If I have learned anything in the past two weeks, two months, even two years....it's that the biggest things are actually really small. The small things can be the biggest. Well, indeed, they ARE the biggest.
I've always known that the small things count the most, but knowing and living that philosophy are two very different things. In the past, having a loved one show up to an important volleyball tournament was way more important to me than any congratulatory gift was. When my boyfriend helps with the dishes even though it's his least favorite household chore, it shows me he cares more than any elaborate act can. When my best friend is there for me after a tough day, even when she had a tough one too, even when we are miles apart, her listening ear says more than any grand act of kindness does.
Yes, it's always been about the small things, but things that are even smaller than that can be come important when you miss them. It's true that you often don't miss something until it's gone.
But THEN, when you get it back, you feel like each small token is a million bucks! Like me, after you get used to "roughing it" in the jungle, just being able to paint your toenails (and not having them chip the same day because you're flip-flop walking on gravel roads everywhere), you feel like a D-I-V-A. My toenails are currently shiny purple and they have been that way for A WHOLE WEEK and I'm convinced this is what movie stars feel like.
I've always loved the hot, humid, beachy weather. Essentially, I decided to quit winter when I moved here. Don't get me wrong, I totally dig a good soak in the sun, surfing sick waves, wearing tank tops to work, and never having to wear closed toed shoes. BUT. It sure is nice to not have my hair constantly plastered to my forehead with sweat. I can wear it down for a whole day here without breaking a sweat - I even have to wear pants and long sleeves at night! - and my hair stays clean and dry for more than one millisecond. Sleeping under, well, ANYTHING, is nice after even sheets were unbearable, and I've never been so content snuggling in a fuzzy blanket (except maybe when it included Twinkie Time -shout out Al! haha).
I HAVE INTERNET (5Megs, what up) IN MY HOUSE in case you missed that, and let's be real, in this day in age, that's not such a small thing anymore. But there are small things that come with internet, like listening to music while you cook dinner and watching Netflix with no pants on. Let's just pause. How many of you do that on a daily or weekly basis? Show of hands....Yeah, that's what I thought. So next time you're hanging out in your underpants and oversized hoodie watching the latest episode of Game of Thrones, take a second to reflect on how lucky you are. In so many ways.
As it relates to Netflix, I'm not sure how to handle myself with 112 channels of real-life T.V. I can get yogurt and real portobello mushrooms (as well as most other things actually) here for literally less than half the price of what they were in Guiones. Mostly, having a weekend farmers market less than a block from my house has me counting down the days until Saturday. Not because I don't want to go to work, but because I love market day that much.
(Pause for big small thing #139: There is a power outlet close enough to charge my computer and sit on my porch at the same time. Unpause.)
Speaking of work, the small things couldn't be more black and white after the miserable experience at my previous school. The school here has been nothing but welcoming and helpful in this transition, and that is something I have never had in any transition maybe like ever in my adult life. After putting me up in a (nice) hotel until my apartment was available, they helped me move in! The day before move in, I met with the HR lady. I asked her the directions to my new place so I could find it the next afternoon as I moved my stuff. She looked at me funny and declared, "Oh girl, I'm not that mean!" After a pause and me looking very confused (me: "mean?? uh oh...?? Help, I don't know what's happening..."), she clarified by telling me the school already had a driver set up that would pick me up from school, go get my large inventory of luggage from the hotel, drive me to my new place, and help me move my things. Well then! I was so used to being left to my own devices that I never even considered the possibility that they'd assist me in any of the transition processes. I was wrong again today when I emailed HR concerning my lack of hot water. Listen, I'm so used to not having hot water, that when the previous teacher mentioned the apartment didn't have it, I wasn't worried. I've had no use for it in my past few locations. BUT OH I'm freezing here. It's probably 70 degrees and I'm under a fuzzy blanket with long sleeves on. A shower without hot water ended up being an acrobatic event as I tried to only get my hair wet enough to wash it without it dripping down my back. Think standing-half-back-bend-with-arms-flailing-for-balance-and-squeals-of-surprise-caused-by-ice-water-drops-being-splattered-on-my-back. By 9am this morning, they had the handy man at my house, and upon sticking my hand under the showerhead promptly at 3:30 when I got home, I indeed do have hot water! Whooooo!
My class of ONLY 4th graders already makes fun of me for my marker obsession. They sigh and giggle when I decorate our lesson posters. We have THREE boxes of markers. And no, not the 8 packs like I had ONE of at my old school (that maybe didn't even work). NO, each box has like 50 markers, organized into sections for each of 15 different colors!!! We have more colors of markers here than I had markers period at my old school, even if you count the ones that didn't work. Probably excessive, but for now, it's definitely like Christmas.
OH and I have a microwave to heat up my leftovers for lunch. Try eating a cold, leftover lunch every day (because cold, it was still better than the school lunch), and then we can talk about the special kind of crazy that it makes you.
Among all these small things, of course, there are bigger things that really make a difference. I have a support staff. Previously, my teaching positions required me to wear approximately 14 different hats - teacher (of 3+ grades and 3 core subjects plus multiple specials like art, computer, library, and music), curriculum developer, ESL support, LD coach (learning disabilities), and school counselor all without much planning time or team collaboration mind you. (Then again, when your team is made of 5 in the whole school....well.....let's just say I work with more than that on a daily basis here). But guess what. I wear about 1 hat here. Just 4th grade teacher. Yeah I teach multiple subjects, but I have support staff, and the kids actually go to other teachers for their "specials" classes.
Overall, it's been a good couple weeks here in Escazu. I'm learning more and more that castles cannot be built without each small brick. Dollars cannot be made without pennies. Your glass cannot be full without each droplet of water (or wine, ya know, whichever you prefer).
I've got more and more bricks, pennies, and droplets each day.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Monday, April 6, 2015
Guess Who's Back?!
Well, folks. My magic "Three Week Career Move" habit continues - somehow, no matter how much or when or where I apply for jobs, I get the offer almost exactly three weeks in advance. Think about it - Corcovado School in Jimenez, deciding to go back to Jimenez after break (with no job), Woolman in California, Academy del Sol.....ALL 4 big moves away from home have been made with three weeks (or less) notice.
And now, I have just made another move with less than three weeks notice.
Let's start at the beginning. First of all, I've noticed a pattern - for those of you who have always read my blog will notice the same pattern - I do not blog when I am unhappy. I suppose I don't like to complain or air my dirty laundry publicly. Therefore, you may have noticed a decline in my blogging frequency because yes, I have been VERY unhappy in my most recent job.
Upon accepting the position to teach kindergarten and 1st-3nd grade (which ended up being 1st-2nd -just one more misconception) at Academy del Sol, I was excited to be in a school that seemed to be more established than my last school, and I was hoping the town would be one step up from Jimenez. After jumping around so much, I was also hoping to find a place to stay for a while and gain some really solid teaching experience. I was promised the structure of a provided curriculum and freedom to teach the things that were important to me, and part of my contract included getting my work visa that would allow me to work legally and avoid costly and time-consuming border runs.
Turns out things were not as they seemed. The work visa (that they were going to pay half for) was totally bailed on without an offer to help financially or offer days off for border runs. There indeed was a curriculum - one that was many years outdated and no longer aligned to the Common Core standards I was expected to follow. It was also boring and an awful curriculum anyway, aligned with No Child Left Behind (which isn't any better). The freedom I was promised was not given without a really tough couple of fights and breakdowns. Organization was absolute chaos - one policy would be implemented one week, I'd do all the work to reconfigure my plans and procedures, only for it to be tossed out and replaced with another new policy two weeks (or less!!) later....I didn't need that on top of the INSANE workload I already had. Trying to teach a mixed-age/grade, mixed (but not all) content area classroom without support from my administration or specialists was thoroughly draining. If you closed the doors and left me with my kids and my own lessons, I was able to see the light. But overall, I was not happy. There were more days that I was miserable than I was happy, most Sundays were spent dreading a new work week (so much so that I couldn't enjoy my life), and towards the end, I questioned whether I even wanted to be a teacher!!! No job should make you question a passion. On top of all of this, the town was a small, EXPENSIVE mini-America without the Tico qualities I love about this country. AND enrollment was plummeting faster than a speeding meteorite burning in the atmosphere (nerd alert). The families were so seasonal that I was predicted to have less than 4 students by the summer, which could have led to "secretary" work to fill my extra time. NOPE. Not worth it.
Bottom line is that I do not take these big risks in life to be miserable. If I was okay with being unhappy, I would stay safe in my little bubble. But I know what I want, and I am going to pursue it with fervor until I get it.
So, I quit. Just like that. Two strikes were already down after the fights/breakdowns, and I gave myself a deadline. I got to that deadline, was still unhappy, so I quit. What a relief that was....!!!
Luckily enough, upon emailing my old principal from student teaching (remember the first time I stepped foot in Costa Rica for that experience?!?!), I found out that Country Day School needed a maternity substitute. It just so happened that the job started the exact Monday I was free!!! The school was even going to help with my housing, and pay me more. It's expensive to live here in Escazu, but I won't have a quad payment, rent will be 1/3 of what it was in Guiones, and food will be fresh from the ferias (farmers markets). I don't have surfing or the beach (but that's ok, I snapped my surfboard last week so.....), but I have the mountains, cool weather, no dust, and a nearby airport that runs specials on cheap domestic flights for whenever I need some saltwater healing.
After spending a wonderful Semana Santa (spring break) with Paco back in the Osa, I came back to Escazu with a full emotional gas tank. Happy, refreshed, and ready for my first day. Which went surprisingly smooth. Almost too smooth. Haha! I realized that simply knowing my way around the school reduced my stress levels tenfold, and the previous teacher had really prepared for her departure by planning the next units in all subjects for me! Those two things alone will ease my transition for sure! On top of that, I was given nothing short of a warm welcome - each member of my administration came to my classroom to welcome me personally and offer assistance if I ever need it, big or small. That really said a lot for me that each one cared enough about a little ole sub to come greet me and make sure I had everything I needed before, during, and after my first day!! Many teachers remember me (obviously the ones I was friends with did too), and the secretary remembered me by name! Staff that I barely knew even recognized me... I went to get my school ID picture taken and the lady in the business office asked "Didn't I already make you one of these?" Haha! Yes, but three years ago! My next door neighbor teacher even told me how thankful they all were that the school found me - in the past, subs like me haven't been real teachers, just someone they found in a pinch! I felt so welcomed and appreciated even from the start!
As far as my kids go...I'm teaching 4th grade. Yes, JUST FOURTH GRADE. This is the first time since I was at CDS the first time that I've had just one grade level! That sure did make today easy! Plus, they're a little older and already independent, which is great. I'm not sure of the exact breakdown, but all are bilingual and from cool places. If you remember, I had a student last time that had an Auburn alum parent - my Auburn culture lesson really hit home with him....I have his little sister in my class. She walked right in, remembered me, and even told me of their trip to visit Auburn for the first time last year!! Small world!
I have my very own classroom that I did not have to share or move between, and one box of EACH COLOR crayons and markers, not just one box of old crayons and markers mixed!! I even have a school teacher computer and classroom iPads!!! WHAT. I have 14 students total, and they were really well behaved today. So much so that I'm nervous that it's the quiet before the storm. I'm not sure if I'm just used to being thrown into the middle of chaos or if they're really this sweet, but I've been assured they really are a good class. My principal says that 4th grade may even be the envy of the elementary school because our kids are so great. I sure hope it stays this way!! Haha!
Another thing that blew my mind was having fellow teachers and support! At both previous schools, there have been about 4 teachers and 3 staff TOTAL. Here, I have 4 teachers and about 3 staff members I collaborate with IN MY GRADE ALONE. One teacher even pulls kids out once a week and also helps me in the classroom twice a week. I HAVE SUPPORT STAFF?! Wow, what a revolutionary idea!! I'm feeling overly thankful for these things I've yearned for for so long! I didn't realize just how many hats I've been forced to wear these past few years, and I'm excited to be wearing maybe just 1 or 2 here! Ahhhh... :)
Hopefully today was an indicator for the rest of the year. I am already so much happier than I was in Guiones, and I can't wait to make new friends and take advantage of living in a city with a vibrant culture!
Ah, it feels good to be back! Pura Vida!
And now, I have just made another move with less than three weeks notice.
Let's start at the beginning. First of all, I've noticed a pattern - for those of you who have always read my blog will notice the same pattern - I do not blog when I am unhappy. I suppose I don't like to complain or air my dirty laundry publicly. Therefore, you may have noticed a decline in my blogging frequency because yes, I have been VERY unhappy in my most recent job.
Upon accepting the position to teach kindergarten and 1st-3nd grade (which ended up being 1st-2nd -just one more misconception) at Academy del Sol, I was excited to be in a school that seemed to be more established than my last school, and I was hoping the town would be one step up from Jimenez. After jumping around so much, I was also hoping to find a place to stay for a while and gain some really solid teaching experience. I was promised the structure of a provided curriculum and freedom to teach the things that were important to me, and part of my contract included getting my work visa that would allow me to work legally and avoid costly and time-consuming border runs.
Turns out things were not as they seemed. The work visa (that they were going to pay half for) was totally bailed on without an offer to help financially or offer days off for border runs. There indeed was a curriculum - one that was many years outdated and no longer aligned to the Common Core standards I was expected to follow. It was also boring and an awful curriculum anyway, aligned with No Child Left Behind (which isn't any better). The freedom I was promised was not given without a really tough couple of fights and breakdowns. Organization was absolute chaos - one policy would be implemented one week, I'd do all the work to reconfigure my plans and procedures, only for it to be tossed out and replaced with another new policy two weeks (or less!!) later....I didn't need that on top of the INSANE workload I already had. Trying to teach a mixed-age/grade, mixed (but not all) content area classroom without support from my administration or specialists was thoroughly draining. If you closed the doors and left me with my kids and my own lessons, I was able to see the light. But overall, I was not happy. There were more days that I was miserable than I was happy, most Sundays were spent dreading a new work week (so much so that I couldn't enjoy my life), and towards the end, I questioned whether I even wanted to be a teacher!!! No job should make you question a passion. On top of all of this, the town was a small, EXPENSIVE mini-America without the Tico qualities I love about this country. AND enrollment was plummeting faster than a speeding meteorite burning in the atmosphere (nerd alert). The families were so seasonal that I was predicted to have less than 4 students by the summer, which could have led to "secretary" work to fill my extra time. NOPE. Not worth it.
Bottom line is that I do not take these big risks in life to be miserable. If I was okay with being unhappy, I would stay safe in my little bubble. But I know what I want, and I am going to pursue it with fervor until I get it.
So, I quit. Just like that. Two strikes were already down after the fights/breakdowns, and I gave myself a deadline. I got to that deadline, was still unhappy, so I quit. What a relief that was....!!!
Luckily enough, upon emailing my old principal from student teaching (remember the first time I stepped foot in Costa Rica for that experience?!?!), I found out that Country Day School needed a maternity substitute. It just so happened that the job started the exact Monday I was free!!! The school was even going to help with my housing, and pay me more. It's expensive to live here in Escazu, but I won't have a quad payment, rent will be 1/3 of what it was in Guiones, and food will be fresh from the ferias (farmers markets). I don't have surfing or the beach (but that's ok, I snapped my surfboard last week so.....), but I have the mountains, cool weather, no dust, and a nearby airport that runs specials on cheap domestic flights for whenever I need some saltwater healing.
After spending a wonderful Semana Santa (spring break) with Paco back in the Osa, I came back to Escazu with a full emotional gas tank. Happy, refreshed, and ready for my first day. Which went surprisingly smooth. Almost too smooth. Haha! I realized that simply knowing my way around the school reduced my stress levels tenfold, and the previous teacher had really prepared for her departure by planning the next units in all subjects for me! Those two things alone will ease my transition for sure! On top of that, I was given nothing short of a warm welcome - each member of my administration came to my classroom to welcome me personally and offer assistance if I ever need it, big or small. That really said a lot for me that each one cared enough about a little ole sub to come greet me and make sure I had everything I needed before, during, and after my first day!! Many teachers remember me (obviously the ones I was friends with did too), and the secretary remembered me by name! Staff that I barely knew even recognized me... I went to get my school ID picture taken and the lady in the business office asked "Didn't I already make you one of these?" Haha! Yes, but three years ago! My next door neighbor teacher even told me how thankful they all were that the school found me - in the past, subs like me haven't been real teachers, just someone they found in a pinch! I felt so welcomed and appreciated even from the start!
As far as my kids go...I'm teaching 4th grade. Yes, JUST FOURTH GRADE. This is the first time since I was at CDS the first time that I've had just one grade level! That sure did make today easy! Plus, they're a little older and already independent, which is great. I'm not sure of the exact breakdown, but all are bilingual and from cool places. If you remember, I had a student last time that had an Auburn alum parent - my Auburn culture lesson really hit home with him....I have his little sister in my class. She walked right in, remembered me, and even told me of their trip to visit Auburn for the first time last year!! Small world!
I have my very own classroom that I did not have to share or move between, and one box of EACH COLOR crayons and markers, not just one box of old crayons and markers mixed!! I even have a school teacher computer and classroom iPads!!! WHAT. I have 14 students total, and they were really well behaved today. So much so that I'm nervous that it's the quiet before the storm. I'm not sure if I'm just used to being thrown into the middle of chaos or if they're really this sweet, but I've been assured they really are a good class. My principal says that 4th grade may even be the envy of the elementary school because our kids are so great. I sure hope it stays this way!! Haha!
Another thing that blew my mind was having fellow teachers and support! At both previous schools, there have been about 4 teachers and 3 staff TOTAL. Here, I have 4 teachers and about 3 staff members I collaborate with IN MY GRADE ALONE. One teacher even pulls kids out once a week and also helps me in the classroom twice a week. I HAVE SUPPORT STAFF?! Wow, what a revolutionary idea!! I'm feeling overly thankful for these things I've yearned for for so long! I didn't realize just how many hats I've been forced to wear these past few years, and I'm excited to be wearing maybe just 1 or 2 here! Ahhhh... :)
Hopefully today was an indicator for the rest of the year. I am already so much happier than I was in Guiones, and I can't wait to make new friends and take advantage of living in a city with a vibrant culture!
Ah, it feels good to be back! Pura Vida!
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Do You Want to Buy a Zoo?
How would you like to own your very own zoo? It might be easier than you think!
Apparently, all you need to do is buy a little house in Costa Rica. Then, wait until it's dark out, open up all your doors and windows, and turn the lights on. The animals will come pouring into your house like the flood gates (ha no pun intended) of Noah's Ark just opened. You will have your very own zoo in no time! If you're lucky, they'll even come in twos.
It seems as though I am the newest zookeeper on the block because my home/zoo is now up and running. Yesterday, I found approximately two bats in my house. One, which I named Barry, was energetically swooping up all the bugs in my kitchen and living room. I appreciated this, and we even had dinner together (except I had fresh Marlin with mango salsa, not bugs). The problem was that Barry must have been echolocating my head and misinterpreting my screams for friendly bat chatter - he had incredible aim for an animal blinder than me, and I would have appreciated a little less divebombing while I was trying to cook dinner. At least Barry was more helpful (and better off) than his dead brother Bart who I found on the floor earlier that day. It must have been Sol (the cat) in the kitchen with the candlestick.
Quite often, I hear an armadillo outside, raking around in the gravel. Tonight, though, I saw his little snout peeking through the bars on my front door. Sol was just sitting there looking at him, not doing a thing. Thanks a lot. Maybe it wasn't Sol who killed Bart afterall.....Thankfully, the armadillo just teetered away on his own. Crisis averted.
That is, until I am calmly sitting on my bed, just doodling around writing for the internet to work, when Grasshopper makes his grand entrance through the French doors by flying straight at my head. What is it with these animals aiming at my face?! Naturally, I panic.
No, really. You don't get it. The grasshoppers here in Guanacaste are unlike any I have seen anywhere else. If you look closely (like at a dead one that won't fly at your head), they are quite beautiful. They have army-green camo bodies with red feet and sometimes some orange in there. Their under-wings are also red. Upon further inspection, you will notice that their back legs are decorated with SPIKES. Big, nasty, pronged spikes. They are so big, you can almost see their toes. And their prickly hair. Truly, they are as majestically horrifying as an insect can get. Did I mention they are about 5 inches long and as big around as your thumb, or more??
After my initial panic, he settled on the edge of my mattress as if he were sunning himself in the light of my bedside lamp. Ok, so what do I do now?? I know, I'll break out my new GoPro accessory - an extendable stick - and film this thing! Clever. I really know how to act under pressure.
I decided to leave him alone and deal with the situation later. But then...LIGHTBULB. Haha literally. I had an idea - he kept flying towards my lamp like any normal insect would do. Everyone knows that light sources are every insect's kryptonite. I would lure him out of my room by selectively turning on the lights in one room of my house at a time. So, I turned off my lamp. (How I got close enough to it, I'm not sure. Must have been a shot of adrenaline.) Then, I wait.
In the middle of cooking dinner, I had already forgotten my own evil plan. I needed something from my room, so I casually waltz in there as if there wasn't a gigantic man-eating grasshopper lounging in my bed. OH but the little monster wasn't in my bed anymore....He was lurking in my bathroom (which was the goal as it is between my room and the living room, the ultimate destination). After ceremoniously flying at my head as I enter the room, I sneak back in to find that he has knocked my soap bottle off into the sink. Atop the bottle. there he sits, with his antennae barely peeping over the rim of the sink. This is actually how I found him, His antennae failed him. A few steps closer and I find he is staring directly at me with the most diabolical look an insect has ever given me. This means war.
The next step in my evil plan is to turn the bathroom lights off and lure him into the living room, the room with the most doors. I do this while keeping an eye on him every second. Then, I wait.
I was sitting on the couch when I started writing this very blog. Keyword : WAS. Just as my mother texts me to see if I'm still alive, I feel something on my arm. In lightening speed, I have jumped so high I could touch the roof and made it to the other side of the living room. Is it the grasshopper?! No. It's a wasp. Oh man, I totally over reacted for that one. False alarm.
NO NO NOT FALSE ALARM. As soon as I sit back down, out buzzes Grasshopper. He flies into the fan and I dodge him by a centimeter before he LANDS NEXT TO ME ON THE COUCH. He was so close, I could feel the air from his wings! Good thing the false alarm kept me on my toes. I was ready.
Maybe you're asking yourself why I am getting all wound up over a silly grasshopper. Well. REMEMBER THE SPIKES? Yes, so when they land on you, they LAND ON YOU. Their feet are so big you can actually feel them latching onto you, and their bristly hairs poke your skin. Some people say you have to actually grab them and pull them off instead of using the brushing technique as used with other insects. Now are you asking me why I'm freaking out over here?! That's what I thought.
The next step in my evil plan involves a broom. I see him over there, staring at me from the couch. I have no choice but to go on the offensive if I want to sleep a victor tonight. Sol and the other cats are nowhere to be found. This is up to me. I'm goin' in, wish me luck.
P.S. Pictures coming soon! Check out my Facebook for the GoPro moment of greatness too!
Apparently, all you need to do is buy a little house in Costa Rica. Then, wait until it's dark out, open up all your doors and windows, and turn the lights on. The animals will come pouring into your house like the flood gates (ha no pun intended) of Noah's Ark just opened. You will have your very own zoo in no time! If you're lucky, they'll even come in twos.
It seems as though I am the newest zookeeper on the block because my home/zoo is now up and running. Yesterday, I found approximately two bats in my house. One, which I named Barry, was energetically swooping up all the bugs in my kitchen and living room. I appreciated this, and we even had dinner together (except I had fresh Marlin with mango salsa, not bugs). The problem was that Barry must have been echolocating my head and misinterpreting my screams for friendly bat chatter - he had incredible aim for an animal blinder than me, and I would have appreciated a little less divebombing while I was trying to cook dinner. At least Barry was more helpful (and better off) than his dead brother Bart who I found on the floor earlier that day. It must have been Sol (the cat) in the kitchen with the candlestick.
Quite often, I hear an armadillo outside, raking around in the gravel. Tonight, though, I saw his little snout peeking through the bars on my front door. Sol was just sitting there looking at him, not doing a thing. Thanks a lot. Maybe it wasn't Sol who killed Bart afterall.....Thankfully, the armadillo just teetered away on his own. Crisis averted.
That is, until I am calmly sitting on my bed, just doodling around writing for the internet to work, when Grasshopper makes his grand entrance through the French doors by flying straight at my head. What is it with these animals aiming at my face?! Naturally, I panic.
No, really. You don't get it. The grasshoppers here in Guanacaste are unlike any I have seen anywhere else. If you look closely (like at a dead one that won't fly at your head), they are quite beautiful. They have army-green camo bodies with red feet and sometimes some orange in there. Their under-wings are also red. Upon further inspection, you will notice that their back legs are decorated with SPIKES. Big, nasty, pronged spikes. They are so big, you can almost see their toes. And their prickly hair. Truly, they are as majestically horrifying as an insect can get. Did I mention they are about 5 inches long and as big around as your thumb, or more??
After my initial panic, he settled on the edge of my mattress as if he were sunning himself in the light of my bedside lamp. Ok, so what do I do now?? I know, I'll break out my new GoPro accessory - an extendable stick - and film this thing! Clever. I really know how to act under pressure.
I decided to leave him alone and deal with the situation later. But then...LIGHTBULB. Haha literally. I had an idea - he kept flying towards my lamp like any normal insect would do. Everyone knows that light sources are every insect's kryptonite. I would lure him out of my room by selectively turning on the lights in one room of my house at a time. So, I turned off my lamp. (How I got close enough to it, I'm not sure. Must have been a shot of adrenaline.) Then, I wait.
In the middle of cooking dinner, I had already forgotten my own evil plan. I needed something from my room, so I casually waltz in there as if there wasn't a gigantic man-eating grasshopper lounging in my bed. OH but the little monster wasn't in my bed anymore....He was lurking in my bathroom (which was the goal as it is between my room and the living room, the ultimate destination). After ceremoniously flying at my head as I enter the room, I sneak back in to find that he has knocked my soap bottle off into the sink. Atop the bottle. there he sits, with his antennae barely peeping over the rim of the sink. This is actually how I found him, His antennae failed him. A few steps closer and I find he is staring directly at me with the most diabolical look an insect has ever given me. This means war.
The next step in my evil plan is to turn the bathroom lights off and lure him into the living room, the room with the most doors. I do this while keeping an eye on him every second. Then, I wait.
I was sitting on the couch when I started writing this very blog. Keyword : WAS. Just as my mother texts me to see if I'm still alive, I feel something on my arm. In lightening speed, I have jumped so high I could touch the roof and made it to the other side of the living room. Is it the grasshopper?! No. It's a wasp. Oh man, I totally over reacted for that one. False alarm.
NO NO NOT FALSE ALARM. As soon as I sit back down, out buzzes Grasshopper. He flies into the fan and I dodge him by a centimeter before he LANDS NEXT TO ME ON THE COUCH. He was so close, I could feel the air from his wings! Good thing the false alarm kept me on my toes. I was ready.
Maybe you're asking yourself why I am getting all wound up over a silly grasshopper. Well. REMEMBER THE SPIKES? Yes, so when they land on you, they LAND ON YOU. Their feet are so big you can actually feel them latching onto you, and their bristly hairs poke your skin. Some people say you have to actually grab them and pull them off instead of using the brushing technique as used with other insects. Now are you asking me why I'm freaking out over here?! That's what I thought.
The next step in my evil plan involves a broom. I see him over there, staring at me from the couch. I have no choice but to go on the offensive if I want to sleep a victor tonight. Sol and the other cats are nowhere to be found. This is up to me. I'm goin' in, wish me luck.
P.S. Pictures coming soon! Check out my Facebook for the GoPro moment of greatness too!
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
A Different Colored Adventure
I know, I know, I've been slacking on my blogging. To be completely honest, life here is not as full of as many adventures as last time, at least not yet. Or maybe, I should say, life here is full of adventures of a different kind.
Rainy season has come to an end, and with the rains gone, the wind fills in. My roommate calls them the Christmas Winds - days so windy that doors rattle, trees bend in half, roads turn into haboobs (weather term, google it), and waves stack up overhead. I mention this because many things come out during this mini windy season....including scorpions.
For those of you who know me well, or even for those of you who follow my blogs, I am not a girl who goes squealing when I see a spider, nor do I faint at the sight of blood (though it makes me uncomfortable). Sticky situations can't stop me, and when someone says I can't do something, that makes the task even more possible. BUT. I do NOT like scorpions. They have the ultimate defense - they crunch when you smoosh them, ew. They have deadly (or at least threatening) whiptail stingers, pinching claws, and a prehistoric air about them. Just. NO.
Today was a regular day, full of teaching, laughing with the kids, working my butt off, and driving through the haboob on my quad. Oh, and grocery shopping. Normal, casual, grocery shopping, you think. NOT.
After parking my quad (excuse me, four-wheeler for those of you who missed that), I grabbed my rolling-suitcase-style shopping basket and started my shopping. In the first aisle, I was just minding my own business, checking out the wine "ofertas," when two store workers came up to me. But they didn't just come up to me....in a way, they snuck up to me even though I was facing them. Peculiar. If I was watching them, why were they sneaking up on me? Then, the first guy started to reach towards me! No words, no reason, no warning, and he was reaching towards my chest. Uh...whoa....are you about to grab me? They're going to rob me in mid-day!!! OR LIKE WHAT?!
As his hand gets closer to my chest area (ahem), I look down. (Warning: excuse me for my upcoming awkward language ha....). Upon looking down towards my belly, I see a couple animal/insect feet sticking out from under my boob shelf (haha see? awkkkk-warrddd but how else can I say that??). "Oh, just a tarantula," I thought. Yes, "JUST" a tarantula - that's what I get for living here for this long now. BUT OHHHHH NO....It wasn't a harmless tarantula.
I realized the man was just trying to grab the critter and not me...WHEW. Cool. Little did I know what kind of critter he was grabbing...YES, you guessed it, A SCORPION. AND A HUGE ONE. I'm not so sure exactly what he grabbed it by, but before I could blink, he threw it to the ground and furiously stomped it. (Yep, it crunched. Cue shivers.) A second later, I realized what had just happened. You see, I didn't know it was a 3-INCH-LONG scorpion until after it was securely pancaked on the concrete floor. THAT THING. WAS. CRAWLING. ON MY BODY. Whoa. Nope. How did it even get there?! I was in the grocery store for crying out loud!
Good thing I was in the wine aisle.
And the moral of the story is....I lived. And trust is a funny thing.
Overall, I've been surfing a ton. I've been working even more. Non-stop really. Last weekend, I up and rented a car for the weekend to meet Paco in San Jose (He's been living back in Puerto Jimenez where we met and had to work for a weekend in San Jose, so I went to visit just because we live in the same country. Because I can. Chikayeah.) That was a huge adventure within itself, and I wouldn't trade it. The last day of school before break is Tuesday, and I'll be heading down to Puerto Jimenez to visit Paco and SWIM WITH WHALE SHARKS OH YEAH! That will be an adventure for sure - I hope they're there, on schedule, so I can snag some sick GoPro footage and check that experience off my bucketlist. I'm looking forward to hanging out with my (awesome) man and seeing some old places and faces before heading back to the good ole U.S.A. for Christmas with the fam!
As always, stay tuned for the next chapter of this crazy/beautiful life of mine.:)
P.S. Paco visited me a couple of weeks ago...Arribada, the seasonal event when sea turtles arrive in droves to lay their eggs, was happening, and I woke him up early to go one morning. I didn't tell him where we were going, but we hopped on my quad before sunrise, drove through the jungle, and stepped onto the beach to watch the momma turtles make their voyage as the sun rose over the beach. Here's a picture that he snapped. So amazing!!!
Rainy season has come to an end, and with the rains gone, the wind fills in. My roommate calls them the Christmas Winds - days so windy that doors rattle, trees bend in half, roads turn into haboobs (weather term, google it), and waves stack up overhead. I mention this because many things come out during this mini windy season....including scorpions.
For those of you who know me well, or even for those of you who follow my blogs, I am not a girl who goes squealing when I see a spider, nor do I faint at the sight of blood (though it makes me uncomfortable). Sticky situations can't stop me, and when someone says I can't do something, that makes the task even more possible. BUT. I do NOT like scorpions. They have the ultimate defense - they crunch when you smoosh them, ew. They have deadly (or at least threatening) whiptail stingers, pinching claws, and a prehistoric air about them. Just. NO.
Today was a regular day, full of teaching, laughing with the kids, working my butt off, and driving through the haboob on my quad. Oh, and grocery shopping. Normal, casual, grocery shopping, you think. NOT.
After parking my quad (excuse me, four-wheeler for those of you who missed that), I grabbed my rolling-suitcase-style shopping basket and started my shopping. In the first aisle, I was just minding my own business, checking out the wine "ofertas," when two store workers came up to me. But they didn't just come up to me....in a way, they snuck up to me even though I was facing them. Peculiar. If I was watching them, why were they sneaking up on me? Then, the first guy started to reach towards me! No words, no reason, no warning, and he was reaching towards my chest. Uh...whoa....are you about to grab me? They're going to rob me in mid-day!!! OR LIKE WHAT?!
As his hand gets closer to my chest area (ahem), I look down. (Warning: excuse me for my upcoming awkward language ha....). Upon looking down towards my belly, I see a couple animal/insect feet sticking out from under my boob shelf (haha see? awkkkk-warrddd but how else can I say that??). "Oh, just a tarantula," I thought. Yes, "JUST" a tarantula - that's what I get for living here for this long now. BUT OHHHHH NO....It wasn't a harmless tarantula.
I realized the man was just trying to grab the critter and not me...WHEW. Cool. Little did I know what kind of critter he was grabbing...YES, you guessed it, A SCORPION. AND A HUGE ONE. I'm not so sure exactly what he grabbed it by, but before I could blink, he threw it to the ground and furiously stomped it. (Yep, it crunched. Cue shivers.) A second later, I realized what had just happened. You see, I didn't know it was a 3-INCH-LONG scorpion until after it was securely pancaked on the concrete floor. THAT THING. WAS. CRAWLING. ON MY BODY. Whoa. Nope. How did it even get there?! I was in the grocery store for crying out loud!
Good thing I was in the wine aisle.
And the moral of the story is....I lived. And trust is a funny thing.
Overall, I've been surfing a ton. I've been working even more. Non-stop really. Last weekend, I up and rented a car for the weekend to meet Paco in San Jose (He's been living back in Puerto Jimenez where we met and had to work for a weekend in San Jose, so I went to visit just because we live in the same country. Because I can. Chikayeah.) That was a huge adventure within itself, and I wouldn't trade it. The last day of school before break is Tuesday, and I'll be heading down to Puerto Jimenez to visit Paco and SWIM WITH WHALE SHARKS OH YEAH! That will be an adventure for sure - I hope they're there, on schedule, so I can snag some sick GoPro footage and check that experience off my bucketlist. I'm looking forward to hanging out with my (awesome) man and seeing some old places and faces before heading back to the good ole U.S.A. for Christmas with the fam!
As always, stay tuned for the next chapter of this crazy/beautiful life of mine.:)
P.S. Paco visited me a couple of weeks ago...Arribada, the seasonal event when sea turtles arrive in droves to lay their eggs, was happening, and I woke him up early to go one morning. I didn't tell him where we were going, but we hopped on my quad before sunrise, drove through the jungle, and stepped onto the beach to watch the momma turtles make their voyage as the sun rose over the beach. Here's a picture that he snapped. So amazing!!!
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Back to Pura Vida
My legs dangle off the rails of my surfboard, and I suck in deep breaths of salty air. Ah...so refreshing after a long day at work in the heat and humidity. I have finally made it to the lineup after a few sessions of "paddling practice" - I was so out of shape, that I couldn't paddle through the breakers to actually get to green waves to surf! My arms are tired, but not too much, and I am waiting for the next set to come through. As I wait, bobbing in the calm water, the sun is setting. Just over the translucent-teal wave crests that are rolling through, I can see the sun melting into the ocean that I am sitting in. "This is why I live here," I thought. This is what renews me, what centers me, and what strengthens me.
And the big news...I MADE IT THROUGH MY FIRST WEEK OF TEACHING!!! Whooo!! The first day of school was much more nerve-racking than I expected - my stomach was in knots as I watched my students through the window as they gathered outside. In my PreK-K class, which is from 8:30-10:00am, I have 4-5 little ones, mostly kindergarteners, and so far, only one of them is a girl. This makes for an active and straight-forward vibe in the classroom. In my 1st-2nd grade class, which is from 10:30-2:00, I had 6 this week, but that is supposedly going to change - I might be getting two more this week, but I'll lose one. All of the kids are so sweet, and they behave well. Almost too well. It makes me suspicious that they are so nice. Surely this is too good to be true, and I can't let them trick me into thinking they're all angels haha!
Although my students were so well behaved, the week was somewhat challenging for me. I had to get back in the groove of working with young ones, and it's harder than I thought to plan lessons for student you don't even know! Now that I know them better, I realize I need to kick my lessons up a notch to meet the needs of VERY, VERY diverse learners. I may only have 6 in my 1st-2nd (Macaws) class, but one child is learning what sounds letters make and another is reading chapter books! Looks like I have my hands full preparing differentiated lessons for a small group with limited resources and a tiny classroom....Teacher friends, any lesson ideas or tips would be welcomed!
Little by little, slowly but surely, it's coming all together. Ahhhh.... :)
And this is also how I ended my first week of my new job! Not too shabby I'd say.
To say the least, it's been quite a hectic month...well few months really. Since I was accepted for my job in California back in the beginning of August, life has been one big transitional phase - From Auburn to Cali, fighting to find some semblance of normalcy, landing a job back in CR, up and leaving Cali all of a sudden, back home, repack, visit Paco, move to Nosara, find a house, start my job....WHOA. Life is still in transition, but at least now, it can begin to mellow out.
So what's the newest update? Well, I found a place to live that is gorgeous. I share my house with another girl, but I have my own room. We have lots of palm and banana trees and plenty of ginger and hibiscus surrounding our house. The living room is open and airy, and the kitchen is perfect for entertaining. The best part? My room has french doors that open onto my own patio and courtyard! There are three cats that live with us, and my house is a 10 minute walk from the beach and surfbreak (okay, so maybe that's the best part...haha). On a quiet night, you can even hear the waves crashing way off in the distance.
My room from the doorway and my surfboard!!
The french doors!
My patio and courtyard
Today I also picked up my very first big girl purchase - an ATV!! This is how I will get to work everyday! While others my age are buying houses and brand new cars, I'm over here just zooming around on my quad haha Pretty nice ride so far!
Ready for the first day! That desk in the back is mine....
View from my classroom's sliding glass doors
Luckily, by Thursday, I was feeling more comfortable. Now that I know my kids, hopefully I can plan better lessons. I am also having to make most of my materials, so that part will have to come in time. I just don't have hours upon hours to do crafts for my room!
In other news, I bought a surfboard. Let's be honest, I don't have a phone and I just now got transportation, but by gosh I've got myself a board. #Priorities. I went surfing on a Tuesday after work. Mind. Blown.
Hopefully, Paco will be visiting next week (YAY!!), and hopefully I will have a local phone soon too. AND, my internet at my house is pretty shoddy, so much so that I can't do any teacher work from home or even Skype my loved ones, so that has got to change, and soon too.
Overall, it's so nice to be back in Pura Vida land. It's warm, there's a beautiful ocean with clear water, sunshine, fresh fruit, laid back people, and even monkeys in my trees!
Baby monkey in the tree above my room!
Little by little, slowly but surely, it's coming all together. Ahhhh.... :)
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
A Pinky Toe in the Door
Shortly after my last blog post that begged future employers to read between the lines of my resume and give me a "pinky toe (as opposed to a whole foot) in the door," I received that crack in the door that I needed.
It wasn't an easy decision, but I am SO EXCITED to finally announce that.....
I'M MOVING BACK TO COSTA RICA!!!!
Yep, here we go...AGAIN. How many times is this now? Four, in case you're wondering. Not only that, but....
I'M GOING TO BE AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER THERE!!!
Whoooohooo!!! So here are the details.
Who: Academy del Sol (School of the sun. Perfect.) It's a private, bilingual school with expat and local families.
Where: Nosara, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the area, I will be on the Pacific coast, on the northern Nicoya Peninsula. (Last time, I was on the southern Osa Peninsula).
What: PreK/Kinder social studies and language arts and 1st-3rd grade English, math, and science. (Sound familiar? ha)
When: I will land in Costa Rica next Thursday and spend a much needed weekend with Paco before starting work in Nosara on Oct. 28th.
How: Google, email, Kayak.com, Facebook, Sacramento, plane, Atlanta, car, Auburn, plane, San Jose, bus, Nosara. In that order.
And the biggest question: WHY. I have a job here in California, right?
To answer as candidly as possible, I am unhappy here. I came into this chapter of my journey with high hopes to teach, live, and learn about alternative lifestyles. Teaching a Farm to Table class and helping with field trips and working with my hands, outside in the beautiful weather, sounded nice. Quakerism would be an added twist to this wonderful adventure. This experience was supposed to be rich and challenging but instead, I am finding that this is not at all what I was looking for.
Unfortunately, there was miscommunication or misunderstanding somewhere along the line, and it turns out that I am only teaching one hour....yes, ONE. HOUR. per week, if that. If I add up all the hours, that means about 8-9 hours a semester. That's what one teacher gets in a day or two! Career-wise, that's just not going to cut it. While I appreciate high school students for some reasons, I've learned that my true calling is with the young minds. At that age, they light up the room with young curiosity, laughter, raw potential, spontaneity, earnestness, and creativity - all of these things you can find in high schoolers, but there is just something about kids' earnestness that captivates me! That's why I love teaching elementary grades, and it took that being absent for me to realize it.
Life here is also challenging in a way a didn't expect - working, living, and playing on the same campus with virtually no contact with "the outside world" turned out to be harder for independent me than I expected. I miss going and doing and seeing new things all the time. I also like to be able to separate work and play, and again, it took me not having that freedom to realize how important it was to me.
However, it hasn't all been bad. I learned to play soccer here, which I really am surprised I like so much. I doubled my knowledge about plants and farming, and I hate to admit that I have even adopted a Quaker practice or two! Haha! I have met people here that are very special, few and far between - I've learned about myself and the world around me through big conversations and teamwork with them. The community has been nothing but supportive, especially in this decision process, and I feel quite guilty for leaving them, especially Maggie who really needs my help in the garden. I learned about many things that I value, and I learned that I want to make those things a priority.
I go on these huge, crazy, life adventures in search of an amazing life that fuels my passion for teaching, learning, cooking, exploring, loving, growing, and being healthy, and although this process right now is hectic and makes me want to panic and run away into Lalaland, I have to remind myself why I am making this leap of faith yet again. I have never felt as happy, healthy, and whole as I have living in Costa Rica (especially this last time!), and I hope that is how I will feel again. I can't wait to meet my kiddos and coworkers and new friends, and it will be nice being closer to at least one person I love. I will be near the beach and surfing too. Plus, there will be more bananas, pineapple, coconuts, AVOCADOS, and Gallo Pinto than I can eat, and the coffee snob in me will once again be satisfied.
The best part? My new school has the best extracurricular clubs maybe ever. Every Friday, students get out at noon, teachers plan for a couple hours, and then everyone meets up at the beach for SURF CLUB!! A local surf shop lets us borrow boards so we can all enjoy an afternoon of surfing. EVERY WEEK. Yes, please.
So, I leave tomorrow to go back home to repack and visit family and friends for a couple days. Then, I will fly to San Jose and visit with Paco for a long weekend before taking the bus to Nosara. Hopefully, I'll have housing secured by then, and I will move in and start work the next day. My students will arrive on November 3rd, and I am so excited, nervous, and anxious, and I want to hug them all already! My very first, real, First Day of School.
And here we go again.....
PURA VIDA
It wasn't an easy decision, but I am SO EXCITED to finally announce that.....
I'M MOVING BACK TO COSTA RICA!!!!
Yep, here we go...AGAIN. How many times is this now? Four, in case you're wondering. Not only that, but....
I'M GOING TO BE AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER THERE!!!
Whoooohooo!!! So here are the details.
Who: Academy del Sol (School of the sun. Perfect.) It's a private, bilingual school with expat and local families.
Where: Nosara, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the area, I will be on the Pacific coast, on the northern Nicoya Peninsula. (Last time, I was on the southern Osa Peninsula).
What: PreK/Kinder social studies and language arts and 1st-3rd grade English, math, and science. (Sound familiar? ha)
When: I will land in Costa Rica next Thursday and spend a much needed weekend with Paco before starting work in Nosara on Oct. 28th.
How: Google, email, Kayak.com, Facebook, Sacramento, plane, Atlanta, car, Auburn, plane, San Jose, bus, Nosara. In that order.
And the biggest question: WHY. I have a job here in California, right?
To answer as candidly as possible, I am unhappy here. I came into this chapter of my journey with high hopes to teach, live, and learn about alternative lifestyles. Teaching a Farm to Table class and helping with field trips and working with my hands, outside in the beautiful weather, sounded nice. Quakerism would be an added twist to this wonderful adventure. This experience was supposed to be rich and challenging but instead, I am finding that this is not at all what I was looking for.
Unfortunately, there was miscommunication or misunderstanding somewhere along the line, and it turns out that I am only teaching one hour....yes, ONE. HOUR. per week, if that. If I add up all the hours, that means about 8-9 hours a semester. That's what one teacher gets in a day or two! Career-wise, that's just not going to cut it. While I appreciate high school students for some reasons, I've learned that my true calling is with the young minds. At that age, they light up the room with young curiosity, laughter, raw potential, spontaneity, earnestness, and creativity - all of these things you can find in high schoolers, but there is just something about kids' earnestness that captivates me! That's why I love teaching elementary grades, and it took that being absent for me to realize it.
Life here is also challenging in a way a didn't expect - working, living, and playing on the same campus with virtually no contact with "the outside world" turned out to be harder for independent me than I expected. I miss going and doing and seeing new things all the time. I also like to be able to separate work and play, and again, it took me not having that freedom to realize how important it was to me.
However, it hasn't all been bad. I learned to play soccer here, which I really am surprised I like so much. I doubled my knowledge about plants and farming, and I hate to admit that I have even adopted a Quaker practice or two! Haha! I have met people here that are very special, few and far between - I've learned about myself and the world around me through big conversations and teamwork with them. The community has been nothing but supportive, especially in this decision process, and I feel quite guilty for leaving them, especially Maggie who really needs my help in the garden. I learned about many things that I value, and I learned that I want to make those things a priority.
I go on these huge, crazy, life adventures in search of an amazing life that fuels my passion for teaching, learning, cooking, exploring, loving, growing, and being healthy, and although this process right now is hectic and makes me want to panic and run away into Lalaland, I have to remind myself why I am making this leap of faith yet again. I have never felt as happy, healthy, and whole as I have living in Costa Rica (especially this last time!), and I hope that is how I will feel again. I can't wait to meet my kiddos and coworkers and new friends, and it will be nice being closer to at least one person I love. I will be near the beach and surfing too. Plus, there will be more bananas, pineapple, coconuts, AVOCADOS, and Gallo Pinto than I can eat, and the coffee snob in me will once again be satisfied.
The best part? My new school has the best extracurricular clubs maybe ever. Every Friday, students get out at noon, teachers plan for a couple hours, and then everyone meets up at the beach for SURF CLUB!! A local surf shop lets us borrow boards so we can all enjoy an afternoon of surfing. EVERY WEEK. Yes, please.
So, I leave tomorrow to go back home to repack and visit family and friends for a couple days. Then, I will fly to San Jose and visit with Paco for a long weekend before taking the bus to Nosara. Hopefully, I'll have housing secured by then, and I will move in and start work the next day. My students will arrive on November 3rd, and I am so excited, nervous, and anxious, and I want to hug them all already! My very first, real, First Day of School.
And here we go again.....
PURA VIDA
What Resumes Don't Tell You
Humor the teacher inside me and raise your hand if you are a recent graduate and can't find a job to save your life. You are applying for jobs like it's your job. You maybe even have not one, but TWO degrees that you slaved over for, in my case, 18 out of 23 years of my life...which, if you do the math you learned in school that won't help you get a job either, equals approximately 78% of my life. Your resume is littered with relevant jobs here and there - literally, for our generation is traveling more than any other before us. You've nit-picked your resume and rewritten enough cover letters to deem yourself a professional cover-letter-writer (and you're now thinking, "Can that go on my resume??"). You just don't understand....WHEN will someone take a chance on you?!
Trust me, I've been there, done that...or...well...live there, do that all the time. When will someone looks at my piece of paper that outlines a fraction of my life (aka: my resume), and say "There's got to be more than this. A simple piece of paper cannot begin to describe what this girl is capable of, even though she's 24 years old and never worked somewhere for more than 6 months at a time. I think she can be a life changer."
Please, just put me in a classroom and give me a long leash to teach how and what I want, and most importantly what the kids want, and I know you won't regret it. Just crack the door so I can stick my little pinky toe in. That's all I need. A pinky toe in the door.
But that's the problem. Our society relies too much on that little piece of paper...a completely non-exhaustive list of the "relevant experiences" you've had along your still blossoming career path. What if employers were able to read between the lines? What if they saw the intense journeys in between those minimum-wage jobs that changed your entire inner being? In truth, resumes don't tell you much.
For one, resumes don't tell my potential employer about the path I took to become a teacher in the first place. They can never illustrate the dusty, paint-chipped, cinder block walls of the first, over-crowded classroom I ever taught in, the holey uniforms and rot-spotted teeth of my students, or my acute disquiet as I tried to teach English in a Spanish only classroom even though I spoke about five words of Spanish. This volunteer experience may have only lasted two (painful) weeks, but it changed my entire career path.
Resumes won't tell you the stories of each student who sat in my classroom in Puerto Jimenez. On that piece of paper, you won't find the inspiration I was able to squeeze out of my most difficult students. Those four intense months of teaching were pivotal to me, and the freedom I had in teaching allowed to me discover my true teaching style. I thrived in my passion for teaching there....But oh, you won't find that under "summary of responsibilities" section on my resume (although maybe I should try that...).
Resumes don't show you the intestinal fortitude it took to climb up one of the world's highest active volcanoes to get to the glacier, hike that glacier with crampons and ice picks in white-out conditions, or the pride I felt afterwards, nor will they show you the smiles on the faces of the beautiful people you met, helped, and overcame the language barrier with along the way. They also don't show the courage it takes you to overcome a fear of heights while repelling down a 100 foot waterfall.
Resumes may outline job experience, but they will never outline the internal transformation that accompanied those experiences. I may have been a dolphin tour guide in Costa Rica, but no words on any piece of paper can describe the awe, curiosity, care, and patience that comes with witnessing Mother Nature's greatness first hand (remember those close-call waterspouts?!), introducing guests to the wonders of our Earth, helping others overcome their fears, or challenging passengers to make wiser, sustainable choices. Those moments are the ones that allow me to be enthusiastic about an elementary science lesson, and they are also the moments that inspire me to delve deeper in the realm of sustainability.
Sometimes, lesson plans can be overwhelming, but I am able to overcome obstacles. If my resume allowed examples, my employer might know that I have hiked Sallqantay in the Andes up to 15,5091 feet on my way to Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail. My body hurt so bad I questioned whether I would finish, but I did. Then, when I stepped out of my comfortable life as a student to pursue a teaching job off in the unknown jungles of Costa Rica, I questioned if I could do it, but the results have been rewarding and life changing. I can step up to challenges in and out of the classroom, but I doubt my resume says so.
Remember the time you pushed past your limits to reach greatness? You gained a better sense of yourself and showed determination in reaching a goal? Those moments of courage and determination...I wonder if they're is listed on your resume?
Don't employers want to know that their candidates are motivated, goal-oriented, and determined? Often employers are seeking "passionate team players" and "experienced employees." How in the world does a list of my past jobs express that better than my true stories. Employers may see that I volunteered in Ecuador or worked abroad in Costa Rica, but what about all the things that come with that?
In closing and in my opinion, resumes can't even begin to describe who we are as humans and why we are suitable for this job or that internship. Only WE can do that. Our experiences define us, yes, but ALL of them do, not just the ones suitable for listing on a resume.
To those future employers, know that I am more than a few four-month job stints in far flung places; I am everything that comes with that - passion, enthusiasm, hard work, motivation, determination, courage, self-awareness, and positivity. In fact, my experiences do define me, so when you read my resume, please read between the lines.
Trust me, I've been there, done that...or...well...live there, do that all the time. When will someone looks at my piece of paper that outlines a fraction of my life (aka: my resume), and say "There's got to be more than this. A simple piece of paper cannot begin to describe what this girl is capable of, even though she's 24 years old and never worked somewhere for more than 6 months at a time. I think she can be a life changer."
Please, just put me in a classroom and give me a long leash to teach how and what I want, and most importantly what the kids want, and I know you won't regret it. Just crack the door so I can stick my little pinky toe in. That's all I need. A pinky toe in the door.
But that's the problem. Our society relies too much on that little piece of paper...a completely non-exhaustive list of the "relevant experiences" you've had along your still blossoming career path. What if employers were able to read between the lines? What if they saw the intense journeys in between those minimum-wage jobs that changed your entire inner being? In truth, resumes don't tell you much.
For one, resumes don't tell my potential employer about the path I took to become a teacher in the first place. They can never illustrate the dusty, paint-chipped, cinder block walls of the first, over-crowded classroom I ever taught in, the holey uniforms and rot-spotted teeth of my students, or my acute disquiet as I tried to teach English in a Spanish only classroom even though I spoke about five words of Spanish. This volunteer experience may have only lasted two (painful) weeks, but it changed my entire career path.Resumes won't tell you the stories of each student who sat in my classroom in Puerto Jimenez. On that piece of paper, you won't find the inspiration I was able to squeeze out of my most difficult students. Those four intense months of teaching were pivotal to me, and the freedom I had in teaching allowed to me discover my true teaching style. I thrived in my passion for teaching there....But oh, you won't find that under "summary of responsibilities" section on my resume (although maybe I should try that...).
Read aloud for 3rd-6th graders
Resumes don't show you the intestinal fortitude it took to climb up one of the world's highest active volcanoes to get to the glacier, hike that glacier with crampons and ice picks in white-out conditions, or the pride I felt afterwards, nor will they show you the smiles on the faces of the beautiful people you met, helped, and overcame the language barrier with along the way. They also don't show the courage it takes you to overcome a fear of heights while repelling down a 100 foot waterfall.
Hiking the glacier on Cotopaxi, Ecuador
Repelling Ecuadorian jungle waterfalls
Resumes may outline job experience, but they will never outline the internal transformation that accompanied those experiences. I may have been a dolphin tour guide in Costa Rica, but no words on any piece of paper can describe the awe, curiosity, care, and patience that comes with witnessing Mother Nature's greatness first hand (remember those close-call waterspouts?!), introducing guests to the wonders of our Earth, helping others overcome their fears, or challenging passengers to make wiser, sustainable choices. Those moments are the ones that allow me to be enthusiastic about an elementary science lesson, and they are also the moments that inspire me to delve deeper in the realm of sustainability.
Sea Cucumber
Waterspout
Sometimes, lesson plans can be overwhelming, but I am able to overcome obstacles. If my resume allowed examples, my employer might know that I have hiked Sallqantay in the Andes up to 15,5091 feet on my way to Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail. My body hurt so bad I questioned whether I would finish, but I did. Then, when I stepped out of my comfortable life as a student to pursue a teaching job off in the unknown jungles of Costa Rica, I questioned if I could do it, but the results have been rewarding and life changing. I can step up to challenges in and out of the classroom, but I doubt my resume says so.
Sallqantay, Cordillo Vilcabamba, Peru
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| We made it to Machu Picchu (it's behind me..) |
Don't employers want to know that their candidates are motivated, goal-oriented, and determined? Often employers are seeking "passionate team players" and "experienced employees." How in the world does a list of my past jobs express that better than my true stories. Employers may see that I volunteered in Ecuador or worked abroad in Costa Rica, but what about all the things that come with that?
In closing and in my opinion, resumes can't even begin to describe who we are as humans and why we are suitable for this job or that internship. Only WE can do that. Our experiences define us, yes, but ALL of them do, not just the ones suitable for listing on a resume.
To those future employers, know that I am more than a few four-month job stints in far flung places; I am everything that comes with that - passion, enthusiasm, hard work, motivation, determination, courage, self-awareness, and positivity. In fact, my experiences do define me, so when you read my resume, please read between the lines.
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