Learning to Live

I've been in Mexico for about a month and a half now and this week I had the chance to celebrate Mexico's Independence Day. It was mostly exciting because we had a day off of school, but it was also pretty cool to see people so excited about their culture. On September 15th the students had a short day so they could have a pep rally of sorts and it was honestly chaos to watch them all scream "VIVA MEXICO" at the top of their lungs while student council threw out candy. Definitely an interesting scene. But for me, the coolest part of the day came later when a few friends and I were out for drinks. The conversation had been all over the place, but somehow we ended up discussing how we all made it to CAT and Torreon. My friend Paola is actually from Mexico, but she had been teaching at a school in Cancun before she came here. She made a really good point that sums up why we are all here I think. Even though it would be easy to live in the same place forever and teach...

I have officially been a real teacher for a week and a half and it's everything I thought it would be, but it's also different than I ever could have expected. My students are wonderful. They are kind and intelligent and funny! And they are also sneaky... Just last week they tricked me into telling them how old I was by asking how old I was when 9/11 happened. And then they did the math. And realized I'm not much older than they are, "Miss, your outfit makes you look older, but you still seem very young. Are you 17?" For those who don't know, I am teaching 10th grade Composition and Ethics. I have two sections of Composition and three sections of Ethics this semester. My schedule is chaotic and different every day, but I get to spend the entire day working with 15 and 16 year olds and to be honest, it's pretty awesome. It's so fun to teach them about the world around them and hear what they have to say about life.  I love teaching Compositio...

Life has been too crazy to document on my blog for the past few months, but here is a quick recap: -Graduated from college in May with a degree in Communication Arts and Literature Education (Quite the mouthful) -I turned 22 (And my friends threw me an awesome surprise party-- I cried.) -I ran a marathon (I think I blogged about that, but I still like to say it as much as possible.) -I traveled Europe (Italy, Croatia, and Greece) with one of my best friends (This warrants a post of its own, but like I said, life has been busy!) -I had one of the best summers yet! -I moved to Mexico and started my first big girl job! The last one is probably the biggest thing in life right now- for obvious reasons. The months between signing my contract and actually moving down here were a rollercoaster of emotions. I would go from anxiety to excitement in a matter of minutes. Huge thank you to anyone who talked to me during one of these rollercoaster moments (mostly looking at you, Wendy!) bec...

My mom always tells me that I don't know how to relax. I usually roll my eyes, but I have to admit that she does have a point. Although it's sometimes annoying, I think that this lack of relaxation in my life is what constantly keeps me on my toes for what's next. I always need to challenge myself in some way and I just completed me biggest challenge yet. It's no secret that I've started to like running. Two years ago I ran my first half marathon and I've been dabbling in running ever since. In December I decided that I wanted to train for a full marathon. This was a big decision for the girl who cried about having to run the mile in middle school. Training for a marathon is a bitch. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar. It takes time-- SO much time. It takes endurance. And it takes A LOT of willpower. It's tough to wake up at 5:45 AM for a 16 mile run. You might call your mom crying after you're done with said run. She might tell you that you...

“It was evident to him that the world composed and recomposed itself constantly in an endless process of dissatisfaction.” - Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow The role that literature plays in our understanding of history is incredibly important to consider. So often we read textbooks that sugar coat the way we see our past. I’m taking a class on Historical Fiction this semester, and the first novel we have read, Ragtime , already has me questioning my understanding of our history. Ragtime is a magnificent read that provides a commentary on race, technology, and the American Dream. Although this is typical of most historical fiction in the early 1900s, I enjoyed the stance that this particular novel took in regards to race and gender. Readers can easily make a comparison to 1914 America to 2014 America. Although this provides a pessimistic view on the route that our country is taking, it’s absolutely crucial that we recognize the similarities we have with America 100 years ago. I...