Nice Note!

Evan left early for work this morning, before I even woke up! But not too early to make me breakfast and leave me this note. So nice! Love that guy :)

(The note says: Sarah- I think you're the most amazing person. Every time I see you I fall in love with you all over again. I'll be missing you today at work. See you soon. Evan)

Summer Recap

Image via HERE

To say my summer was busy is an understatement. School got out on June 17th. I left that day to go on a road trip to Portland. The day after that, I left to Germany for 4.5 weeks with students and without Evan. The week after I got back, Evan and I left on a 3-week long road trip visiting family and friends. I spent a majority of my summer on the road and away from home.

Because I'm not quite willing to admit to myself that the summer has ended and I'm back to my school responsibilities, I feel like posting a little recap on my crazy summer:

• Traveled in 5 different countries (4 of which were with students on an exchange)
• Went on 2 road trips to 6 different states
• Slept in a minimum of 11 different beds
• Ate at least 161 meals away from home (not including snacks!)
• Witnessed the birth of my nephew
• Dealt with a major health issue and came out of alive (more on that in a later post)
• Slept in my bed roughly 10 days from June 17th to August 21st

When all of the traveling was done and the dust had settled, I had about a week to relax and organize my classroom before teacher meetings started. The first few days, I spent relaxing and reading, taking some much-needed down time. However, the need to go through and get rid of outdated materials in my classroom took over my need to relax.

All in all, the summer was very memorable. Evan and I had a fun time on the longest vacation Evan has ever been on! I was proud to take him to some new places he had never formerly traveled. He decided after this trip that we need to take a big vacation at least once a year. Everyone knows I'm on board with that idea! I'm voting for Thailand next year, but we'll see how it goes. Viva la Summer! (It still lasts for another week, you know?)

Another Back to School

Photo via here

This years marks 6 years since I started teaching, which actually means that I'm in my 7th year of teaching. Here are the teaching stats in the past 6 years:

• Substituted for 1.5 school years
• Taught in 3 states
• Taught in 5 schools (not including substituting... if you count that, then add another 2 schools onto the mix!)
• Moved schools a minimum of 6 times
• Instructed in 8 different classrooms (not including subbing)
• Taught 4 different subjects and 6 different grade levels within those subject areas (including AP!)
• Before this year, I had never taught in the same school 2 years in a row.
• Also before this year, I had never taught the same subject 2 years in a row.

To say that my professional life the past 6 years has forced me to be flexible is an understatement. This 7th school year marks 2 hallmarks in my teaching career: 

1. I get to teach in the SAME CLASSROOM in the SAME SCHOOL for the 2nd year in a row. 
2. I get to teach the SAME SUBJECT for a 2nd year in a row!

What a blessing this is! I already feel like I've started the school year off on a better foot than any school year before. Every school year before this one, I felt like a first year teacher all over again in a new school and teaching a different subject. It is so nice to already have materials and ideas prepared and ready from last school year to lead into this school year. It also doesn't hurt that I know 3/5 of all of my students because I taught them last year in German! Even though being a teacher still has its challenges, I feel a little bit better prepared to fight them because of these 2 blessings. Here's to another great year of teaching!

European Food

After I got back from Germany this summer, I had someone ask me what kind of food that I ate and what foods you can find in Germany (he was skeptical there was anything more than Bratwurst and Sauerkraut). When I was put on the spot, it was hard to think of exactly what we had eaten. However, as I looked back over my pictures, I realized that I ate many different types of food. Honestly, I've eaten the best food of my life in Germany. They have every type of food you could ever want and all of it is delicious. Just thinking about the food you can find in Germany and the high quality of the food makes me want to take a trip over there right now! The price of the plane ticket is totally worth it when you taste how amazing the food is! Pictured below are the highlights (or at least the foods I have pictures of!)

1- Czech crepe, 2- Czech Pizza, 3- Trdelnik pastry from Czech Republic

DESSERTS! Germany has amazing desserts and the presentation on the food is always so beautiful. One of my favorites was Dampfnudel from Dampfnudel Ulli (top right below). Here is a post about it. (The bottom left picture is of me with yummy fish and potato croquets. Not a dessert, but still delicious!)

1- Polish pizza, 2- Cheese-baked Schnitzel with potato croquets and cherry sauce (you can't go to a German-speaking country and not have Schnitzel! We ate it at Moritzburg.), 3- The best sausage I've ever had in my life in Dresden with GERMAN potato salad (WAY better than ours... very fresh tasting)

1- Potato with Lachs in Berlin... look at the presentation of it in a swan!, 2- Italian ice cream at the Berlin main train station, 3- gorgeous chocolate mousse in KaDeWe in Berlin, 4- Turkish food in Berlin, 5- Marvelous salads!, 6- A fruit mousse that was to die for (also at KaDeWe in Berlin). The whipped cream in Germany is SO much better than we have here!

Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

In all the cities I've ever been to, Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic is probably the most breathtaking city. Every where you look, is beautiful. Every building and street corner has something new and interesting to look at. The city is built in the middle of the Vltava River and has a fortress overlooking the city. If you ever have the opportunity to go to the western Czech Republic, you have to go visit and eat the famous trdelnik pastry (biscuit dough rolled onto metal rolling pins, grilled over coals, and rolled in a variety of things- I got cinnamon and sugar).So delicious!

Up The Peak

I was feeling pretty burnt out this week after pretty much only just working and sleeping! Evan was gone up in the Enchantments, which made me feel like I could work until late at night because he wasn't waiting for me! On Thursday, I decided to get out and get some exercise. I invited my niece to go up with me and she was thrilled to go! We made it up in 32 minutes and had a great time doing it. Love my little hiking buddy!