The Road Less Traveled

I had a mini panic attack this morning when I realized that I leave for Spain next Saturday! Where did this summer go?! My mind immediately was filled with all of the things I still have to do before I leave- appointments, shopping, packing, seeing friends and family, etc. Still despite my hectic state I could not stop smiling. After all of the anticipation, it's almost here!

I can't help but feel like my life is in a way similar to Elizabeth Gilbert's story in Eat. Pray. Love. This is one of my favorite books and, in my opinion, the movie was a great representation of the book (some people may beg to differ, but I enjoyed it). The book reflects the life of Elizabeth Gilbert, a middle aged woman who left for a year abroad following a nasty divorce. I know I know, I am neither middle aged nor divorced but our stories have strikingly similar details. She spends a year abroad; four months in Italy learning Italian and seeking pleasure from food, friends and family; four months in India seeking devotion, balance, and prayer; and four months in Indonesia seeking love through meditation, nature, and people. Her story is inspirational to me. She took a hold of her life and through serious reflection she chased after what she believed would bring balance and happiness to her life. I have nothing but respect for her bravery to pick up and leave behind the world that she knows in order to see light from a different angle. My favorite excerpt from the book is a quote about travel. She writes it so eloquently and it's so precise to my heart.

"Still, despite all this, traveling is the great true love of my life. I have always felt, ever since I was sixteen years old and first went to Russia with my saved-up babysitting money, that to travel is worth any cost or sacrifice. I am loyal and constant in my love for travel, as I have not always been loyal and constant in my other loves. I feel about travel the way a happy new mother feels about her impossible, colicky, restless, newborn baby--I just don't care what it puts me through. Because I adore it. Because it's mine. Because it looks exactly like me."
- Elizabeth Gilbert, "Eat. Pray. Love."

Her story was so different than that of her friends. My life right now looks very different from that of my college friends. Most have settled into 9-5 jobs, some have continued their education into graduate school, some have married, and some are still searching for the next step. Here I am about to spend nine+ months in another country to teach English in a primary school. Am I crazy? Have I lost my mind completely? My brain is always the one that doubts, but my heart never leads me astray. I am following my heart and I know that this year is going to be the most influential year of my life.

I've never been attracted to the "American Dream" style of life. I've always wanted life outside of the box- too curious to live confined by four walls. I am choosing the path less traveled by...and I know that it is going to make all the difference.

A World of Opportunity

My departure to Spain is quickly approaching (27 days, less than a month, not that I'm counting...). My room is currently swimming in to-do lists, Spanish grammar books, teaching pedagogy books, piles of important documents, maps, The Lonely Planet and Travel Europe 2010 books, and suitcases. I've spent so much time researching travel destinations and daydreaming about all of the wonderful and exciting things I will do in Spain, but I haven't spent enough time reflecting on the things I want to accomplish while in Spain.

Any educator knows the importance of including objectives in lesson plans (thank you Meredith College Department of Education). Objectives are short, precise goals that the students should be able to do at the end of the lesson. In general, I want my experience in Spain to benefit me as a teacher and I want to benefit my students in a positive way. That being said, my professional objectives for teaching in Spain are: 1) to compare school systems in Spain with school systems in the United States 2) to provide an intercultural exchange between Andalusian elementary students and North Carolinian elementary students 3) to become a fluent speaker of Spanish so I can be an asset to the Hispanic community within the public school system.

Throughout my college career I have spent endless hours doing observations and assisting in classrooms. I have planned lessons and watched them unfold, sometimes wonderfully and sometimes horribly. The joys of being a teacher- you plan and prepare but at the end of the day you just learn to roll with it. I have a good sense of how our education system works, specifically in the elementary setting. I'm curious to see how this setting differs in Spain. How are the classes conducted? What are their procedures for beginning class, ending class, and everything in between? How do they handle discipline? Does cooperative learning exist? How are their learning styles? What are the buildings like? What is a typical school schedule and how does it differ from the U.S? Do the students wear uniforms? What kinds of extracurricular activities are available and do many students and staff participate? I'm hoping to compile my findings into a power point to share with people when I return. I hope that experiencing first hand how a different school system operates in another country will help me to relate to my students who come from all over the world.

My second objective is to create an intercultural exchange between Andalucian elementary students and North Carolinian elementary students. This is essentially a pen pal system. I have studied aspects of culture and the affects it has on student learning. I may be a little biased, but I think that learning about other cultures is absolutely essential in our classrooms. A pen pal system will give students a chance to send pictures and write letters, learning about students their age from across the globe. This will also give students a chance to work on their writing skills (the writing process, punctuation, etc). Two of my good friends and graduates of the MC Education Program, Magdalena Deihl and Mindi Thorton, have agreed to work with me on this project. I am very very excited :).

My last objective is to become a better speaker of Spanish. Ever since my first mission trip to Mexico I've wanted to be fluent in Spanish. I remember wanting to communicate so BADLY with the Mexican people but feeling so limited. As I have got involved in the school system, I see how valuable knowing Spanish is (especially for ESL). In Spain, I hope to find an intercambio (language exchange partner) to help me practice in a low pressure way. I also hope to make Spanish friends to force myself to speak in Spanish. Couchsurfing.org is a great resource for local events in Malaga and I plan on attending many of these events as well.

So these are my professional goals for my time in Spain. I have many personal goals as well, but we'll leave those for another blog. Until then, I will leave you with this amazing quote.

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. ~William Arthur Ward

Besos!

God's Promises

Welcome to the first entry of my travel blog :). I tried to keep a blog while I was studying in Alicante but didn't keep up with it very well. This time I am determined to keep it up. I hope you all enjoy.

I've been thinking a lot about how unbelievably faithful God is. I went on my first mission trip to Mexico in 2006 thinking that I would bless God through service. I had no idea that God would bless me so much through that trip and that he would completely break my heart for Mexico and the people in it. Ever since then, my heart has been poisoned for travel. He whispered a dream in my heart that summer and then reminded me of that dream a year later on my second trip to Mexico- a dream of living in a Spanish speaking country and teaching English to children. At the time, and for a few years after, I believed that Mexico was the place where God was calling my heart. I still believe that one day I will be back in Mexico again, but God led me to beautiful Alicante, Spain where I spent a semester living with a Spanish family and studying at the local university. I never thought that I would return to Spain to teach English but God has proven faithful once again.

When God puts a promise in your heart, he will see it through. Until the promise has been fulfilled, He blesses us with signs or gentle reminders that we can hold on to. These signs can come in all forms. Reflecting, I thought about the signs that He gave me. One that really stood out to me was when a dear friend sent me this verse:

"Now listen, daughter, don't miss a word:
forget your country, put your home behind you.
Be here—the king is wild for you.
Since he's your lord, adore him." Psalm 45:10-12 (The Message)

Looking back I can see the many times God tried to remind me that He would fulfill the dream inside my heart. Now I am weeks away from reaching my dream and I can hardly wait. I want this blog to be an encouragement to those of you with dreams in your heart. If God put them there, then He will complete them. Until then, pray for the signs and hold on to the reminders that He is at work within you.

I leave you with this verse:

"May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed." -Psalm 20:4

Until Next time! Saludos!

Kerianne