Smile File

Well, it's that time of year again to prepare for summer vacation! With the school year winding down, I finally have time to sit back and blog. I'm almost positive that my blogging will be updated much more frequently starting in June.

This past spring contained my very first trip over seas. I spent a high energy week in Ireland. (Money is already being saved for the day I go back.) The Irish were the nicest, most accommodating people I have ever met. What amazed me the most was the fact that they had bread, butter, and two types of potatoes at every meal and nobody was overweight. The food was divine and I had some scrumptious Irish stew that simply melted in my mouth.

The trip also held a lot of historical significance with visits to The Rock of Cashel where St. Patrick held his famous shamrock service, and we also got to view The Book of Kells at Trinity College. It was unbelievable how well preserved and beautifully the four books of the Gospel were done by monks centuries ago.

My favorite part of the country was in the South and Southwest regions. I did kiss the Blarney Stone (yes, I know what they say natives do to it), and I had some genuine fish 'n chips. The scenery was unmatched by anything else I had ever seen and it pained me to return. I'm definitely hungry for more traveling. Fortunately I will be satisfying that hunger this summer when I go to Italy, England, and Scotland.

Back to reality in the States. . .

I was asked to take on Honors Freshmen English and I overexcitedly agreed. Now I'm busy planning for all the new, cool things I will be teaching next year. This week is also Teacher Appreciation Week and I have decided it is my favorite week of the school year. I have been flooded with notes, food, and PowerPoint presentations showing gratitude from my students about their great experiences in my class this year. In my filing cabinet at home, I have created a "Smile File" (a great thing introduced to me in college) and it now holds all the wonderful notes that I have received. This is what teaching is all about. It isn't the vacations and it definitely isn't the pay. It is one of the times in my life when I have found my niche and I'm really good at what I do.

My summer will be plenty busy and this blog will be plenty full by August.