Category Archives: Uncategorized

Heading home I’m back! Much sooner than I ever anticipated, but I’m grateful to have a safe place to return to and quarantine. I think the total travel time was about 24 hours, and I somehow managed to stay awake for mostly all of it…which means I’m not having many issues with jet lag, soContinue reading “safe and sound”

My family didn’t need me when Grandma died. My family didn’t need me when a pandemic started. My family needs me (home) now that it’s taking hold. **this post will be from 3/20/2020 through 3/25/2020** My last post ended with saying that Friday, March 20, 2020 started off so well, and that we were waitingContinue reading “yikes: a heartbreaking decision”

***this post will have material up until 3/20/2020. WOW how things have changed! {Perhaps the big news before all of this broke is that I got a new bike! I’m so excited, and I feel so powerful zooming through the medieval streets on it. It makes getting to carpool pick up and my clases particularesContinue reading “covid-19: initial stages in Spain”

okay! this was the trip of a lifetime and I really cannot ever describe how many dreams came true while they were BOTH here. I’ll elaborate more at some point, but first – it would be remiss of us to not acknowledge and thank the incredible medical team(s) that have kept mom alive and helpedContinue reading “parental units”

In the US, we tend to associate Mardi Gras with NOLA, of course, and then various areas around the country have less famous but still relevant celebrations. Historically stemming from getting out all of our party before the Christian season of Lent, other parts of the world also have grand celebrations. For me, I alwaysContinue reading “entroido (carnavale)”

MidYear As MidYear has been creeping ever closer, it’s been a good reality check for me to acknowledge just how quickly time is passing. It is also funny to think about how far we’ve all come – orientation was great, but we were all so scared and had no friends and really had no ideaContinue reading “midyear”

Things got very difficult on Tuesday, February 11th when my Grandma Kathy suddenly died of a massive hemorrhagic stroke. I woke up a little before 7am to my phone ringing, and I knew something big was up because it is very unlike my parents to call at that time. I answered mom’s video call toContinue reading “in memoriam”

I was still pretty exhausted a few days after getting back, but it was so nice to get back to school! My students are even more WILD than usual, but it’s understandable since they just had two weeks of freedom and family time. We’re doing some pretty fun lessons, and it is good to seeContinue reading “recovery / back to reality: january and early february”

The final part of Christmas break was an epic New Year’s celebration with new and old friends meeting, mingling, and adventuring through Morocco. auld lang syne or something like it: a reunion Something that I’d been hoping would happen – and then was so exciting to look foward to once it was planned – wasContinue reading “and a happy new year!”

For the first time ever, I did not spend Christmas at home with immediate family. However, I was fortunate enough to celebrate the holidays with wonderful family and friends, across Europe and beyond. I packed everything in my hiking backpack to avoid paying extra luggage fees on the lovely budget airlines that make this travelContinue reading “feliz navidad / buon natale / joyeux noel / merry christmas”