Okay, we are trying to get to the desert. It's not exactly working right now. Instead we are in a bus that might explode with a driver that keeps stopping in the middle of main streets, jumping out, and running away. So far he has always come back. Did I mention the car door is broken and won't open from the inside? We've spent over an hour in this fire-waiting-to-happen and still haven't managed to leave Marrakech. I just hope this van won't be our final method of transport. Only time will tell.
Update:
We have been driven in our rickety old van for a while now, when suddenly it pulled over to a petrol station. "change cars" was all the driver said as he opened the door to let us out. People steamed out of one van and into the other. These mini-buses are much more legit and a bit more trustworthy. I took a quick run to the WC (this time I had tp ready!). Now we are on our new minibus and I am in a not-super comfortable middle seat. Nap time? Yes please!
Last update of the day...
It was a long long trip, without much actual learning. There was a lot more stopping, and the bus driver saying "picture time!" Okay, but what are we taking pictures of? After the tenth stop - all of which were suspiciously near vendors- I stopped getting out of the car. Like Europe where one church looks like another, so does one sand dune or cluster of old clay houses look like another. It's not that I'm not interested, it's just that I thought a tour guide would tell us where we were going and what we were seeing. Instead of a tour guide we have a driver who likes to stop and drink coffee. I suppose the upside is that he never fell asleep. But i never learned anything and have 20 pictures to prove it. I must say it is interesting to watch the sand change colors and watch the people on the side of the road watching us.
So we are finally at the hotel with two meals and one sleep between us and the sahara. I'll keep writing, but it might be a while until I find Internet again. Camels, here we come!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Morocco - Casablaca and Marrakech
Let me start by apologizing - I am computerless and thus forced to write this on my iPhone. Not an easy task, I assure you. Please forgive all the awkward sentences and weird spelling autocorrect errors.
I am currently on a train from Casablanca to Marrakech, and although I was only in Casablanca for less than 24 hours, there are several observations I can make. First, it's tough to be a pedestrian where crossing the street feels more like Frogger than anything else. You try to follow the locals and not die. Second, driving in a car isn't much better than walking. Casablanca is a city where honking takes place every 15 seconds or so (I couldn't figure out why), stopping at the red signs and stop lights seemed optional, as did driving in the lanes or signaling. In fact ALL driving rules seemed rather optional. Our last taxi driver even slightly ran into a truck on the way into the train station. No big deal. Then Emily and I bought tickets to Marrakech. We decided to travel with the locals in 2nd class. We nearly ended up standing up for the 3.5 hour journey. It seems this train is popular! My last observation about the locals is the amount of clothes they wear. Not just the women, which I had expected as they are covered from head to toe most of the time. Not all of them wear head scarfs, but long sleeves and skirts are the norm. It's the men that surprise me the most. It's 28*C outside and these guys are wearing jeans, long sleeve shirts, sweaters, jackets AND hats! All on the train! I'm in a thin long skirt and thin long shirt and dying. How do they do it? Okay, enough about clothing... Emily and I have one more day on our own before the tour starts, and we are very excited. Into the desert with camels and a sky full of stars :) I have to say that Morocco is way out of my comfort zone, but it's good to leave your comfort zone every now and then. It makes me feel alive and reminds me how lucky I am.
A few hours later..
Once Emily and I arrived in Marrakech, we wasted no time picking up groceries, then heading out to explore. Even though we were staying quite a ways from the center of town, we decided to walk. I think it's the best way to see a city, otherwise you miss the small quiet bits of everyday life. After an hour or so of walking, and yes, getting a bit lost, we found the souk- the large marketplace. Thousands of people must be there, buying, selling, begging, looking and everything in between. The smells and sights were far from my normal experience, but similar to Istanbul. We wandered through the enormous souk getting completely lost and not minding at all. I had a short run in with a very awkward WC and ignored the calls of "hello! Just look! Bonjour!" eventually I stopped responding with "no, merci" because that just encouraged them. An hour or so later Emily and I were a but worried. We had wandered down many streets in and out of corridors and down little alleyways. This maze seemed to go on indefinitely with no hope of an out! We started trying to guess the direction but it was Bo use. Then suddenly we took a right, and there we were, back in the massive square where we had begun our adventure. We breathe a sigh of relief then set out to find a place for emily to get henna. The women were very pushy, but Emily negotiated a good price and we sat on the little plastic stools happy for a rest, as emily's hand was decorated with flowers, swirls, and dots. The lady with her face covered (except for her eyes) insisted over and over "no water! One hour!" we thanked her, paid her, and went in search of food. We didn't have to go far. There was a huge section of street food, and we gave in early. The prices were all the same, and they all served the same things. We ordered tajine de poulet, couscous et legumes, and then many sticks of kabobs (lamb, chicken, and veggies). We stuffed our self, met a fellow American traveller, chatted, paid up, and headed out. By this time it was cold and dark. Did we want to walk home? No thanks! We grabbed a taxi (no seatbelts!) and made a beeline to the hotel. Thanks to our free lobby wifi Emily and I are connecting with the work before another day of wonder. Hurray!
I am currently on a train from Casablanca to Marrakech, and although I was only in Casablanca for less than 24 hours, there are several observations I can make. First, it's tough to be a pedestrian where crossing the street feels more like Frogger than anything else. You try to follow the locals and not die. Second, driving in a car isn't much better than walking. Casablanca is a city where honking takes place every 15 seconds or so (I couldn't figure out why), stopping at the red signs and stop lights seemed optional, as did driving in the lanes or signaling. In fact ALL driving rules seemed rather optional. Our last taxi driver even slightly ran into a truck on the way into the train station. No big deal. Then Emily and I bought tickets to Marrakech. We decided to travel with the locals in 2nd class. We nearly ended up standing up for the 3.5 hour journey. It seems this train is popular! My last observation about the locals is the amount of clothes they wear. Not just the women, which I had expected as they are covered from head to toe most of the time. Not all of them wear head scarfs, but long sleeves and skirts are the norm. It's the men that surprise me the most. It's 28*C outside and these guys are wearing jeans, long sleeve shirts, sweaters, jackets AND hats! All on the train! I'm in a thin long skirt and thin long shirt and dying. How do they do it? Okay, enough about clothing... Emily and I have one more day on our own before the tour starts, and we are very excited. Into the desert with camels and a sky full of stars :) I have to say that Morocco is way out of my comfort zone, but it's good to leave your comfort zone every now and then. It makes me feel alive and reminds me how lucky I am.
A few hours later..
Once Emily and I arrived in Marrakech, we wasted no time picking up groceries, then heading out to explore. Even though we were staying quite a ways from the center of town, we decided to walk. I think it's the best way to see a city, otherwise you miss the small quiet bits of everyday life. After an hour or so of walking, and yes, getting a bit lost, we found the souk- the large marketplace. Thousands of people must be there, buying, selling, begging, looking and everything in between. The smells and sights were far from my normal experience, but similar to Istanbul. We wandered through the enormous souk getting completely lost and not minding at all. I had a short run in with a very awkward WC and ignored the calls of "hello! Just look! Bonjour!" eventually I stopped responding with "no, merci" because that just encouraged them. An hour or so later Emily and I were a but worried. We had wandered down many streets in and out of corridors and down little alleyways. This maze seemed to go on indefinitely with no hope of an out! We started trying to guess the direction but it was Bo use. Then suddenly we took a right, and there we were, back in the massive square where we had begun our adventure. We breathe a sigh of relief then set out to find a place for emily to get henna. The women were very pushy, but Emily negotiated a good price and we sat on the little plastic stools happy for a rest, as emily's hand was decorated with flowers, swirls, and dots. The lady with her face covered (except for her eyes) insisted over and over "no water! One hour!" we thanked her, paid her, and went in search of food. We didn't have to go far. There was a huge section of street food, and we gave in early. The prices were all the same, and they all served the same things. We ordered tajine de poulet, couscous et legumes, and then many sticks of kabobs (lamb, chicken, and veggies). We stuffed our self, met a fellow American traveller, chatted, paid up, and headed out. By this time it was cold and dark. Did we want to walk home? No thanks! We grabbed a taxi (no seatbelts!) and made a beeline to the hotel. Thanks to our free lobby wifi Emily and I are connecting with the work before another day of wonder. Hurray!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Can't Wait to Be Home Again
It's been a while since I've posted on here, and for good reason. I wasn't home for three weekends in a row, then last weekend all I wanted to do was sit around in my pajamas recovering (mission accomplished!). So finally I am getting around to another post. Let's do a quick recap of the last few weekends (sorry about the weird layout of the pictures, it is the one thing I can't figure out on this blog).
March 2-4 Bristol with Chloe for her Hen Night
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| Dinner before a night out! |
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| Simon and Libby Napping |
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| "What did I just drink?" |
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| Chloe and the cutie |
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| The crew |
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| Everyone loves a extra large cocktail! |
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| Such a happy baby! |
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| Talking about suicide shots |
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| Libby the next morning... |
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| Dancing at the 80s club |
I flew into Bristol right after our week in France to meet Chloe and Simon's happy faces (and Libby's cute smile!) I had a quiet and enjoyable chat with Chloe the first night before everyone else arrived and chaos ensued. We had a delicious indian takeaway, and retired for an early night. The next day I did a bit of shopping before all the trains/flights came in. Then the party started! We went to an interesting all you can eat restaurant, then drank at a few different pubs. Next was the 80s club - ridiculous! One more pub and we called it a night. It couldn't have been later than 1am, but we were all exhausted.
March 9-11 Rugby (Ireland vs. Scotland) in Dublin
My friends had bought tickets to a rugby match in Ireland, and they invited me along. We took an evening train to Zurich and caught a night flight. When we arrived in Zurich, the man at passport control was the most friendly person I have ever met at an airport. Here was our conversation (or what I can remember of it).
Guy: Hello, welcome to Ireland.Me: Thanks (gives him my passport)
Guy: How long are you staying for?
Me: Just until Sunday
Guy: And what is the purpose of your visit?
Me: I'm here for the rugby match
Guy: Well I hope you have a great time! How are you doing?
Me: I'm okay, just a bit tired.
Guy: Well don't go to sleep, get out there and have a pint!
Me: Erm, thanks! (takes my passport back and leaves)
The match was incredible. We had seats 4 rows from the pitch and we were surrounded by some interesting people. We started drinking a bit early, but we enjoyed the whole game. We grabbed dinner afterwards (very good idea, although it was accompanied by a few more pints) then headed out to Temple Bar district. After a few bars we found a good place to stay. I spent a lot of time trying to find the toilets (I swear they hide them), and then I took a nap on the bar. At that time, I realized I am an old lady who needs to go to sleep. I said farewell to my friends and got myself home. I woke up alive with a bit of a fuzzy head the next day. We chilled until our flight then returned to Switz.
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| Just in case you didn't know where the beer was.... |
March 16-18 Pajama Time
I drank tea and sat in my pajamas. It was a tough weekend :)
March 23-25 Now!
More tea and pajamas, although this time I managed to leave the flat for a dinner with friends and a run the following day. Oh and I saw the Hunger Games. Niiiiice.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
R&R in Tignes
I am nearing the end of my one week vacation, and I have to say it has been the most relaxing in a long time. Paul and I, along with two friends, rented a small apartment in an area called Tignes in France. "But you live in Switzerland!" everyone said, "Why go to France?" #1 reason? It is WAAAAYYYY cheaper. #2 reason, it's my vacation, if I am going to go snowboarding in Switzerland, I'll sleep at home to save money, and then it's not much of a vacation. #3 reason, I like to explore new places. Tignes (and Espace Killy) is a HUGE mountain area.
So last Saturday, off we went. The apartment was cozy - it could sleep 7 but there were only four of us so there was plenty of room. Breakfast (eggs, porridge, crossants, and bread) were delivered each morning. Cake came in the afternoon while we were gone and dinner was served in the main Chalet a few minutes away. Dinner was 3 courses, delicious, and served with 2 liters of free wine. I pretty much want to go back there immediately.
Now the snowboarding. The first day started a little cloudy, but that broke up almost immediately. The rest of the days were brilliant and blue. I won't bore you with all the stories of the runs, but we did accidentally turn down a black run, then hike back out of it.
The snow was nearly perfect if a little slushy (the way I like it!) and the sun was so warm you could sit in a t-shirt while having a beer... which I did more than once. Paul was the smart one who kept pointing out we were on vacation. If we wanted to take a beer break instead of squeezing in a million runs, then that was what we should do. After that comment it became beer o'clock quite often. Pretty much every time I looked at my watch it was beer o'clock again.
I found some beautiful green and blue runs that I loved going down. I stopped to take pictures, soaked in the sun and enjoyed every minute. There wasn't a second where I wished I was somewhere else. That is rare for me, but it was sure a nice feeling. While I was snowboarding, everything felt perfect. While I was eating or resting with my friends I was perfectly content. I wasn't stressed about my next assignment or paper, or what to grade, or planning or photocopying. I think everyone needs more vacations to recharge their batteries and get a little break.
The last evening after spending the day just with Paul, I took an hour or so for myself and went to the Bien Etre (well being) center. I skipped between the jacuzzi, steam room, and sauna. I just breathed and relaxed and tried to stop my body from aching - 5 days on the mountain can do that to you. After a last dinner and drinks with our table mates, I watched a movie with our friend Fia and then went to bed. I know it was early, but I was tired!
The next morning I packed up and caught the bus to Geneva to fly out. Although I was sad to be leaving a day early, I was excited for my next adventure. Every day is a new adventure!
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| Some of the slopes! |
So last Saturday, off we went. The apartment was cozy - it could sleep 7 but there were only four of us so there was plenty of room. Breakfast (eggs, porridge, crossants, and bread) were delivered each morning. Cake came in the afternoon while we were gone and dinner was served in the main Chalet a few minutes away. Dinner was 3 courses, delicious, and served with 2 liters of free wine. I pretty much want to go back there immediately.
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| Our friends, Kai and Fia |
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| Hiking up the black run. It's harder than it looks! |
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| The holiday crew |
I found some beautiful green and blue runs that I loved going down. I stopped to take pictures, soaked in the sun and enjoyed every minute. There wasn't a second where I wished I was somewhere else. That is rare for me, but it was sure a nice feeling. While I was snowboarding, everything felt perfect. While I was eating or resting with my friends I was perfectly content. I wasn't stressed about my next assignment or paper, or what to grade, or planning or photocopying. I think everyone needs more vacations to recharge their batteries and get a little break.
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| I love snowboarding! |
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| Not bad weather |
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| My famous pose. |
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| Paul is an awesome snowboarder and teacher |
The last evening after spending the day just with Paul, I took an hour or so for myself and went to the Bien Etre (well being) center. I skipped between the jacuzzi, steam room, and sauna. I just breathed and relaxed and tried to stop my body from aching - 5 days on the mountain can do that to you. After a last dinner and drinks with our table mates, I watched a movie with our friend Fia and then went to bed. I know it was early, but I was tired! |
| Panorama fun time |
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| My love <3 |
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| Me on my last day |
Monday, February 20, 2012
Monday turned Funday (or Dancing in the Rain)
Look at me, two posts in one day.
This day started out frustrating and exhausting but has taken a strange turn for the better. Maybe it is me and Paul's celebration of our Tequila Anniversary. Maybe it is the fact I got to talk to three of my favorite people today (thank you president's day!), or maybe it is the 3 very tiny glasses of red wine I have had. Either way, it is 22:19, I am nearly ready for bed and stumbled across this quote:
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This day started out frustrating and exhausting but has taken a strange turn for the better. Maybe it is me and Paul's celebration of our Tequila Anniversary. Maybe it is the fact I got to talk to three of my favorite people today (thank you president's day!), or maybe it is the 3 very tiny glasses of red wine I have had. Either way, it is 22:19, I am nearly ready for bed and stumbled across this quote:
and it brought me back - all the way until I was 16. I went to boarding school for a year. It was based in Vermont but we also lived in Costa Rica, Greece and West Virginia. The second week we were at school it was absolutely pouring rain from the sky. It felt like bucket after bucket was being dumped on the ground outside my dorm in Vermont. Remember, I was young and impulsive back then. So I took off my shoes, ran out the door, and danced in the rain. I danced to my own music, my own beat, and was completely soaked in 5 minutes. I was loving it.
Then I stepped on a big sharp rock and bruised my heel. Okay, not the best ending. But the fact that this brief, strong memory has stuck with me for the last 9 years says something. I don't often dance in the rain. It is cold and then I get wet, and I am no longer a child that lets my mom clean my clothes up for me. Dancing in the rain never sounds very fun, but at 16, I couldn't think of anything better than that. It's clear to me that I don't dance in the rain enough - if I did this memory wouldn't be that easy to recall, it would be clouded with all the other times I danced in the rain. Most of the time I think that sunshine is happiness. It is warm, comfortable, clean and easy. This weekend, sitting on the piste in my t-shirt and snowboarding clean and easy I was loving the sunshine. I guess its good to remember that every now and then it is good to dance in the rain :)
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Monday, Not Funday
Its 18:25 and I am finally home. I got up at 7, was at work before 8, and never had a moment to breathe.
What makes Monday such a terrible day? It is really just a day like any other, right?
Wrong.
My Mondays slam me like a semi truck on an icy road. I can see them coming but I am helpless to do anything. All Sunday I work furiously to get enough work done to be ready for my Monday, but no matter how much I do, something always goes wrong. I must have been quite worried about this Monday because my jaw hurt this morning. Clenching my jaw all night on my sleep to Monday is not a good sign.
Monday is by far my longest day - I have back-to-back classes (with a lunch break) from 8:10-4:40. That means I must be 100% ready for each and every class. I make all my preparations, leave them carefully in my classrooms and folders, and hope for the best.
So what happened today, you might ask? Everything was going smoothly (well as smoothly as being a zookeeper in a monkey cage) and my third graders were far too wound up to be studying science. They had their science test first, then we moved on to English lessons. I gave them the photocopies I had made weeks and weeks ago.... and after taking the pretest I realized I had been testing them on 4th grade words! So we recycled all those papers, and I didn't have time to make more, so we scratched next week's test. Isn't the day off to a great start?
Then it was lunch time. I tried to make new copies of the 3rd grade spelling words to give on Wednesday. We have a new printer system at Champittet that makes it as difficult as possible to make copies. You send your file to the printer system, go to a printer of your choice, and then wait in the massive line behind all the other teachers waiting to put in their code and print out their documents (it used to just print automatically!) So I got on the one free computer in the school and sent the document to the printer. I found the line for the printer in the primary building 5 teachers long, so I ran across to the "big building" to print. I chose the quick printer, put in my code, clicked "secure print" and chose my document. When you print a job, it automatically deletes it. So it deleted my job, but didn't print anything. I ran back to the primary building to find all the computers taken. I went back to the big building to look for a free computer. In the third room I found one computer, logged in, and tried to print the document. Unfortunately, THIS computer was not set up to print to the new Secure Print system. Frustrated after 25 minutes of trying to print ONE piece of paper I gave up. I'll just do it tomorrow.
At this point it was 12:45 and I thought... it's time for some wine! But no, that's not right, I still have 4 more classes to teach. I clawed my way through the rest of my classes, including my 3rd grade history class that is currently using the computer lab to look up information about dinosaurs. Although this sounds fun, I must log in each student using my own username and password (eu\elizabeth.szczypka with an equally long password 17 times) because the kids don't have one. Then find the right information site for each one, then answer their questions, teach them how to copy and paste pictures, explain, reexplain, and deal with constant interruption. Wow, what fun! Once class is over, and the kids have gone home, I got to spend another 20 minutes trying to save each document to a place where it wouldn't get deleted (like it was last time). Are we having fun yet? Can you see why I hate Mondays?
I hate to be a moaner. I think your perspective and attitude in life can really change how you feel about it. But no matter how positive I try to start a Monday, they always end up, well, like this. Frustrating, exhausting, and I get home needing wine. How can I change that? Can a positive attitude really make me like these terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days?
Luckily, next Monday I will be in ski chalet in Tignes, France, not running around like a chicken with its head cut off. It will be the first Monday in a long time that I will enjoy.
What makes Monday such a terrible day? It is really just a day like any other, right?
Wrong.
My Mondays slam me like a semi truck on an icy road. I can see them coming but I am helpless to do anything. All Sunday I work furiously to get enough work done to be ready for my Monday, but no matter how much I do, something always goes wrong. I must have been quite worried about this Monday because my jaw hurt this morning. Clenching my jaw all night on my sleep to Monday is not a good sign.
Monday is by far my longest day - I have back-to-back classes (with a lunch break) from 8:10-4:40. That means I must be 100% ready for each and every class. I make all my preparations, leave them carefully in my classrooms and folders, and hope for the best.
So what happened today, you might ask? Everything was going smoothly (well as smoothly as being a zookeeper in a monkey cage) and my third graders were far too wound up to be studying science. They had their science test first, then we moved on to English lessons. I gave them the photocopies I had made weeks and weeks ago.... and after taking the pretest I realized I had been testing them on 4th grade words! So we recycled all those papers, and I didn't have time to make more, so we scratched next week's test. Isn't the day off to a great start?
Then it was lunch time. I tried to make new copies of the 3rd grade spelling words to give on Wednesday. We have a new printer system at Champittet that makes it as difficult as possible to make copies. You send your file to the printer system, go to a printer of your choice, and then wait in the massive line behind all the other teachers waiting to put in their code and print out their documents (it used to just print automatically!) So I got on the one free computer in the school and sent the document to the printer. I found the line for the printer in the primary building 5 teachers long, so I ran across to the "big building" to print. I chose the quick printer, put in my code, clicked "secure print" and chose my document. When you print a job, it automatically deletes it. So it deleted my job, but didn't print anything. I ran back to the primary building to find all the computers taken. I went back to the big building to look for a free computer. In the third room I found one computer, logged in, and tried to print the document. Unfortunately, THIS computer was not set up to print to the new Secure Print system. Frustrated after 25 minutes of trying to print ONE piece of paper I gave up. I'll just do it tomorrow.
At this point it was 12:45 and I thought... it's time for some wine! But no, that's not right, I still have 4 more classes to teach. I clawed my way through the rest of my classes, including my 3rd grade history class that is currently using the computer lab to look up information about dinosaurs. Although this sounds fun, I must log in each student using my own username and password (eu\elizabeth.szczypka with an equally long password 17 times) because the kids don't have one. Then find the right information site for each one, then answer their questions, teach them how to copy and paste pictures, explain, reexplain, and deal with constant interruption. Wow, what fun! Once class is over, and the kids have gone home, I got to spend another 20 minutes trying to save each document to a place where it wouldn't get deleted (like it was last time). Are we having fun yet? Can you see why I hate Mondays?
I hate to be a moaner. I think your perspective and attitude in life can really change how you feel about it. But no matter how positive I try to start a Monday, they always end up, well, like this. Frustrating, exhausting, and I get home needing wine. How can I change that? Can a positive attitude really make me like these terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days?
Luckily, next Monday I will be in ski chalet in Tignes, France, not running around like a chicken with its head cut off. It will be the first Monday in a long time that I will enjoy.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
It's Sunday, Posting Day
It's Sunday again. I am amazed at how quickly the weeks come and go. Every few moments I look up from my classwork, school work, teacher work and think, "WOW, that week is already over!"
I don't have much to share here, as I haven't managed to get surgery, a highly contagious virus, or any other number of weird things to happen to me. Well except my neck/shoulder/arm thing, but that isn't new or exciting. I just think it is important to keep writing, even if I am not sure what I have to say. I'm always thinking a million things, and it feels good to put them in writing. Dad says we are a family of singers, writers and artists. I am proud to be part of that family and I want to keep up the tradition. Today while I cooked dinner I was singing. While the lasagna was in the oven I was drawing. And now, here I am, writing.
Here are some random thoughts from this week:
I don't have much to share here, as I haven't managed to get surgery, a highly contagious virus, or any other number of weird things to happen to me. Well except my neck/shoulder/arm thing, but that isn't new or exciting. I just think it is important to keep writing, even if I am not sure what I have to say. I'm always thinking a million things, and it feels good to put them in writing. Dad says we are a family of singers, writers and artists. I am proud to be part of that family and I want to keep up the tradition. Today while I cooked dinner I was singing. While the lasagna was in the oven I was drawing. And now, here I am, writing.
Here are some random thoughts from this week:
Teaching
I absolutely love teaching - I am so glad I chose a profession that makes me so happy. I wish everyone could be as lucky as I am. There are also many things I don't like about my current job that could be remedied should I switch schools. I don't like the bureaucracy, the low trust of staff, or the amazing amount of preps I have (7! That is a LOT of preps!) I don't like working with coworkers who don't pull their weight and put more trouble on everyone else. I don't like psycho parents who think their children are such geniuses that they should be able to take a test and then get an A without doing any work in the class. Luckily, my love of teaching far outweighs all of those little pesky things.Travel
Even though I know Paul and I will probably stay here in Switzerland for a few more years so I am able to get more experience in a school, I am antsy to travel. I am tired of weekend trips - All the planes and buses aren't worth it for 1 or 2 nights away. I want to do a round-the-world trip, one that takes me to new and exciting places. Paul has agreed (maybe a bit reluctantly, but agreed all the same) to take 3-6 months for a little trip after we leave Switzerland and before we start our jobs in a new place. In my free time yesterday I spent a few hours looking at the places I would like to visit. I have a very long list of places (I have never even been to South America or Africa!) but I might have to concede and not go to ALL of them at once. It won't be the last vacation of my life - just maybe the last without kids :)
Cold Weather
I am a California girl through and through. I can't get away from that. Up until this week I was doing just fine - I now own scarves, gloves, hats, closed-toe shoes, leggings, and all the other its-cold-out fixins. It still doesn't help! The temperature outside on Friday was -8 (without windchill) and -23 (with windchill) and you can bet I can feel that wind. I have counteracted this by choosing not to go outside at all. I stay in my nice warm apartment in my sweatshirt and fleece pants and socks and hat and mittens... okay, maybe not the hat and mittens. Still, it is much too cold for my liking. I would like Switzerland to warm up a little. Please?
Well folks, that's about all, I am including my most recent drawings.... some took more time than others :)
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