. Perhaps it's because I'm quickly about to outstrip the amount of time I've spent abroad previously--when I was in wonderful France for four months.

God is good, and time is one of his greatest gifts of all: time, and seasons. I am reminded of Ecclesiastes; there is a time for everything, a season for all things. November has been a season of change weather-wise, but a season of stability and consistency emotionally. The second week was when the (long-awaited) feeling of I'm beginning to feel at home here, involved, like there's a place for me, started to come. I met with Dana, a sweet middle-aged friend of my head English teacher Milena; she wants to practice her English, in exchange for working through some Czech textbooks with me. That was exactly the accountability and push I needed, because as much as I'd like to think I'm capable of enough internal motivation to study the language, it wasn't coming along so well. She is fun and friendly, and much better at English than she thinks. I went to a spinning class (not what I'd pin as my thing, but I like it and it's some physical activity to replace my sorely-missed running now that the weather is cold and wet). The instructor is the father of Lucie, one of my students; and he offered that I could go to classes for free in exchange for meeting with him and a few friends to practice English. I got a membership to a gym--small, but sufficient, with a sweet young lady who works behind the counter and speaks English. I was making friends! I was starting to have a life! And I hadn't expected to connect with other adults as well as I have been; kind colleagues, and these random people in my life that are a blessing already to me. How exciting!

Next was the Thanksgiving Retreat, a relaxing and wonderful time to see friends from training and catch up...to hear stories, laugh together, and have some serious conversations. It was a great reminder that I'm not alone here; I may be the only ESIer at the Gymnasium, but there are many, many wonderful friends who are not far. What a blessing the weekend was: sleep, hiking, an inordinate amount of desserts, Nertz, and speaking with other native speakers.

The pictures are from Thanksgiving in Sokolov '10: Sarah and I executed our plan of making Thanksgiving dinner for some of her colleagues and friends. The estimated group size grew from ten to 15...and Sarah and I were a little nervous! On top of preparing so much food, we have an oven that refuses to stay on one temperature, neither does it have a temperature label on the knob; and some ingredients were hard to come by here: we had home-made stuffing, fresh pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes someone had to get in Karlovy Vary, a different kind of brown sugar, a different kind of flour, a squash we had never seen before...and the couple who was baking the turkeys, put them in the oven only 40 minutes before we got there! But it worked out wonderfully; when is Thanksgiving dinner ever on time, and the small size of the turkeys made the wait manageable. Czech desserts, mashed potatoes, wine, sweet potato casserole, and English and Czech language abilities all across the board abounded. I told the Thanksgiving history to everyone (a much more rapt audience than most of my students, I might add), and came up with a few games off the cuff, Mafia included. It was a great success, and so much fun!

The snow has set in, and some days are very, very windy. My students, especially the primas (5th graders), love it: the other day, I came into the classroom to teach after the big break (20 minutes), and half the class was wet and sweaty and out of breath, explaining that they had just had a snowball fight: could they open the window? It was too hot in the classroom! And they proceeded to go over to the window, scrape snow off the windowsill and put it on their heads to cool off before I could do anything. Ah, well. Kids :) I love the Christmas season as much as they do, just for different reasons. Sarah and I helped decorate the church for Christmas: we hung up paper snowflakes we'd made, created garlands out of fresh pine branches (with a little help!), and set up a beautiful little tree with hand-crafted ornaments. What a wonderful, exciting season! I'll let you know more about it next month, after Christmas has happened! As some of you know, I'm wild with excitement to see my boyfriend Michael when he comes to visit and we can travel Europe together! How many Christmases to I get to say that happened??

Anyway, thank you for your wonderful support as always...I will need it much to get through the cold winter months once the novelty of the weather wears off! (Maybe my students will like their snowball fights all winter long, and their enthusiasm will rub off on me. Who knows.) As you near the Christmas season, and are already in the midst of the holidays, may you find joy in your relationships, in the surprises of life, in the simple pleasures, and in the hope of things to come.

Peace in Christ,

Jamie

Wow. I can't believe how long it's been since I posted an update...I apologize! Weeks turned into a month, and soon October flew by! Perhaps I felt that the novelty was wearing off, which is maybe a good thing...I'm settling into a routine, getting used to my students, learning (slowly!) to lesson plan, finding a niche. I by no means am fully adjusted, but Sokolov is daily feeling more and more like a home. The weather is getting colder; leaves were turning beautiful colors and now have mostly fallen, except for a few stubborn ones. I'm slowly learning random Czech words, and my students get really excited when I use them! They laugh at how I pronounce them, but tell me I'm saying it right...that seems like a contradiction to me, but whatever.

This month has been characterized by some good time spent with friends. I got to visit fellow ESI teachers in Cheb--Karina and Tammy, who live there and whom I've seen several times; but also Sally and Shelly, who teach in Prague and Ostrava and were visiting the same weekend. A friend from Wheaton, Peter, is traveling through Europe for several months and stopped in to see what I was up to; it was nice to catch up with someone from Wheaton. And I had a fall break at the end of the month, and took the time to go to Italy to visit high school friends Betsy and Jason. (I went the whole way by train and was so proud of myself! Ask for more details if you'd like to hear the story. Bottom line that it went well though.) Each instance reminded me how much I appreciate having a native English speaker to talk to :) I get used to how few people speak English here, which makes me all the more thankful for the people here that do--Sarah, my head teacher Milena, Che' from church, her husband Pavel...but also more appreciative of special chances to talk to friends in person. Unfortunately, my non-photo-taking tendencies manifested themselves and I don't have very many pictures from October...but Sarah and I made pumpkin bread, and documented it. We were very excited to see pumpkins (dýně) at the Kaufland grocery store, since people had told us they didn't have them frequently here. It was my first time baking anything with fresh pumpkin, and it was a great success! Nothing like baking therapy with a roommate :) I finished off the month with a lesson about Halloween in some of my classes; in Czech, it is becoming more common to celebrate it (there were just a few decorations around), but it is not widespread. We learned vocabulary and listened to the "Monster Mash" song, which they loved! Those are always my favorite lessons, when the students are really enjoying themselves!

Continued prayers for the language and settling in to the culture and job would be appreciated; while I am feeling more settled, one of the English teachers is pregnant and will not be teaching this year--a huge change and stress for the rest of the English department. As the newbie I got off easy, but my schedule has been changed a little, so in some ways it feels like starting over just when I felt like I was getting the hang of it. I lost one class of students I really liked, but am excited to get to know a sweet class of sophomore girls that I now have.

Thank you for your support and interest in all I'm doing! It really makes all the difference, knowing that even though I'm half-way across the world in a tiny town that so many people are thinking of me and praying for me. And I will try to not go a whole month again without an update ;)

Sarah and I had a long weekend, since Tuesday (today!) is St. Wenceslas' Day, a national holiday in the Czech Republic! We decided to venture off by ourselves, and after consulting with teachers at our schools, decided to visit the beautiful castle town of Cesky Krumlov. We weren't disappointed. The pictures are of us on one of the many bridges across the Vltava River (which winds around the town center), the cathedral tower, the castle from the castle tower, and the view from one of the bridges. Festivals seem to follow us wherever we go, and the square was filled with folk music and dancing (see the video), little booths of cute things to buy, and inevitably, the wonderful Czech fair food (ask me about the trdelnik, svarak, and hralusky, and palacinky). With the cobblestoned streets and the scent of food everywhere, people in costume and the castle always in view, it was not hard to imagine it as a medieval town. We toured the castle and heard all about the history of noble families and colorful characters that lived there; visited the museum of marionettes; wandered the castle gardens; and tasted various Czech dishes. And of course slept a lot--it's vacation after all. We did have a rather, mm, interesting experience at our hostel: we'd made a reservation online, but when we got there a drunken receptionist appeared, couldn't find our reservation, and put us in a room without noting that she had. Or something like that. We returned in the evening to find the (sober and nice) owner, who had just put somebody in our room...so we ended up on mattresses on the floor in a room of 6 British boys who didn't know we were there. They came back late, after we went to bed, and lots of whispering and surprise ensued...but it all worked out in the end. We had our own room the next night, thankfully. In all, it was a delightful weekend; and it somehow brought home the fact that I now live here, in the Czech Republic. This was just a weekend trip for me; and now I'm home again, in another Czech town. How exciting is that!

I've been teaching for almost a month now...it's nearly October! To be honest, it's still a bit of a struggle...I'm getting the hang of it little by little, but it depends on the day. Sometimes I love my job, and enjoy teaching a fun lesson; other times I feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water and struggling through each class period. But I think I'm learning. I was so happy when a couple of students came up to me after class to ask questions: what's the difference between "must" and "have to"? If arachniphobia is the fear of spiders, what is the name for all these fears in general? I'm finding students that make my day by showing interest, answering questions, and participating, and of course a few (several in one class) that try my patience, but I'm stepping up to the challenge and being creative in how to engage them. Also, October marks 6 months of dating a very wonderful man...hooray! His support and love have been priceless over the past few months of this journey. As has the encouragement of friends and family...I miss all of you, and am so grateful for each one of you!