Pictures Worth A Thousand Words

Day 17, Friday: A favorite photo of yourself and why

Because I'm nothing if not indecisive, I had to pick two favorite photos.  If that makes me a cheater, then so be it.  So, without further ado and/or cheating, here they are.

Summer 2006

I love this photo because it represents a very formative time in my life that no doubt brought me to the point where I am in my life today.  This is a photo of me with the very first group of students I taught during my Institute training with Teach for America.  At the time this photo was taken, I had no idea that I would become so passionate about teaching, and I surely did not imagine that I would continue teaching beyond my two year commitment.  Also important to note in this photo is my fellow summer co-teacher in the red shirt, Renee.  I met Renee through Teach For America and we were roommates for our two years in Los Angeles.  Again, at the time this photo was taken, I had no idea that she would one day become my sister-in-law.  Yes, I married one of my very best friend and former roommate's brother.  This photo makes me very grateful for God's plan/fate/serendipity/luck or whatever else you want to call it.  Had the people and experiences that this photo captures not have come together, the life that I love today would be so very different.  Crazy to think about. 

Circa 1984

Now for my "cheat" photo.  I love looking at old photos- especially old family photos, so I just couldn't resist not including one of my favorite old photos.  This is a photo of my pretty mom holding me when I was maybe six months old (?).  I have always loved this photo- I just think it is so sweet.  It sits in a small frame on my night stand, and it always makes me smile.  Someday when I have a baby of my own, I will definitely want to recreate a photo similar to this one.  And no, mom, I am not pregnant nor do I plan on being anytime soon. :-) 

 

Catch up with my "Blog Every Day in May" challenge here:

Day 1

Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5 (Oops! :-/ I did blog on day 5, just not following the prompt...)
Day 6 Day 7

Day 8

Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Lonesome

Day 16, Thursday: Something difficult about your "lot in life" and how you're working to overcome it

Another tough question to answer.  I honestly feel like I am in a pretty good place in life right now, and I know how very fortunate I am.  I can think of a few things that are sometimes difficult about my "lot in life," but when I compare these things to some of the things other people deal with on a daily basis, they seem trivial and hardly worth mentioning.  So I almost feel like I can't/shouldn't even write on this topic without risking it sounding trivial or superficial.  But, for the sake of my goal of completing this "Blog Every Day in May" challenge, I must :-)  So, that being said, here is something that is "difficult about my lot in life" right now- with complete knowledge of how lucky I am that when it comes down to it, this is truly insignificant in the grand scheme of things. 

Feeling Lonely - I don't feel this way all the time, but lately Australia has been feeling a bit more lonely that usual.  I think it partly has to do with the fact that one of my best friends just visited recently (how dare she leave!), and also the fact that one of the girl's I've become good friends with here has just found out that she will be moving back to the US at the end of June.  I realized pretty soon after graduating college, that it is hard to make friends as an adult post-college.  And that's usually been somewhat bearable for me, because I am obsessed with the amazing friends that I already do have.  Even when I lived in the US, most of my closest friends lived in other states, but I loved having an excuse to travel somewhere to visit them.  However, now that dealing with this "lot" is not as easy, the issue seems to be magnified.  I miss my friends.  Not only do I miss my friends, I kind of just miss having friends here period.  I have found it pretty difficult to meet people here.  Don't get me wrong, I've met a ton of people here, and I have plenty of aquaintances, but not many that I've really connected with on a deeper level beyond that.  Most of the time, this hardly bothers me at all, but sometimes this bothers me a lot. 

What am I doing to overcome this?  I love that today's prompt included this follow-up question, because it forces me to remember that with most problems it's important to remember that you can in fact do something to better a situation.  And if I'm completely honest, I have to admit that I'm not being as proactive about this as I could be.  Something I really do try to work at is: making an effort to maintain the amazing friendships that I do have and taking the time to stay in touch through phone calls, emails, text messages, mail, etc.  However, I know that I need to put more effort into doing something to improve the "friend situation" here.  Some of the opportunities I have to do this (organized coffee dates, monthly welcome meetings, etc.) are somewhat limited now that I'm working again and these events are unfortunately always during the day on weekdays.  But I can't let that be an excuse to not do anything at all.  I guess what this post has made me realize is that I'm not doing enough to overcome this supposed "lot."  I need to make a more concerted effort to find some opportunities to meet new people and make connections. 

Mah girls

  Catch up with my "Blog Every Day in May" challenge here:

Day 1

Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5 (Oops! :-/ I did blog on day 5, just not following the prompt...)
Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14

Day 15

A Day In the Life

Day 15, Wednesday: A Day in the life (include photos from throughout your typical day - this could be "a photo an hour" if you'd like)

I've seen plenty of these "day in the life" posts, and I've always liked the concept.  I love that they capture simple moments in an ordinary day.  So, I was excited to see this prompt for today's post.  However, I didn't realize how difficult this would be.  I kept forgetting to take pictures, and I had no idea how long it would actually take to put together this post.  Also, I almost feel a little embarrassed at how uneventful this day seems.  But, nonetheless, I am glad I finally had a good reason to complete my own "a day in the life" post.  I'm sure it will be fun to look back on in the future!  Here goes...

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

4:40 AM: The dreaded sounding of the alarm.  My husband's alarm went off at 4:25 though, so I'm kind of already awake. 

 

4:54 AM: I don't remember pressing snooze, but apparently I did.  Now I literally have to sprint to get out of bed and throw on clothes since we have to be out the door by 5:05 AM. 

 

5:05 AM: Out the door to take David to work.  Luckily, the drop off spot has recently been changed and it's only a 5 minute drive (it was previously 10-15 minutes).  I get the easy part of this commute.  Poor hubby gets his car ride with me, then rides this bus for 20 minutes to the ferry, 30 minute ferry ride to the island, and then one more bus ride to the office.  Gross. 



 

5:15-6:00 AM: During this time, I am usually SO tempted to get back in bed (and sometimes I do).  However, I've been trying to force myself to stay up after dropping David off so I can work out before getting ready for work. Today I was successful!  To let myself completely wake up, I usually turn on the morning news, and check my email/read blogs for a while. 

6:00 AM: Workout - For the past couple years, I've turned into quite the home workout addict. I've used various workout DVDs/programs, but right now I'm working through the Brazil Butt Lift DVDs.  Not my favorite, but it gets the job done. 

7:20-8:10 AM: Shower, make bed, etc. to get ready for work.

8:10 AM: Out the door by 8:10 at the latest or I'll be late to work.  I took the photo of what is considered "traffic" in this small town.  This was a line of about 10-12 cars MAX waiting to get through a roundabout.  I waited no longer than 3 minutes.  Having lived in and survived the traffic of both Los Angeles and Houston, this is laughable to me. 

8:30 AM: Start my work day.  I work at a school for students with special needs, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays are my days working with the students in the very high needs class.  Most of the students are wheelchair-bound and non-verbal.  While at first intimidated, I now LOVE working with this group.  My day here involves lots of sensory play, intensive interaction, lots of lifting/transferring (sometimes it feels like a second workout for the day), feeding, toileting, etc.  I wish I could include more photos of this part of my day, but unfortunately (for obvious reasons) I can't.  Here are a few peeks though...


Confession: I cheated, this schedule was actually from the day before, but today was very similar

 

 


Lunch time for the kiddos!

Lunch/recess duty for me. Bleh!

1:30 PM: Today was just a half day of work.  I had plans to run some errands before heading home, but I get a text message from a friend right as I'm leaving work asking if I can give her a ride to pick up her car from being serviced. 

3:00 PM (ish): Home.  I didn't get to eat all of my lunch at work (it was a crazy day), so I sit down to finish my lunch while catching up on Dancing With the Stars. 

3:30 PM: Feeling exhausted from work today.  Unfortunately, today was one of the toughest days I've had there since I started.  One of the kiddos was having some really severe medical issues (seizures) off and on for nearly two hours.  And of course, it was a day we were down a teacher aide- so it was pretty chaotic.  And draining.  Usually around this time I try and get some cleaning or errands done, but today I'm beat.  I veg out on the couch finishing DWTS and begin drafting this post.  Days like this can really take a toll, so I definitely needed this break.   

 

4:00 PM: Get side-tracked by a video that a friend sends me of this cutie singing Bruno Mars on the Ellen Show and then end up watching way too many Ellen clips (ADD much?).  You must watch this adorable video.  I dare you not to smile/laugh/cry.

 



4:30 PM: Time to start getting dinner ready.  On the menu tonight: Ginger Sesame Chicken with Broccoli. 

 



5:45 PM: Leave to pick up David from work.  Dark when I drop him off, dark when I pick him up.  No daylight hours together.  Boo :-(



 

6:15 PM: Dinner and catching up on our days.  Followed by throwing our lunches together for the next day. 

 

7:00 PM: Usually around this time, David is exhausted and wants to just veg out in front of the TV.  We usually watch Friends and The Big Bang Theory (two of the few American shows they play here).  Watching the Big Bang Theory with my husband could have been #11 on yesterday's, "What Makes Me Happy" post.  This show cracks him up, and I love when I look over and catch him looking ridiculously happy, like this:

 

9:00 PM on: Between being "old and boring" and our early mornings, this is kind of the beginning of the end of the night for us.  Getting stuff ready for work the next day, getting ready for bed, etc.  Every once in a while, David has to do more work at home in the evenings.  Thankfully, tonight was not one of those nights. 

 

10:00-10:30 PM: Good night!  

 

Catch up with my "Blog Every Day in May" challenge here:

Day 1

Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5 (Oops! :-/ I did blog on day 5, just not following the prompt...)
Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14

 

What Makes Me Happy

Day 14, Tuesday: Ten things that make you really happy

I present you with a list (in no particular order) of things that make me really (sometimes ridiculously) happy:

Chocolate - I have a major sweet tooth!  I will indulge in just about any sweet treat, but if I had to pick, chocolate would be the obvious choice.  My day is not complete unless I have had at least some kind of chocolate. 

I still dream about these churros con chocolate at Cafe Futbol in Granada, Spain.

Reality TV - I've mentioned several times on the blog that I am a reality TV addict.  You name it, I probably watch it.  I wrote more about my affinity for all things reality TV here.  There is just something about these shows that makes me happy (even though sometimes they make me cry).  The drama, the extremes, the outlandish behavior- they all put a smile on my face. 

FaceTime - FaceTime has become a major part of how I stay in touch with family and friends.  Being able to see the faces of my loved ones helps me to feel like I'm not so far away.

FaceTiming with my extended family on Thanksgiving. 

My Students - I've been teaching for a little over 6 years.  And I can honestly say that all of the students I've had the privilege of teaching in those years (even those who sometimes made me want to pull out my hair) make me happy.  It makes me happy to see them learn, laugh, and of course the hilarious things they say leave me smiling each day. 

Some of my students from my very first year of teaching. 

Travel- I've always enjoyed traveling.  I am so thankful that my parents made the effort and sacrifice to travel with us when we were growing up.  Traveling is so much fun for me and truly makes me very happy.  Even after a trip is over, the memories made always bring a smile to my face. 

One of my favorite travel memories

Sending/Receiving Mail - I have a slight obsession with cards.  I could spend hours in a card/stationery store collecting funny and unique cards.  I love writing cards for special occasions and even for no particular reason at all.  Of course I also love receiving mail!  I have a big accordion folder where I save many of the cards and letters I've received over the years. 

Warm Weather - Being born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona has truly made me a desert rat.  I would rather be hot than cold any day.  There is just something about a warm, sunny day that makes me happy. 

Can't you just feel the heat radiating from this photo of the beautiful Arizona desert?

Gift-giving - I love spending time thinking of a fun and thoughtful gift to give someone for their birthday or other special occasion.  I often have gifts picked out for people months in advance of any special occasion, because if I'm out shopping and see something that makes me think of a friend or family member, I buy it. 

Christmas Music - I've found that enthusiasm for Christmas music is a pretty black and white issue for most people- either you love it or it drives you nuts.  Me? I LOVE it!  In college, November 1st was always the unofficial date when I would begin listening to Christmas music (much to my roommates' annoyance) :-)  They were good sports though!  I've calmed down a bit over the years and generally try to wait until closer to Thanksgiving.  Something about the familiar songs and feelings they conjure makes me so happy.  I usually have a hard time weening myself from the Christmas music after the holiday season has passed. 

Koalas - In general, I'm an animal lover, but my obsession love of koalas has brought this to a new level.  Since moving to Australia, I have fallen totally in love with these adorable creatures.  The day I got to hold one was probably one of the top 5 happiest moments of my life.  How could you not love those sweet faces and furry ears?  I often tell my husband that I am not leaving this country without one. :-)

Bliss.

Catch up with my "Blog Every Day in May" challenge here:

Day 1

Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5 (Oops! :-/ I did blog on day 5, just not following the prompt...)
Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
 

Sorry I'm Not Sorry

Day 13, Monday: Issue a public apology. This can be as funny or as serious or as creative as you want it to be.

Dear Shoeless Australians,

Sorry, but I'm not sorry for thinking it is totally unacceptable and gross to not wear shoes in public places.  Yes, I am judging you when I see you do this, and you will get the side eye from me.  I like to be barefoot as much as the next person, but I just cannot wrap my head around or get used to the fact that so many people here go shoeless in public places. 

Although I am most likely judging you, I also am somewhat concerned for you.  Of all places to go barefoot, really Australia is probably not the best place to do so.  I mean, you're dealing with high temperatures (how do your feet not burn?!) and a high concentration of poisonous snakes and insects.  Shouldn't you be protecting your feet from these dangers?  Also, can we talk a bit about how unsanitary and unhygienic this is?  Do I need to list out some of the unmentionables that you might be stepping in and then carrying around with you into your homes, beds, restaurants, the grocery store, etc.?  Just yuck.  In America we have something called "no shirt, no shoes, no service," and I think this slogan would be invaluable here. 

Australia, I enjoy your country and your culture, and I am soaking in and appreciating as much of it is I can.  However, this no shoes thing?  I'm sorry, I just can't accept or deal with it.  Not OK. 

Sorry I'm not sorry,
Megan

Sneaky photo I snapped of an all too common sight here.  <<shudder>>

Catch up with my "Blog Every Day in May" challenge here:

Day 1

Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5 (Oops! :-/ I did blog on day 5, just not following the prompt...)
Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12

What DON'T I Miss?

Day 12, Sunday: What do you miss? (a person, a thing, a place, a time of your life...)

What don't I miss?  As I approach the nine month mark of living in Australia, I've definitely been thinking a lot about what and who I miss from home.  I actually wrote a post about this same topic back in December.  Looking back at that post, a lot of the things I missed then are still things I miss now, although of course that list has grown.  When I think about things and people I miss from home, I also try and make myself think about what I will probably miss about Australia once we move back.  That really helps me keep things in perspective and realize that there really are a lot of great things about living here.  But for the purpose of today's topic, here is what I miss.  I've purposely left out family and friends, because it goes without saying that those are always at the top of the list. 

*Mexican Food

Having lived in some of the cities known for excellent Mexican food (Phoenix, Los Angeles, Houston), this is huge for me.  I think I could conceivably be OK with the fact that there aren't Mexican food restaurants here (like not even one) IF the general ingredients to make some of my favorite dishes were readily available. But they're not. I get so frustrated when I find a recipe I want to try that includes typically Mexican food ingredients, because I pretty much know I won't be able to find those ingredients or a suitable replacement.

 

 

 *Target

Don't even get me started on the imposter here that calls itself Target, because it is really just upsetting to me. 

 

*Oprah

Well, the Oprah Winfrey Network to be exact. Yes, it's true, I'm an Oprah fanatic. And unfortunately I let myself get addicted to her shows (mainly "Oprah's Next Chapter") in the months before we moved. I got excited the other day when I saw O Magazine in the grocery store... until I saw the $9.99 price tag!

 

*Diet Dr. Pepper

My life blood. Honestly, I don't know how I've survived over 8 months already without it. Coke Zero will do as a substitute for now, but that doesn't mean I'm happy about it. There is just no replacing good ol' DDP.  And while I'm at it, let me add fountain drinks to this item.  There is nothing better than a fountain soda in my book.  And if you're from Arizona, then you will know what I mean when I say I would pay big money for a QuikTrip 32oz DDP.   

 

At Christmas, my family made a "Megan On A Stick" so I could be with them for the holiday festivities.  Even THEY knew that I really missed DDP

 

The QuikTrip fountain soda machine in all its glory

 

 *Tall buildings, freeways, crowds, heck even traffic

Basically all the things you find in a big city. I very much feel like a city mouse living uncomfortably in a country mouse's shoes.

 

*Online shopping

Australia as a whole is really not too big on online shopping. It's probably good for our bank accounts, but oh how I miss Amazon and all the other amazing online shopping in the US.  Over the past months, I've been ordering a ridiculous amount of clothes, etc from online sites and shipping them to my parents' house.  When they come visit in a couple months, they will probably have a suitcase just full of my junk.

 

*Being within 1-4 hours of the same time zone as my friends and family

With a 14-17 hour time difference (depending on what part of the US I'm trying to call someone in), my brain is on auto-calculate CONSTANTLY adding or subtracting hours to figure out what time it is in any given place in the U.S.   There is a very limited time frame each day where "acceptable phone talking hours" overlap between here and the U.S.  Being in such a different time zone (not to mention day and even season), is enough to make you feel like you're living on another planet. 

Tipping

Yes, I miss having to tip at restaurants, salons, etc.  Tipping is not customary in Australia.  Sometimes it's kind of nice not to have to worry about it, but honestly, I now appreciate what tipping actually gets you- good service.

 

Miller Outdoor Theatre

Miller Outdoor Theatre was one of my favorite places to go in Houston.  David and would spend many nights there during Spring and Summer.  I loved bringing a picnic dinner, wine, chairs, and enjoying the free show in the fresh air under the stars.

 

One of my favorite shows at Miller Outdoor Theatre was an interactive Stomp Performance.  So fun!

My School

While the school where I taught in Houston was often full of drama and dysfunction, I really do miss it.  I miss my co-workers, I miss the community, and boy do I miss my kiddos.  There are several teachers that I remain in contact with, and they are really good about giving me updates on my babies.   

 

One of my favorite (although blurry) photos of some of my students at the end of last school year. 

I could go on and on, but I'll leave it at that for now.  It seems like a lifetime away, but I know that before I know it, I will be writing a post about the things I miss from this crazy Aussie land :-)  



Catch up with my "Blog Every Day in May" challenge here:

Day 1

Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5 (Oops! :-/ I did blog on day 5, just not following the prompt...)
Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
 

For Sale {10 Words}

Day 11, Saturday: Sell yourself in 10 words or less

I was an over-achiever on this one :-)  Not only did I meet the 10 word limit, but I went for extra credit with the additional 5-7-5 syllable limitation of a haiku.  BAM!

Patient, thoughtful, kind
Wine aficionado
You can't afford me

Catch up with my "Blog Every Day in May" challenge here:

Day 1

Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5 (Oops! :-/ I did blog on day 5, just not following the prompt...)
Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9
Day 10


 

Embarrassing Moment {& Why I'm Just Not Cut Out For Cold Weather}

Day 10, Friday: Most embarrassing moment (s). Spill.

While totally humiliating at the time, this story now cracks me up whenever I think back on it.  Feel free to have a good laugh at my expense :-) 

As I've mentioned on this little blog multiple times, I went to college at Gonzaga University in the lovely Spokane, Washington.  The winters there can be pretty cold, icy, and snowy.  One particularly cold and icy morning, I began a cross-campus trek to class with my good friend and roommate.  As we passed through one of the "high-traffic" areas on campus (Desmet Circle for any fellow Zags out there), I was giving said friend a hard time for her shoe choice.  While I had chosen sensible and weather appropriate shoes/snow boots to avoid any mishaps with ice, my much more fashion-aware friend had chosen cute wedges.  In the middle of poking fun at her shoe choice and warning her that she better watch out for black ice- BAM!  My feet flew up from under me and before I knew what happened, I was on my back in the middle of a pretty large crowd of students on their way to class.  I just kind of laid there for a while feeling both shock and embarrassment.  A couple people had to come over and help me up- including my cute-shoed friend.  I tried to hurry away as quickly as possible, but you better believe that hurt (both my backside and my ego). 

My friend and I still laugh about this story.  Now, I just think of this story as more evidence to my argument that I am just not cut out for cold weather. 

*Disclaimer: Please excuse the poor photo quality/old photos.


The beautiful (and treacherous) campus during winter



Had to post a snowy photo of the awesome "Doll House" of a house I got to live in senior year.  Would you believe my rent was $300/month?! Why did I ever move?  Oh yeah... snow...



Happier times in the snow



Catch up with my "Blog Every Day in May" challenge here:

Day 1

Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5 (Oops! :-/ I did blog on day 5, just not following the prompt...)
Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9