Today is my Albuquerque birthday and I CANNOT BELIEVE it has been four years since I got on a plane, landed here, and had my life changed forever. In honor of my ABQ birthday, I want to share four things I have learned in the last four years. Sometimes the things you would have never…
Control: What to do when you don’t have it
Over the last two weeks, some things have conspired that really have me thinking about control and how much of it I just don’t have. This is not a lesson that I am particularly enjoying, but I think it is important. About two weeks ago I was informed that, due to low enrollment (a thing…
Visiting Shark Valley: Everglades National Park
I knew, when I started planning a trip to South Florida, that I absolutely had to stop and spend some time in the Everglades National Park so I could scratch it off my National Park Map. We only had one day to spend in the third largest national park, and even then it got cut…
7 Miami Restaurants You Just Can’t Miss
One of the best meals I have ever had was our first dinner in South Beach at a place called Bazaar, located in our hotel, the SLS. This meal was everything I love about the dining experience; beautiful food served tapas style so we could try lots and lots of small dishes, with plenty of…
The Great Key Lime Pie Face Off
When I booked a week-long trip to Florida for spring break, I knew that I wanted to eat as much key lime pie as possible because…you know, when in Rome! Inspired by the college basketball championships being played at the same time, I present to you The Great Key Lime Pie Face-off: March Madness Style!…
The Worst Parts of Online Teaching
I cannot believe it has been over a year: one year since my classroom has been full of fourth graders, one year since I’ve heard yelling and playing on the playground, one year since our classrooms were shuttered and one YEAR of this online school shenanigans. But, the day has finally come! In honor of…
Time to Slow Down: Lessons from Crossfit
I was supposed to write about the things that I don’t love about online teaching this week, as the second part of my series. But our school board recently voted to stay with online learning for the rest of the year, and my soul is feeling a little dead right now, and not in a…
The Best Parts of Online Teaching
Never in my life did I think that I would ever be teaching fourth grade from a computer in my living room. Life is weird. Yet here I am, about to hit one year since my district was shut down. With rumors of returning hanging in the air, teachers find ourselves yet again in limbo….
Sustainable Living: Why Saving the Planet Sucks, but We Should Do it Anyways
Maybe it’s my Dutch roots that can’t bear to throw anything away, or my California background that has turned me into a bit of a hippie, but living a more eco-friendly lifestyle has been on my mind lately. I’ve always cared a lot about nature and want to make sure my lifestyle reflects these values. …
Letting Go of 2020: A New Year’s Routine
I love New Year’s because I love reflecting and goal setting, so each new year, I try to sit down and take in what the past year has meant to me, and plan out what I want my new year to look like. This year, I didn’t get to this before the clock struck twelve,…