10 Years

Last night a few friends and I went out for dinner at a local restaurant/pub called Beau Nash for a burger/drink deal.  It was the first night all of us had been out together in a long time and it was so nice to just be out together having a great time.  We got talking, and someone mentioned how 10 years ago we would have never in a million years imagined ourselves in this situation.  Living with people we did not know existed before our program, seeing places so foreign that they seemed worlds away.  Learning and growing in every encounter we have.  Where will we be in 10 years? Will we still be friends? Will all of this be just a distant memory? I would like to hope that this experience will live on with me forever, and the friendships and relationships I make will last a lifetime.  But you never really know do you? In these last 10 years I have grown so much. Heck, in these last 10 days I have grown.  What will the next 10 years bring?

Keep Calm and Think Deep Thoughts

The Dreary and Melancholy Life of Papers...

So its about that time again...paper week.  It always seems to sneak up when you least expect it.  This week I had 3 papers due...two on monday and one tomorrow (thursday).  My two on monday were for my education class and my history of the middle ages class.  I thoroughly enjoyed writing my education paper (I'm not being sarcastic I promise) because it was on the effect of bullying in schools, comparing the UK to the global community and what we can do as teachers to eradicate bullying.  This is an issue I am passionate about, hence why I enjoyed writing it.  My History of the Middle Ages paper, however, was less exciting.  It was on the change in English economy throughout the middle ages.  Riveting, I know.  Those two are done, however, and now it is on to writing about Elizabeth I, which isn't so bad.

Yesterday (Tuesday), I went to Hayesfield, per usual, and first period, I gave a talk to Year 13's (the equivalent of seniors in high school) on Civil Rights in America, from an American perspective.  I talked mostly about how we learn (or don't learn) about civil rights in our school, and the impact in society today. I really think they enjoyed it and I was thankful that they participated in the lesson and asked me questions and it was not just me standing up there lecturing.  I was really nervous, mostly because of our closeness in age and they are quite intimidating, but my cooperating teacher kept telling me how great it was and that the students really quite enjoyed it.

Next Tuesday I will be doing a starter activity with my Year 7's on witchcraft, and my teacher told me I could do anything so I might do Salem witch trials since their curriculum only covers witchcraft in England.  I am also doing a Year 10 history class on Georgian Bath and a timeline activity. I am nervous because that is the class Andrew, our placement coordinator, will be sitting in on! Wish me luck!

Keep Calm and Survive Paper Week

And At Once I Knew I Was Not Magnificent

So it's my spring break and I am spending it in Thonon les Bains, France with my housemate, Marie.  Her parents are French and are living in France for a while, so I am spending break at her house.  We flew into Geneva Friday morning, and the view of the alps was absolutely stunning.  It did not look real. Thonon is 45 minutes from Geneva, and located smack in the middle of Lake Geneva, with the Swiss Alps to the left and the French Alps to the right.

Saturday, we went to Mount Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe.  It was an hour away from Thonon, and the view on the way to the mountain was absolutely stunning.

a picture I took from the car 

When we got to Mount Blanc, we walked around the city, Chamonix, and found an outdoor market, filled with clothes, jewelry, shoes, and food, especially the cheese.  Before coming to Europe, I liked cheese to an extent, but rarely ate it.  But the cheese in France, oh my the cheese. 

only one of the many, many cheese stands 

We wandered around the market, and then decided to get lunch.  We ate outside at one of the many restaurants since it was so sunny and warm.  Since skiing is an option at any of the many mountains surrounding Mount Blanc, there were people in all their ski wear and then there were other people like us, in shorts and tee shirts.  It was spring skiing at is finest. For lunch, I got French Onion Soup, a choice I deemed appropriate.  

In Chamonix with Mount Blanc behind me 

After lunch, we took a train that took us up to see the glacier that runs in between Mount Blanc.  We were going to such a high altitude the train took 20 minutes.  When we got up there, the view was absolutely spectacular. While we weren't quite on Mount Blanc, the view was still amazing.  In fact, we were only half way to the peak of Mount Blanc. 

By the Glacier 

After we got back from traversing up the mountain, we got a delicacy I like to call Nutella Icecream. Gods gift to the world. 

It was an amazing, unforgettable day. 

Keep Calm and Eat Lots of Cheese

ps. If your curious about the title of this post, its from the song Holocene by Bon Iver. I highly suggest you take a listen.