The View From A Thousand Hills

A little bit of catching up!

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 22:50:00 +0000

I meant to post a lot more....but time has been limited! I'm truly trying to appreciate each moment and not spend a lot time with my technology, of which I have plenty! Whether that means not always taking photos non-stop or sitting with minha familia brasileira in the evenings, I want to remember that this time is an investment and a gift, a precious experience. That being said, I'm still going to share some photos :)

This weekend was a blur, but a good blur. On Saturday, Paula took me on the bus, to show me the route I would need to take to get to my language classes, which began today. Thank goodness she did! It wasn't too wildly different from the buses of London, which I used daily for three years, but the language component intimidated me at first.

Not to torment those of you in the Frozen North, but this is the view from the bus route I'll be taking every day for the next month. I KNOW! How does anyone ever go to work here? It's gorgeous.

We found my school, and then Paula took me to the Farol da Barra, the Lighthouse of Barra.

Yep, that's me, the still very white girl in front of the lighthouse. Afterwards, we did some posing, got some of the mandatory pictures of the gorgeous water, and then....cold, green coconuts. I first had fresh coconut water in Belize, and I can never go back to the bottled...stuff....we have in the USA. The flavor doesn't compare.

I also got to try o carne de coco, or the meat of the coconut. A little part of the coconut is sliced off by the skillful man who sells the coconuts, and you use that to scoop out the soft inside of the young coconut. We also had calda de cana, which is sugar cane juice. Add a little lime, and although sweet, it is delicious over ice!

In the evening, we went to the Elevator Lacerda, which connects the lower city of Salvador to the upper city. There is a beautiful vista. We also walked through Pelourinho, which is one of the oldest districts in the city. I'd add a picture, but it is dinner time for both people and mosquitoes. I must go get repellent and then eat :)

Paradise Found

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 19:25:00 +0000

Beautiful place, isn't it?

I'm assuming this is a seaslug? In Portuguese, this is called a lesma. I did not want to hold it, but I did get a closer look!

When the tide goes out, there are natural pools formed in the sea. It makes for a delightful place to swim without any waves.

One beautiful feature (of many) of the beach at Itacimirim....we could see the sunset and the moon rise at the same time. The two pictures below were taken the same evening, from almost the same place on the beach. Incredible.

The Start of the Next Step

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 19:10:00 +0000

Well, for the first time, I'm starting on a new journey purely for the purposes of language acquisition. Just after Christmas, I left the States and begin a very long journey to Brazil, where I hope to learn Portuguese. The journey didn't need to be this long, but it was! I booked my ticket with frequent flyer miles, and due to peak travel times, there was one flight to choose from to reach my destination during my preferred time. O.N.E. So, I booked it.

My dear sister and her clan drove me to the airport, with a few stops along the way. From DC, I flew to São Paulo. Once arriving, I needed to change airports, and travel to another city, about 75 kilometers away. My plan was to use Uber and relax with the ease of being transported door to door with my two suitcases. However, I am meant to have adventures in life. The wifi at the airport wasn't working, and without wifi, I couldn't request an Uber. So, I thanked God that I had researched my options, I found a bus that went to the next city, and I bought my bus ticket. Thankfully, I had a long layover, because I needed to wait about an hour for my bus. Also thankfully, I'm in the southern hemisphere in summertime, and my bags and I could wait outside in the warmth.

Long story short, the bus took me to the city of Campinas, which is where the second airport is. From the bus station (rodoviária), I dragged my two suitcases to the elevator and then to the taxi rank. From there, it was about a 15 minute drive to the airport. Once I arrived at the airport, I used my very basic Portuguese to figure out checking in with the help of the Azul staff. Apparently, people seldom book this route. (Hmmm...I wonder why???) Still, my tired brain was much appreciative of the fact that even though most of the airport staff didn't speak English, they were so very patient with me.

On my next flight, leaving at 11 p.m. local time, I'm pretty sure I was the only non-Brazilian. Although everyone was very curious about me, they were delightful and pleasant. I arrived in Salvador at 12:30 a.m. By this point, I wasn't sure how long I had been traveling, but it was more than 24 hours. I needed to contact my taxi driver, which had been prearranged by the family I'm staying with to transport me from the airport to their beach house in a small town further up the coast. Slight problem. The wifi might have been working, but for the life of me, I couldn't get my phone to connect to it, which meant I had no way to call my Brazilian family or to contact the taxi driver. So, I waited. Smiled. Tried to look like a person someone would want to talk to if they were indeed a taxi driver sent to pick up a gringa. After a little while, I saw a smartly dressed man in a turquoise button down (bless his heart, it was about 85 degrees F at 1 a.m.) holding a sign saying "MISS HOPE". Graças a Deus! After a brief introduction, we went to the parking garage, paid our parking, and put my heavy, heavy bags in the boot and off we went. I think I was awake for about 10 minutes.

An hour later, we arrived in what I assumed was Itacimirim, but really, he could have driven anywhere and I wouldn't have known the difference. Thankfully, the taxi driver is a friend of the family, so I knew I could trust him. With the help of a few family members, we got my bags inside, and without further ado, I turned on my air conditioner, drank a glass of water, and fell into bed.

The dreaded last day of vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 19:32:00 +0000

Saturday finally came, marking the end of our week in Belize. We were leaving Sunday morning, and Valerie and I were both a little mournful on Saturday, wanting to cherish our last swims, fruity drinks, bike rides, and conversations with new friends. That morning was the most gorgeous sunrise yet.

Midmorning, we cycled into town, in desperate search of some sort of anti-itch remedy for the sandfly bites that were driving me insane. The cream we found was moderately successful, but the smoothies and coffee we enjoyed while out was a delight.

Our last dinner at the hotel restaurant was delightfully windy. We allowed ourselves to be a little bit selfish and take the best table in the house, a table for two that allowed both to face the sea with an uninterrupted view. A trifle romantic than we needed, but a welcome boon on our last evening in Belize!

The next morning, we savored the sunrise, the last breakfast before we returned to a world of eating peanut butter toast and coffee while putting on makeup before work, and some short but sweet farewells with new friends.

All too soon, we were back on our international flights. But we can't complain (too much!)! It was a delightful trip. Valerie is a wonderful traveling companion. We have the same travel ethos and the same sense of humor. Belize, like France, Switzerland, and Spain, might never be the same!

Jungle Ride

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 19:14:00 +0000

Our last planned adventure in Belize was a jungle horseback ride. Valerie had never ridden a horse before but she was willing to humor my burning desire to be horseback once again! After another gorgeous morning, with coffee and sunrise swim, we headed to a nearby stable.

This will remain one of my favorite places to drink a morning cuppa!

Val enjoying her first coffee of the day

We were each assigned a horse and then in the company of three guides, off we went. We rode through several orange groves and then into the jungle. Several of the guides have seen jaguars, but we were not so lucky (although perhaps we were lucky not to see them!) Partway through the ride, we dismounted and had the option of a cooling dip in the Sittee River. I was the only one crazy enough to go in the river completely, and it was worth the slightly damp clothes on the return ride.

Sittee River

Silver and I

Upon our return, Michelle, the owner of the stable, gave Valerie and I some fresh starfruit! I have never seen this fruit on the tree before.

Following Michelle's advice, we decided the best way to combat saddlesore-ness was to spend the remainder of our day in the water :)

The only challenge was deciding on which way we wanted to enjoy the water. The day, as you can see, was gorgeous.

Zip Line

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Sat, 09 Sep 2017 16:50:00 +0000

On Thursday, the sunrise was gorgeous and the water stilled, giving us a break from the windy days we had been having.

We celebrated with a morning swim off the dock, partly to avoid a really thick black muck that had unfortunately washed up on the beach. The rain the night before had apparently washed it into the sea from the river system. Still, swimming off the dock allowed us to avoid it. And what a way to wake up! After breakfast, we hopped into the truck and drove to Bocawina National Park.

Here we had our long awaited zip line adventure! We had nine separate zip lines that traversed the jungle. It was a delightful experience!

Our guide, Victor

Step off the platform!

I loved this adventure. There is something amazing about flying through the air. Each zip line ended too quickly for my tastes, and I would have gladly done it a second time!

Belize is taking care to try to promote tourism but simultaneously preserving the environment. Each excursion we took had an element of education, thanks to our knowledgable guides. We learned that almost half of Belize is national park land, and every organization we encountered is taking care to preserve the natural beauty of their land. It is wonderful!

Life on Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Sat, 09 Sep 2017 16:34:00 +0000

Life caught up to me on vacation, and either because of the stress, insufficient water, or just my body's quirks, I started to get a migraine the day after cave tubing. We woke up as usual before the sunrise and then had a delightful subdued breakfast. Val and I quickly earned a reputation as "The Girls Who Laugh" but we did have our moments of quiet.

Even though I wasn't feeling great, I appreciated the great care I received. Valerie went to the manager to ask about rehydration salts of some kind, and instead, the groundsman Omar brought me a fresh coconut with a straw. I spent most of the day in the shade, but by afternoon, I felt I could venture out to join Valerie on the dock with some fresh pineapple juice. She was a gem and was very gracious about rearranging our planned activities for the day and taking good care of me!

Maya Ruins and Cave tubing!

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Sat, 09 Sep 2017 16:23:00 +0000

Our first day of adventures began with a gorgeous sunrise.

After an early breakfast and two cups of coffee, we (and several other guests) piled into a van and drove two hours to Xunantunich, a Mayan archeological site with stunning views of Belize and Guatemala.

We also got our exercise! Howler monkeys called in the jungle, but unfortunately, they wanted to be heard and not seen. Valerie and I had been exercising each day, including a fitness challenge to build up to doing 100 squats in a day. After all of these steps, we decided that we had earned a day without squats!

After a delightful lunch at a local cafe, we began the second part of our day. We arrived at St. Herman's and suited up for a short jungle walk, and then descended into a cave system for some river tubing. Although we had headlamps, we all turned them off and tubed in the dark for a little while!

It was an amazing experience. The water was cold and in some places, very deep. The pitch black can be a little scary, but we survived :)

Beaches and Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 16:09:00 +0000

Our first few days in Belize were nice and slow. We settled into a lazy routine of waking up for sunrise over the sea, eating breakfast, and then deciding where to spend the first part of our day...rooftop, on the beach, in the hammocks, or in the pool. Both Val and I took a lot of naps, enjoyed playing fetch with Ruger, the manager's dog, and overall, unwinding and losing complete track of time.

Belize

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Sat, 26 Aug 2017 16:33:00 +0000

May and June were difficult months, simply for the reason that I didn't know what I should do next. I love teaching adults English as a Second Language, but it is difficult to full-time work in that field in the USA. I kept agonizing over what I should do. A wise friend, David, kept reminding me that I can't plan everything and sometimes I just need to let go. I also felt that I just needed to go! Finally, my dear friend Valerie said that she could take a week of vacation at the end of July. In a quick turn of events, my mom found a small seafront inn in Belize that was doing a summer special. Valerie and I both had enough frequent flyer miles for free tickets to Belize, so we booked the hotel and started counting days.

On the Friday of our departure, I drove to Valerie's, parked my car, and then we drove together to DC. We found a cheap place to park near the airport, and arrived right as the shuttle to the airport was departing. Not good. We could see it driving away, despite the fact that the driver knew we needed it! When he came back, he insisted in his strong West African accent that the shuttle had to leave right on time. Valerie teased me about my increasing anxiety as each minute passed. Half an hour later, we hopped into the shuttle, dropped my bag off at the baggage drop, and headed through security. A few funny conversations later, we were at our gate! We have some interesting memories from the same terminal from our last trip together (to Arizona), and we were in high spirits by the time we reached our gate.

Despite the full waiting area, I wanted to get a picture of me in my happy place...passport in hand, and an airplane waiting to be boarded. I intended for it to be a somewhat discrete snapping of the cell phone camera, but that was not to be. Valerie and I were both cracking up with laughter, and the end result was that we had the attention of the entire lounge, most of whom probably assumed that I excited because I was getting on an airplane for the very first time. Oh, how little do they know...

Before too much longer, we were able to board our first flight, which would take us to Houston. We continued to bring smiles (and occasional smirks) to the people around us, particularly the fellow in front of us, who at one point discretely paused his music on his phone but left his earbuds in his ears so he could eavesdrop shamelessly on our banter.

Houston airport closes overnight, and our flight was one of the last ones to arrive. We could stay in the airport, and I had very excitedly told Valerie that I had two passes to the United Club. Valerie, utilizing her super-sleuthing skills, found out soon after we booked our tickets that the United Club was not open overnight but opened at 5 a.m. We arrived in Houston at about 12:30 a.m., and quickly located a fairly empty gate with access to a wall outlet for the all important charging of electronic devices. The next four hours are a blur of nodding off in the most uncomfortable positions as I tried to wrap myself around the metal arms of the seat, waking because of obnoxious country music trumpeting through the loudspeakers at 2 a.m., wrapping my scarf around me to try to find an extra degree of warmth, and then finally, joyfully, realizing it was 4:45 a.m. We gathered our belongings and went to the United Club. After submitting our passes, it was like the world instantly brightened! We took the escalator up to the second floor and saw a delightful buffet with warm oatmeal, plenty of hot beverages, and soft chairs.

Warm and happy, we enjoyed our breakfast before boarding Plane #2, which took us to Belize City. Upon disembarking, we both sighed in relief at the sticky wave of heat that greeted us. We walked into the airport, and proceeded to shuffle through the queue for immigration. Then, it was a quick stop at baggage claim before walking to customs, and then following the signs to our next domestic flight to Dangriga.

We found our tiny little airline and dutifully handed over our printed confirmation of tickets (again, Valerie's good planning, not mine!) and our passports, and in turn received handwritten tickets. After a short wait in a somewhat chaotic lounge, where we could purchase plantain chips, Cheetos, and water, we were escorted onto the tarmac to board our tiny little plane to Dangriga. I love tiny little planes. The pilot helped us settle in and then said, "We just have to make a quick stop at the other Belize City airport to pick up another passenger if that's alright?" I wasn't sure if he actually needed permission, but I smiled and said that was fine! A quick hop and a jump, and we were at the next airport. Then, up and away we went and Valerie and I forgot to speak as we just looked out at the amazing blue beneath us.

I could look at this water for days and not tire of the view.

Entirely too soon, we were flying over a little bit of land and then we arrived at Dangriga.

We disembarked and Valerie and I both paused at the tiny little metal cart, where our suitcases and one other passenger's suitcases were being unloaded from the plane. Unsure if we were to simply collect our bags there, we started to ask the man, who looked a little offended and told us, "No! You get your bags from baggage claim!" The pilot rushed over to us, clarifying, "This is Dangriga! Are you getting off at Dangriga?" After assuring him that yes, we were where we were supposed to be, he walked us over to "Baggage Claim"....which was a metal sign a total of about 25 feet from the plane. There we could collect our bags from the little metal cart. And then our pilot waved a tall, slender man over and said, "Stephen, these are your guests for Beaches and Dreams!"

Stephen gave us a wide grin, shook our hands, and then collected our bags from us to put in the vehicle. He warned us that we would have jungle air conditioning...windows down! And so began our vacation, as we drove over a slightly bumpy paved road and headed a little further south to Hopkins, Belize.

Peach Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 15:24:00 +0000

Yesterday was an important day! Following in the traditions of the women before me, on both sides of my family, I made my first fruit pie. I've enjoyed many a pie before, but yesterday, with Momma's supervision, I made one myself!

Dad returned this morning from Moz, and we saved the first piece for him! I might not win a pie competition like my grandmother, but it tasted pretty good! :)

The Azores

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 15:57:00 +0000

The last year has been a whirlwind. In November, I decided to leave my position at MC. While I enjoyed parts of working there, it wasn't a good fit for me. I was feeling very stressed and my migraines were increasing as a result. More than anything, I really missed teaching. I had some limited opportunities to teach at MC, and it was becoming clear to me that it would be an outlying part of my job.

Shortly after finishing my final semester at MC, I left for a week of holiday with a friend. We had planned the holiday over the summer, and scheduled for school holidays. Sara and I packed our bags and headed to the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. We spent a week on São Miguel Island, the largest of the islands in this archipelago. The weather wasn't great by Azores standards, but for those of us escaping winter in Pennsylvania, it was a nice break! It was incredibly humid though! My swimsuit didn't try for the entire week. (I ended up using a hairdryer on it to draw some moisture out before packing it in my backpack!)

Despite some stormy days and incredible wind, we managed to do quite a lot. We went whalewatching, during which we didn't see any whales, but we saw a gorgeous double rainbow over the water!

We booked a few jeep tours, which let us go off the beaten path and enabled a wonderful combination of education and adventure. We had amazing tour guides, who knew their history and biology well.

As you can imagine, I literally took hundreds of pictures, and selecting a few for this post has been difficult! The Azores are volcanic islands, and the volcanic rock in some areas contributes to the green appearance of some of the lakes. Others are the most amazing shades of blue.

The picture above is overlooking Sete Cidades, which is a gorgeous spot where two lakes, one blue and one green, meet. This picture doesn't do it justice! It is stunning to see.

We rented a tiny little car for one terrifying day. I was the driver. Between the fog and the steep inclines of every narrow road, it was an experience I will never forget! We wove our way from one end of the island to the other, determined to make the most of the experience. Sara and I both realized we are very dependent on Google Maps! Reading a traditional map while zipping around sharp turns is an art form we have not learnt!

On one of our last days, we tasted fofa, a sweet treat that resembles an eclair. Warm from the kitchen, it was delicious with a coffee!

With each day, Sara and I continued to be amazed at the beauty of this island. The roads are lined with hydrangeas, many of the roads wind around stunning cliffs by the ocean, and the vivid green of the land is almost overwhelming, even in winter. I can only imagine how magnificent this must look in the bright light of summer.

I seldom revisit vacation destinations, but I can see myself returning to the Azores, to explore other islands. It was truly beautiful, and my first taste of Portugal, although it wasn't continental Portugal! It was wonderful to hear Portuguese being spoken. It rekindled my interest in Portuguese, which was first sparked when visiting my parents in Moz in 2012.

My vacation ended in a flash. Our return was extended by one day due to a missed connection. We arrived back and two days later, I resumed my teaching job with CC, teaching English as a Second Language to adults. Walking into my makeshift classrooms felt like taking a deep breath of fresh air. Despite the uncertainty of what would come next in terms of a permanent job, I knew I had made the right choice.

A weekend of insanity and joy

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 23:20:00 +0000

Well, today is my sweet sister's birthday! Joyful, I love you. I'm so glad you are my sister and one of my dearest friends. And any typos in the this post are the fault of your children, who are currently trying to type on my keyboard along with me!

My sister and her husband are taking a well-deserved holiday. As seems to happen, Plan A was nice and simple. Mom and Dad would watch the three kids. Not a big deal, right? That's what grandparents are for! Well, then my grandfather had shoulder surgery scheduled, and of course, it was for one of the days that my parents were on grandparent-duty. Still, not a problem. Mom's not-so-secret identity is Super-Gran, and she can handle three kids with an ease that leaves the rest of our family shaking their heads. However, Super-Gran's back started hurting. (Excuse me, I need to go pull D off the cushion that A is currently under. I don't know why. Well, I know why I need to pull D off, but I'm not sure why A is under the cushion, considering we are theoretically watching Robin Hood and "winding down for bed." The kids didn't get that memo.) Essentially, Plan A is long in the past, and we are now on Plan LMNOP and remaining open to change.

This weekend has had less sleep, more questions (A is at the stage where EVERYthing requires a minimum of 14 questions), and certainly more nappy-changes than my weekends typically include. Still, it has been a terrific weekend. I love these three kids.

At some point last night, I realized (in a philosophical 4 a.m. moment) that I think of nights as being short. In my single-no-kids life, I fall asleep when I feel like it. The process of falling asleep takes me about five seconds and then before I know it, I wake up to yet another day. The hours I've slept pass in the timeless bliss that is deep sleep.

Can I just say, last night lasted a really LONG time? Before I had even turned out my bedside light, D had woken up twice. When I heard him the third time at 4.a.m (when my inner philosopher was rudely awakened after four hours of sleep), I looked out the window and thought, "How is it possibly still night?" Simultaneously, I prayed, "Dear Lord, please let him go back to sleep for at least three more hours!" God and Super-Gran were both gracious, and I got to have a slighter longer chunk of sleep in the morning, once everyone else was awake. I still drank my first coffee in record time though!

Bathtime would include more adventures of slippery little drama queens, but at the moment, I have one foot pressing into my shoulder blade (the foot is not mine) and another little someone screaming on the stairs. It's snack-time. I'll write more later :)

Arizona Mini-break

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 02:08:00 +0000

Once again, this is a "later-post" from my mini-vacation to Arizona at the end of May. Val and I spent our first day in Sedona, Arizona. We drove from Flagstaff with our mouths gaping open. Thankfully, we had chosen to take the scenic route, but really, it all seemed scenic. The red rocks were different but identifying the rock formations echoed my childhood in the Matopos Hills.

Snoopy Rock

Batman

Valerie and I wandered around the town of Sedona, and after a little while, found a jeep tour company offering a good deal. Our jeep left the paved road and reached the "off roading" road, and I had to laugh at the guide's warnings. It might qualify as off-roading in the USA, but it seemed like almost every road in Moz! Still, it was a delightful way to spend an afternoon.

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 01:32:00 +0000

My mother has slowly won me over. I now love plants. It fascinates me to see the variety of flora in different locales but also the similarities. I was surprised to see plants that I knew from Zimbabwe in Brazil. Arizona offered a wonderful array of plant life in its many landscapes. I particularly liked this pink-tipped grass, which I've learned is called muhlenbergia.

In Sedona, we saw prickly pear cacti, a familiar sight for this Zimbabwean. We also saw century plants, agave americana.

Prickly Pear

Century Plants

Near the end of the century plant's lifecycle (which is about thirty years, not a century as the American Pioneers thought), the plant grows a really tall stalk, which looks like a giant stalk of asparagus. This stalk can be up to 30 feet tall! That tall stalk you see in the picture below? Yep, that's a century plant!

Of course, one can't be near the Sonoran desert without noticing the incredible Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea). I did not expect to see hills covered with Saguaros, nor did I realize that they are so tall!!!

Apparently, the tallest recorded Saguaro was 87 feet tall before it was blown over in a storm. They don't grow arms until they are least 75 years old, and some never do! Most live about 150 years. Saguaros have expandable ribs to help them store water. A large Saguaro can store up to 6 tons of water, accommodated by expanding its ribs, but it can also lose up to 2/3 of its water and still live. I also learned from the Phoenix Botanical Gardens that Saguaros have "rain roots", which are additional roots that grow within an hour after rainfall to allow the Saguaro to absorb as much rainwater as possible.

Val and I also learned about the relationship between the Palo Verde tree and the Saguaro cactus. Apparently (I wouldn't know), it was observed that a Saguaro often grew under a Palo Verde tree. Birds might have been feeding baby birds in the branches of the Palo Verde tree, and seeds dropped. The Palo Verde tree then acted as a "nurse plant" for the Saguaro. Eventually, the Saguaro might outlive the Palo Verde, because the Saguaro has a shallower root system and the Palo Verde will not get enough water.

Palo Verde and Saguaro

Sometimes, noticing the plants had additional benefits...we saw a jack rabbit!

Bay of Fundy

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 00:38:00 +0000

My father really wants to see the Bay of Fundy, which is known for its high tidal range. Although he thought pictures were taken to show him that I made it there before him, I promise that was not my intent! Dad, don't go in March.

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 00:21:00 +0000

The last year has been brought a number of changes to my life! I got a job, not in the city I'd moved to find a job, but instead in the town I had just moved from! After a quick two month stay in the Big City, my dear father borrowed my brother-in-law's truck and, with the help of a friend of mine, moved me back to small town Pennsylvania. A week later, I jumped straight into a very busy job, working with international students at a small private college.

It really wouldn't be possible to fully recap the past year, so I won't even try. Obviously, I survived, although at times, I doubted that I might! Instead, here are my highlights (in no particular order):

1) I'm living in my very own little apartment, just me and my houseplants. I didn't think the houseplants were excessive, but whenever anyone sees my apartment for the first time, they comment "Oh, you really like plants."
2) I went to the Grand Canyon! (Pictures to follow...)
3) I took an impromptu road trip to Montreal at Christmas-time with a friend from work, ensuring that I exited the USA during 2015.
4) Friends from Youth with a Mission invited me to teach for a week in their DTS, which led to a week in March in Nova Scotia, teaching about building cross cultural relationships. (The week was great but the weather was cold!)
5) I became responsible for 110 college students. (I used to joke that instead of having my own children, I would adopt 18 year olds because it would be easier. I've changed my mind. In fact, I have mixed feelings about this being a highlight, but it certainly has been a significant event.)
6) My father, mother, sister and I have lived within ten minutes of driving distance for nearly a year.
7) I bought a 1998 Chevy Tracker. (Love my Tracker!)
8) I've gotten to see my sweet niece and two nephews almost every week.
9) I managed to practice yoga almost weekly. Not only did it help me put aside work for an hour, but I learned to love seeing my flexibility and balance improve.
10) I've learned a lot about myself. This point alone could be pages of words, but instead, I'll leave it at that. It's been good.

After a whirlwind of an academic year, I remain hopeful that my summer will have some slower days, times to enjoy the nearby state parks and bright blue skies, perhaps a few hours to steal away with my sister's kayak...and maybe even some more regular blog posts. :)

Elfreth's Alley

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 17:32:00 +0000

Elfreth's Alley is a little side street in Philadelphia that is called the "oldest residential street in the United States." It's a very pretty little street. The current homes were built between 1728 and 1836, but the street has been home to residences since 1702.

Museum Week

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 19:07:00 +0000

Independence Day is apparently not enough in this lovely city. Instead, we have had Independence Week. A number of museums contributed to the festivities by waiving their admission price for a day.

On Monday, I foolishly fell for the lure of free admission and went to check out the Franklin Institute. I'm glad I went but apparently every parent in Philadelphia with two or more children had also heard that there was free entry. It was packed with too many people, and the majority were children. Still, I got to say hello to Ben:

Thursday's experience was much better. Ben was once again sighted. He's everywhere!

I snapped a picture of the Mint:

and then made my way to the Constitution Center. The crowds were a little less chaotic and a little more mature. There was a wonderful exhibit of photographs of the Kennedy family, taken during JFK's campaign and presidency. There was also a great exhibit on the Bill of Rights and a beautiful display of the various state flags.

I also inadvertently walked by Ben's grave and the Arch Street Friends Meeting House.

William Penn deeded the land to the Society of Friends for their use in 1701, originally to be used for burials. The Meeting House was built later and is still in use by the Quakers.

Fireworks!

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 18:47:00 +0000

I got my fireworks fix a little early this year. June 29th was the start of Independence Week here in the city of Brotherly love. My cousin was in the city for a conference, and she I made plans to meet for the festivities at Penn's Landing.

We found a pretty spot underneath a gazebo of sorts and enjoyed some life music before the fireworks barge moved into place. We ended up being perfectly located and the pyrotechnic display was lovely!

The finale was perfectly timed to end with a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.

Monday FUNday

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 16:42:00 +0000

Yesterday, my friend Ricci decided to visit Philadelphia on her day off. She and I are similar in a lot of ways. When she contacted me about visiting on Monday, I responded with a suggested activity that I knew would cement her plans: Trader Joe's! Ricci and I both love this grocery store, and since there aren't many in her area, we made plans to start our day by meeting for some grocery shopping!

After our shopping adventures concluded, we got some lunch and ate in the shade at the Rodin Museum. We paused for a few quick pictures with the Thinker.

After returning to my apartment to put all the groceries in the fridge, we visited the well-known Love sign at JFK Plaza and made our way to dinner.

Ricci had suggested we do a nice dinner out, to celebrate my birthday (which was in March) and my graduation. Dinner was a delicious mix of swordfish kebabs and fennel salad, spanakopita, and figs and goat cheese drizzled with honey. For dessert, we went to a different nearby restaurant to share tiramisu and salted caramel budino. It was all excellent.

It was a wonderful day and even better to catch up with a good friend.

Just another pretty street...

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 00:00:00 +0000

There is something incredible about blending functionality with beauty. When on the vespa tour in rome, which I mentioned in my last post, our guide Valentino showed us a beautiful neighborhood of Rome. He told us that this was socialized housing. It was gorgeous. Homes were unique, well-built, beautiful. He told us that this came about during a period when politicians realized that residents would take better care of something that was beautiful, even if they didn't own it. It also sends a message that everyone deserves a clean, safe, and even beautiful place to live.

I love that message. I think of it when I'm walking around cities now. In so many of our cities, the economic status of the neighborhood can be inferred from the exterior of the homes and the condition of the streets. There is a supposition that renters will damage a property and owners will improve it. Why is this? I'm a renter, with no desire to buy an apartment or a house at this point in my life. But I have a desire to make my living space as beautiful as possible, in the same way that any home owner might!

Well, that was a bit of a tangent! I started thinking about all this on Sunday as I walked around the Old City of Philadelphia. Trees shade beautiful brick homes and small side streets. I love this part of the city, but I also know just by looking at the neighborhood that I can't afford to live there. It prompted the above thoughts, making me wonder why we think a higher income bracket should correlate with the beauty of one's home.

This is just one pretty little street in Old City. I loved the raised brick flowerbeds on either side of the doorway and the contrast of the blue shutters and door with the red brick. As I walked by another alleyway, my senses were suddenly overwhelmed with the sweet smell of honeysuckle. (It was certainly one of the typical smells I have learned to associated with urban side-streets!) Still, it was a wonderful reminder to savor the moments of beauty that our Creator slips into our days.

Creatures Great and Small

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 16:19:00 +0000

Friends of mine were out of town for the weekend, and I had the opportunity to return the hospitality they have shown me on many occasions by house- and dog-sitting. Piper is a three year old Italian Mastiff and I believe she is just over 100 pounds of puppy.

I miss having pets and it was a treat to get to have a dog for a few days. Piper is allowed on the furniture, and she makes herself comfortable wherever she pleases! She likes to push down the back cushions of the sofa and prop her head on the windowsill, surveying the South Philly street outside.

When her curiosity wanes, she likes to move to the corner of the sofa for a snooze. The old adage does say, "Let sleeping dogs lie..." So I did!

Roma

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 20:33:00 +0000

I think now that I have a little extra time on my hands, I'll catch up on some of the experiences from last year. They will likely be in no particular order. Writing on this blog has become a way of recording my adventures, big and small alike.

Due to the insanity of last autumn, I didn't take the time to write anything here. Every effort in writing was focused solely on my M.Ed. I can read for hours for school or work, but still enjoy reading for pleasure to unwind. Not so with writing!

When I was planning my thesis trip to the ME, I found out a friend was going to be Rome for a month. Part of her time overlapped with my travels. After a quick flurry of emails, I went to my favorite flight-booking website and found that adding a four day diversion to Rome would only add about $100 to my flight. With an offer of a sofa to sleep on, it was a perfect chance to revisit the Eternal City. So, after my six or seven week stint in the ME, I flew to Germany and then to Italy. The next few days, Meredith had language classes and I wandered the city on my own. In the evenings, Meredith showed me her favorite spots for dinner and for gelato. We splurged on a Vespa Tour of the forgotten spots of Rome. The guys at Dear Roma were wonderful tour guides.

I'm not even certain what the building is in this picture. Meredith and I were walking home from dinner one night and walked around the corner to see this gorgeous view of the moon and the dome.

Piazza Navona

This is the Piazza Navona, as seen from the restaurant of the Museo Roma. It is beautiful, even on a rainy, overcast November day.

I love the many alleys and curving pathways that wind through old cities. I probably have countless pictures from all over the world. I'm also particularly susceptible to the beauty of vines clinging to old buildings. :)

Meredith endeared herself to several local restaurant owners in her neighborhood. While at one of these restaurants, the owner did his best to spoil us, bringing us complimentary cookies and even limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur. I could only handle a few sips! It is often served as a digestivo, or a drink served after a meal to aid digestion.

This picture was taken on our Vespa Tour. We hopped off the vespas to hear more about the Circus Maximus and Palatine Hill. History is amazing.

A few quick snaps with the Vespa guides!

Graduation! (A month late)

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 23:27:00 +0000

My Masters seems to be a distant memory already! The completion of my final project required major effort. I enjoyed my research and writing time overseas a little too much, and got behind on my actual development of my project. Upon my return last November, I had a new class to plan for, a chronic infection wearing me down, and my procrastination to account for! November and December were a haze of writing, planning, sleeping as much as possible, and a hopefully not too unhealthy balance of antibiotics and coffee. I remember being so anxious about completing my final project and even contemplated accepting an extension. However, thanks to support from many different directions, my final project was approved by the end of the fall semester, December 21, 2014.

It felt odd to transition into not having homework, but the class I taught kept me on my toes as far as researching best practices in ESL, methods in teaching literacy to adults with limited and interrupted formal education, and even additional research on the lives of refugees in refugee camps.

December graduates at our small school are invited to participate in the commencement ceremonies in May. That is what I chose to do. I graduated in December 2005 with my B.A. in Sociology and had spent my final semester abroad. It seemed silly to return to campus a full year after completing my last course on campus. This time around, I was still going to be in the area, so I decided to give it a go. By the time commencement weekend arrived, I would have preferred to cancel!

It was a hot day, with possible rain which never materialized. The humidity made our polyester gowns miserable, but we survived!

My academic advisor

Celebrating with Martha

The first order of business after the pictures was to take a cool shower and a nap! That evening, I was able to meet up with my dear friend Martha, who was my roommate for most of the time I was working on my Masters. She is nearly finished her Masters too, to be a Nurse Practitioner. We suffered through many crazy weeks together, cheering each other on to the end of the semester, only to take a deep breath before diving into another semester. We proof-read each other's papers, talked about ideas for research projects, and tried our best to balance busy work schedules, school and squeeze in some fun to keep us alive!

Now, nearly a month has passed since graduation, and nearly six months since I turned in my final project. In December, I declared my desire to never write another paper, but those close to me know that likely won't be a permanent state. I don't have any plans to go back to school at this point, but I"m attempting to focus on foreign language study for now! We'll see where this goes!