What Is "Normal?"

Thursday, September 5: Pass on some useful advice or information you learned and always remembered.

This prompt reminded me somewhat of one of the prompts from the "Blog Everyday In May" challenge where I wrote about some of the pieces of advice/things I've learned that no one taught me in school.  You can read that post here.  So for today's prompt, I thought I'd focus more on a piece of information I've learned and always remembered. 

I took countless psychology courses as a Psych major during undergrad, then again while working on my masters in Special Education.  Some of the things I learned in these classes I found very useful, while some things of course, were quickly forgotten.  There is one theory/ piece of information, that has really stuck with me though.  I can't even remember in what class this idea was discussed... I wish I had saved the article or book from which I read this theory.  But I didn't... so I'm just going to attempt to summarize from memory and briefly discuss how this idea affects the way I view the world and the people I interact with. 

There is a theory that is gaining momentum in the psychology world that disorders, disabilities, "normalcy" exists on a spectrum.  So basically, rather than a very black and white idea of normal vs. disordered, there is lots of grey area that can represent a huge range of conditions.  The best part of this theory is that everyone, yes everyone, exists on this spectrum in terms of different personality characteristics, feelings, habits,  ability, thought processes, etc.  This idea allows for a huge amount of variance regarding what we consider normal and "not normal." 

I love this idea because I really think it helps take away a lot of the stigma of having a psychological disorder.  If everyone is on this spectrum, it's hard to categorize/stereotype along the lines of "normal" vs. "different/not normal/disordered" etc.  It also acknowledges that we can (and do) move along this spectrum throughout our lives. 

Being a special education teacher, this idea really helps frame how I think about and interact with my students.  I also think this idea is really helpful in the education world, because it falls right in line with the movement toward full inclusion for all students, regardless of ability... which I'm a big proponent of.  I also think this can help us in how we interact with people- both those we know and even strangers.  It can help us to be more compassionate, understanding, accepting, and forgiving. 

I wish I had an actual link to an article about this theory to share, but I just cannot seem to find what I'm looking for.  If I do run across it, I'll add it here. 
 
A pretty serious, somewhat academic topic that's a bit out of the ordinary for my blog, but I guess that's what this challenge is for- to get us thinking about, exploring, and sharing ideas/thoughts. 

Annnndddd because no post is complete without photos, here are a few teaching photos from my special education classrooms over the years :-)

A project my former middle-schoolers did about famous people with disabilities

 

 

Australia Bucket List

Wednesday, September 4: If you could take three months off from your current life and do anything in the world, what would you do?

 

When thinking of what I would do if I could do anything in the world, the first thing that comes to mind is travel.  Hands down. 

 

Truthfully, I actually already kind of feel like I'm getting to take an extended period of time off from "real life" to do and see some pretty amazing things.  While there are admittedly more things than I'd like to admit that I can find to complain about living here, about the challenging aspects of being an expat, and about living so far away from home, I do realize how lucky I am to be here and to have this opportunity of living and travelling abroad.  The pros absolutely outweigh the cons, and when I really get to thinking about it, I can't believe how blessed I am to, in a lot of ways, be practically living the life/situation described in the prompt. 

 

So I guess if I could take three months off from our life here, I would continue to do what we've been able to do so much of already this past year.  Travel!  Of course, this would be three work-free, budget-free months of travel :-)  I always have a running list in my head of places I'd love to see in the world... Egypt, South America, Greece, visit all seven continents, and on and on.  But lately, I've been thinking a lot about how much more there still is to see and do right here in Australia.  As much as I hate to admit it, the truth is that once David and I leave here, the chances of us returning to Australia are pretty slim.  Because of that, I really want to make the most of our time here and experience as much of Oz as we can!  So without further ado, here is my always growing "Australia Bucket List."

 

~The Whitsunday Islands~

...Whitehaven Beach, Hamilton Island, Airlie Beach, Hayman Island, Daydream Island...

http://pinterest.com/pin/567735096746706885/

~Humpback Whale Watching - Hervey Bay~

 

http://pinterest.com/pin/36451078204697314/

 

~Cairns~

 

http://pinterest.com/pin/182888434837616273/

  

~Swimming With Whale Sharks~

 

http://pinterest.com/pin/5277724536937863/

 

~Take A Surfing Lesson~

 

http://pinterest.com/pin/104779128803498092/

 

~Great Keppel Island~

...Sailboat from Yeppoon...

http://pinterest.com/pin/36451078206644448/

 

 ~Port Douglas and the Daintree Rainforest~

 

http://pinterest.com/pin/420171840204940342/

 

~Tasmania~



http://pinterest.com/pin/522276888007323193/



  

~Uluru and Ayer's Rock~

 

http://pinterest.com/pin/74872412528357737/ 

 

~Blue Mountains~

 

http://pinterest.com/pin/169799848420970312/

 

 

Where I Come From

Back again for another month-long blogging challenge with Jenni at Story of My Life!  I participated with her last challenge, "Blog Every Day In May," and I really enjoyed it!  So I'm looking forward to this month's challenge!   

Tuesday, Sept. 3: Describe where or what you come from. The people, the places, and/or the factors that make up who you are.

Gosh, this prompt could go so many different directions.  In quick summary style, I'll take a stab at answering each item...
...Where I came from: I'm a desert rate for sure- born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona.
...What I came from: A loving, hard-working family.
...The people I came from: My amazing parents, an older sister, and a younger brother.  Plus a slew of extended family spread across the U.S.
...The places that have influenced me: Phoenix, AZ; Spokane, WA; Granada, Spain; Los Angeles, CA; Houston, TX; and now Gladstone, Australia.
...The factors that make me, me: I'm a middle child, a former ballet dancer (15+ years), a special education teacher, a (very rusty) Spanish-speaker, a travel-lover, and an expat.

I could write for days about any of the items in this prompt.  However, I thought I'd focus on the places that I've come from and that have influenced me. 

I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona.  I lived in the same home for the first 18 years of my life.  Phoenix will always be "home" for me.  My 18 years here made me a true desert rat who loves warm weather and would bet big money that no sunsets are prettier than Phoenix sunsets.  Phoenix is also where my husband and I were married almost three years ago. 

Can't beat a gorgeous desert landscape!

I moved away for the first time when I began college.  At the age of 18, Spokane, WA became my home, and I became a proud Gonzaga bulldog!  I made some of my best friends and best memories here. 

During my junior year of college, I studied abroad in Granada, Spain.  This was my first experience living abroad, and it was such an incredible experience.  It is here is where I probably got the travel bug that I still get bitten by even today :-) 

Can't believe I lived in a place where La Alhambra was practically in my backyard

After graduating college, I moved to Los Angeles, California where I became a Special Education teacher with Teach for America.  Living in Los Angeles made a lover of many things including: a good beach, big city life, and teaching in high-need communities.

L.A. skyline (on a shockingly clear day)

The view from the street I lived on.  Gosh, I miss it! 

I tore myself away from my beloved beach home in order to follow my heart to Houston, Texas.  After nearly a year and a half of long-distance, it was time for my now-husband and I to live in the same place- so Houston it was!  I was skeptical at first, but now I am a huge fan of Houston... and I miss it dearly. 

Our first home!

And now here I am in the little town of Gladstone, Queensland, Australia.  It's been one year now (you can read about my Aussie-versary here).  We will most likely be here for a while still... but I know that whenever we leave here, I will realize how formative my time here has been.  Just like each of the other places I've lived thus far have really and truly made me who I am.   

Tannum Sands- Our local beach

David and I on the Great Barrier Reef - a true Australian experience!

Tondoon Botanic Gardens {Gladstone}

One thing that really impresses me about Australia is that nearly every town and city has a huge number of parks and/or botanical gardens (here they say botanic gardens), and in my experience so far, these parks and gardens are always extremely well-kept.  For a small town, Gladstone actually has a pretty impressive botanic garden.  So when my parents were in town, I wanted to make sure they got a chance to visit Tondoon Botanic Garden.  The gardens do a really great job of showing the types of plants and trees that grow in all of the different regions of the country.  Since it is so dry and dominated by mostly browns/yellows/light greens here, I wanted to show my parents what the greener regions of Australia look like. 

 

 

 

I love these trees in the two photos below.  They're everywhere in Australia, but I'm not sure what they are called.  The roots that grow down from the branches are so neat.

 

 

 
The next two photos are from the "eucalyptus forest" in the garden.  I love these trees.. .they're so typically Australian!  The day we were here was quite windy, and the sound the wind was making blowing through the eucalyptus leaves was so beautiful.  If only there would have been a koala up there :-)
 

 

 

 

My One Year "Aussie-versary"

It has officially been one year since I moved to Australia... one year since I changed countries, continents, hemispheres, and multiple time zones.  I cannot believe my one year "anniversary" of living in Oz land is here.  It seems like yesterday and a million years ago at the same time...

Welcome gift from David: Australian wine, flowers, chocolates, and keys to our new car!

...I remember so clearly how I felt leaving Houston and saying goodbye to our home, which I wrote about here. 
...I even remember the taxi driver who picked me up and the conversation we had on the way to the airport.  I was fighting back tears most of the ride there, so I told him I was just going to visit a friend, as to avoid having to talk about the big step I was about to make.  I'm sure he was curious about my ridiculous amount of luggage though. 
...I remember very specifically when the pilot made the announcement that the plane doors were closed and we were ready for take off.  No turning back now.  Not that I ever would have. 
...I remember (luckily) very little of the actual 16 hour flight.
...I remember touching down in Gladstone- what would become my new home.
...And most importantly, I remember spotting my husband (who I hadn't seen in over two months) in the airport waiting to pick me up.  Up to that point, I had been very nervous and uneasy about this enormous change (I've always hated change- have I ever mentioned that?).  However, when I saw him and finally got to hug him again, I immediately felt at ease.  We were in this new place together.  And from that moment on, it was a very "us against the world/Australia" mentality. 

All of these memories that I remember so vividly, really make it seem impossible that one whole year has passed.  However, when I think about all that has happened in this one year, it really makes my move seem like it might as well have been a million years ago.  In one year SO much has happened...

...We have traveled to: Brisbane, Heron Island/ The Great Barrier Reef (twice), Melbourne, New Zealand, Sydney, Perth, and the Margaret River region. 
...We've gotten up close and personal with kangaroos, koalas, wombats, dingoes, spiders the size of your hand, laughing kookaburras., sharks, and sea turtles. 
...We survived a freakish storm during the "rainy season" that resulted in empty grocery store shelves for close to a week. 
...We learned to drive on the wrong side of the road... with minimal slip-ups. 
...We clocked countless hours on Facetime trying our best to keep in touch with friends and family.
...We managed to make the most of Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. away from loved ones. 
...We've seen more sunrises and pulled ourselves through more 4:30 AM wakeups than either of us would ever like to acknowledge. 
...But most importantly, we've managed to make a home here.  We've managed to become a team that I'm really proud of. 

What a difference a year makes, right?  One year ago I never could have imagined all that unfolded this past year.  That alone makes me really excited to see what the next year in Australia holds! 

Year two- go!

Boomerangs, Didgeridoos, and Caves

It doesn't take long to wear out the (incredibly short) list of things to do and places to see here in Gladstone.  Unfortunately, after you accomplish those things, you have to drive about an hour and half up to Rockhampton to access a wider range of sights and tourist activities.  So my parents and I made the drive up to Rocky for the second time during their trip.  This time on our agenda?  Aboriginal Dreamtime Culture Centre and the Capricorn Caves.

The Aboriginal Dreamtime Culture Centre is an indoor/outdoor museum of sorts, that has multiple exhibits focused on aboriginal history and culture in Australia.  It was really quite interesting, and aboriginal history is something I'd really like to learn more about while we're here.  We even got to hear a live didgeridoo demonstration and try out our skills at throwing real boomerangs!

 

 

Dad was a natural, of course

 

This trip to the Capricorn Caves made for my third time on this tour.  However, I really do like these caves, and it's a great place to bring visitors.  Plus, each time I've been on the tour, I've learned lots of new things.  My favorite part of this cave system is the "cathedral."  This is a part of the caves that really does resemble an actual cathedral.  In more recent years, they've even added things like pews, an altar, and steps for a choir to stand.  Because of this, the caves have become a popular destination for weddings AND because of the amazing acoustics, they hold opera and choir performances here as well.  Some people even say that the acoustics in this part of the caves are better than the acoustics in the Sydney Opera House.  Pretty neat!



Some of the massive fig tree roots that extend hundreds of meters into the caves and below the earth



Supposedly a very rare and endangered type of fern

Part of the cave that has a similar form as the continent of Australia

 

 

 

The way out of the caves