Student Teaching Update

After over two months straight, I finally get a week off for spring break! It's been tough to keep up on blogging and social media, so I thought I'd post an update!

This semester I have been student teaching in a local 2nd grade classroom. I have absolutely LOVED it. I feel so comfortable teaching, using classroom management techniques, and creating fun activities. I have grown so much as a teacher, as a woman, and as a Christian.

I have been so busy, between student teaching 8-4, working 4-6, and lesson planning and/or babysitting at night. My friends complain they never see me anymore. Student teaching has sucked my social calendar dry, which stinks because I'm trying to lead a Bible study and help friends plan for upcoming weddings. I definitely don't have enough hours in my day. It doesn't feel like I'm in college anymore. It feels like I have a real job (only..I don't get paid).

I have had so much fun teaching the students about motion (rolling, spinning, etc.), Native Americans, chapter books, measurement, and soon starting a unit on opinion writing. I love teaching them how to learn.

During this spring break, I am nannying a ten year old boy, so I am spending a lot of time in the woods, playing games, and watching cartoons. While he's currently playing games on his iPAD, I'm in the middle of writing lesson plans for next week, and stressing out over which school districts are hiring. I never really get a break, do I?

I know that I am doing what I am called to do. Even on the weekends, I find myself thinking about the kids, and praying for them. I love them so much, individually and as a class. It's a difficult class, but I am learning so much, and I am grateful for each one of them. My co-op has been absolutely amazing and inspiring. I love learning under her.

Only one month of student teaching left. As soon as we get back from break, I'll be teaching whole-day. I'm so excited! It's only going to get harder, but I know that I'm only going to grow more.

What to Bring and What Not to Bring on a One Month Backpacking Trip

Since my crazy summer abroad (from Nepal to Bangladesh to Haiti), I've been asked so many questions.

Q - "How did you survive so long without regular access to the Internet?"
A - "It's easier than you think, and life is actually 10x better."

Q - "Did you have jet leg?"
A - "Only once but I didn't mind, because I was able to stay up late and read more books."

Q - "What did you eat?"
A - "Beans and rice, rice and beans."

Q - "Did you see any elephants?"
A - "No, but I saw hundreds of monkeys and even more lizards."

Q - "How do you use a squatty potty?"
A - "You don't want to know.

But one of the most frequently asked questions is what I brought when I backpacked the Himalayas. Since I am such a frazzled and my-mind-going-everywhere-at-once kind of person, I never give good answers. "Um..hiking boots?" So here I am, sitting down and writing a complete list of what to bring and what not to bring on a one month backpacking trip.

WHAT TO BRING 

1. Good socks. They save your feet from blisters, which could make your trip miserable, and they keep your feet warm and dry.

2. Personal hygiene products. Girls, you know the obvious one. Trust me, you can NOT find tampax in Nepal. And all other personal hygiene products such as deodorant, lotion, soap, have bleach in it to pale your skin (the opposite of America's tanning sprays/tanning lotions). Speaking of...

3. A good deodorant. Trust me. When you're hiking in the 100+ degree heat with no electricity and no water available to you, you're going to want a trusty deodorant. I used Degree Motion Sense Anti-Perspirent, and it worked GREAT. I only had to put it on once in the morning and I was fine for the whole day.

4. Baby wipes. Might sound weird, but this is actually the number one thing I suggest that you bring. Most of the places we stayed had showers but sometimes they didn't or the showers they did have didn't work. Being able to wipe the dust and dirt off your skin before you crawl in bed is a luxury. Also, you can find ones that don't smell like gross babies. I used Huggie's baby wipes, in their Cucumber and Green Tea scent. Ahhh.

5. Bug spray. I didn't find that mosquito nets were necessary, but I suppose it depends where you stay. However, with all those viruses spread by mosquitos, bug spray is TOTALLY necessary. Or you might end up with dengue fever like me :(

6. Hairbands. The Himalayas is no place for curling irons and make up. So for any girls who feel like they'll die without something pink and floral in their backpack, I brought ALL the headbands I own, and boy do I have a lot! I wore them almost every day. Usually it was because my hair was CRAZY and I had nothing to do with it. But sometimes I wore them to spice up my outfits, considering I only brought about three t-shirts.

7. Layers. Although you'll be getting sunburned at 9 in the morning, the evenings get terribly cold. Think leggings, dri-fit long sleeved shirts, a rain jacket, and if you are cold-blooded like me, bring a hat! I wore my hat almost every night, I swear, I wouldn't have slept without it.

8. Head-lamp. I actually didn't bring this one. I brought a flashlight. But imagine it being 9pm in a village with no electricity, trying to balance in a squatty potty (aka a hole in the ground) with your hands full of toilet paper and a flashlight. Trust me. Get a head-lamp.

9. Germ-X. Get a little travel-size bottle. Although I'm sure that in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't do much to cleanse you, it makes you feel a little better after you use that squatty potty.

10. A journal. Write about everything! Where you went, what you saw, what you smelled, who you met. I re-read my journal so many times. I miss my friends so much, but I am thankful to have the memories written down for me to re-live.

WHAT NOT TO BRING

1. Umbrella. When you are hiking up and down mountains, it's kind of silly to hold an umbrella. But when it rains, it pours. I suggest just bringing a rain jacket.

2. Many snacks. I suggest bringing a couple helpings of trail mix or even some gummy worms or something cute like that. But I was surprised by how many of my own snacks went to waste. We always ate either at a local's house or at a local restaurant. And any snacks could be bought straight from the many fruit stands all around.

3. Many clothes. I brought 2-4 shirts, 3 pants, 4 pairs of socks, 1 pair of hiking boots, 1 pair of sandals, 1 pair of Toms. That's it. And that was MORE than enough. Wash your clothes at night, if you feel the need to.

4. Technology. Leave the laptop, phone, and iPAD behind. You're surrounded by beauty. Look up at the mountains, not down at a screen.

5. Jewelry. There are so many bad things that could happen. You're climbing around in the dirt, hopping across rivers, and feeling your way through the electricity-free villages. There is no need for jewelry. It will get lost and/or stolen.

6. Perfume. First off, it will attract bugs. Second off, you're going to be smelly and sweaty and gross anyway, so you might as well quit trying.

7. Fear. I had no idea that spending a month in Nepal would involve teaching the village children how to play volleyball, going white water rafting with a guide who barely speaks English, eating daal bhat (rice and bean soup) for every meal for seven days in a row, parasailing above the Himalayan mountains, or taking a tour through Buddhist temples. If you're not going to go with an open mind, ready to take on every and any adventure that comes your way, you might as well stay home.

And of course, bring a camera. You're going to want to remember everything.

Dear Future Husband: Before I'm With You

Dear Future Husband,

I just wanted to let you know that my life is not going to "start" once I marry you.

My life has already begun, and I want to take advantage of every second of it.

I can't wait to be with you, but until then, I am going to make memories so that one day, I'll be able to tell you stories. I'm going to travel, work hard, go on adventures, and make the most of every minute of my life. Because my life has already started.

I do not need you to have a good time. I do not need you to feel complete. I am complete, I am whole, and God has a purpose for my life. His plans for me don't start after I get a husband. They've already started. They're happening now.

When we're finally together, we'll go to Europe together, or maybe Mexico, or maybe anywhere. I've always found going alone to be a bit boring. I can't wait to have hobbies with you. Dumb hobbies. Like playing parcheesi or yard sale shopping on the weekends. Or putting together a puzzle. I'd even but together a puzzle with you. How dumb is that?

So someday we will be together, having fun and traveling and playing parcheesi.

But until then, I'll be having fun.

And I hope you are, too.

Because on the nights when it storms or when I can't sleep, I want you to tell me stories. And if you are waiting to live until we get married, how will you have any stories to tell me?

I've been thinking about you today. Someday I'll tell you stories of all of my adventures. Like when there was a moose in my front yard. Or when I was lost for hours during my first camping trip. Or when I parasailed through the Nepali mountains.

God has great plans for your life now; He has great plans for my life now. And He has plans for us together. Glorify Him now with your own life, so that later, we can glorify Him together.

Love,
Jessica

Here's to 2015.

During a Thanksgiving celebration, we all went around saying what we were thankful for. Mine was easy. I am thankful for how much can change in a year.

2014 was a huge year of growing into the woman that I've always wanted to be. I grew in my confidence, in my faith, in my relationships. I prioritized my life, learning from the past, and looking forward to the future. I have broken, healed, lost, and loved.

I am humbled to say that I still have so much to learn. I still struggle. I still find myself acting selfishly, spending more time focusing on my fleshly desires than on the world around me. I get impatient, I get sad, I get overwhelmed. I am not perfect, nowhere close. I still have so much more growing to do. But looking back on this past year, I am so proud of how far I've come. 

One year ago, I was inspired by Bonnie to name 2014, proclaiming what you expected to get out of the new year. I named 2014 "a year to love and to learn." I learned so much about the world, as I travelled through Asia, and about myself, as I looked at myself and what I needed to change. I even got a tattoo, a triangle, to represent my ongoing desire to change into a better person every day.

This year I am going to name 2015 "a year to become myself." All last year, I was surrounded by inspiring people who showed me what women and men of God are supposed to look like. I got rid of everything holding me back and discovered who I want to be. This upcoming year, I want to become that person. I want to become a wonderful friend, an inspiring woman of God. That is my prayer and my goal for this year. 

2014 was by far my favorite year - a year I messed up, a year I tried again, a year I traveled, the year I found myself, the year I found love.

And here's to 2015. I have so much to look forward to - graduation, more traveling, new experiences, more growing. 

Some highlights of 2014..

The Happiness of Pursuit: A Book to Inspire You to Dream

Through Blogging for Books I was given a free copy of The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau in exchange for an honest review.

As a young woman who is always seeking adventure, I was instantly drawn to this book. Chris Guillebeau tells tales of his own journey to visit every country in the world, as well as the tales of others' adventures - a man who vowed to silence, a teenager who decided to live at sea, and a woman who devoted her life to bird watching.

The author makes a point to say that not one person's quest is bigger than another's. Seeing the most species of birds is just as admirable as sailing across the sea. The common thread is that the quest is their passion, their life.

What are you passionate about? What am I? Is there anything that I would give up money, time, even friends and family for? This book really made me think. It made me realize what I value, and what I don't.

Another thing I love about this book is that he ends each chapter with some tips to helping you find a realistic, admirable pursuit.

Chris Guillebeau also tells stories of failures, setbacks, and mistakes. Because that's life. And you can't go on a great pursuit without stumbling a couple times. He keeps the book real. He makes me feel as if I can do something great, too.

I would recommend this book to anyone. I think the variety of his stories is appealing to readers of all ages and walks of life. I would definitely recommend this book to those with an adventurous soul, who are looking to embark on a great journey.

One thing that bothered me about this book comes from my Christian worldview. If I have thousands of dollars to spend on traveling or on the hobby of my choice, wouldn't it be better to do something worthwhile with that money, instead of checking things off your pursuit's to-do list? After traveling to Haiti several times, I have seen extreme poverty. I can't blow all my money on things that I want to accomplish or pursue. My conscious won't let me. I know that I am bias, but I think that some pursuits are foolish and selfish.

Overall, this book was definitely inspiring and I would recommend it to anyone.

Christmas Break Goals

As of this morning, I am officially done with this semester! As an education major, I have finished all of my undergrad classes. Next semester I will be student teaching in the second grade. It was be the craziest, busiest, hardest semester of my life, so I am looking forward to a fun Christmas break beforehand.

One thing I hate is being bored. I also hate making lists. As a future teacher, I've been trying to get more organized and make more lists. Now that my Christmas break has begun, I decided to make a list of things I am looking forward to doing over the next month.

1. Read
I have loads of books that I have collected from thrift stores and yard sales all throughout the semester. I'm excited to finally have time to read all of them. They include the entire Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, some books by my favorite author Jodi Picoult, and classic children's novels that I've never read, such as Holes by Louis Sachar.

2. Learn to Crochet 
Or knit. But since my mom only knows how to crochet, I'll probably learn from her. I'd love to actually do something productive over break and make something. And I could make gifts for my friends' upcoming birthdays!

3. Watch Netflix
Yes, maybe this is somewhat unproductive, but I STILL haven't seen season 3 of Sherlock Holmes with Benedict Cumberbatch. I'm excited to have plenty of time to binge watch.

4. Roadtrip
This is my first time without a job over Christmas break. Even with the things listed above, I know I'll still be bored. I already have a couple of roadtrips planned to visit friends. I'm excited to hang out with friends without worrying about studying or leaving in time to get to my next class. We can actually relax and chill.

5. Cook
My family and I are all vegan. While I'm the only one gluten free, I know that our pantry will be packed with foods that I can eat. During the school year, I find it hard to cook a lot on my college kid budget. At home, since we already have a ton of healthy ingredients, it will be so easy to try the recipes that I've been collecting all semester.

What are some of your Christmas break goals?

Local Adventure in Historical Philadelphia

My school is only about 20 minutes away from Philadelphia. I have been there so many times. I've seen the glamorous side, such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and I have seen the unattractive side, such as the subways and the homeless and the rundown houses.

There is also a historical side to Philly. Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, etc. These old historical buildings are all located in what is now Independence Historical National Park. A couple weeks ago, I toured through these buildings and was amazed by all of the beauty. I've been there before, but never in the fall. The trees surrounding these old brick buildings were gorgeous. The birches throughout the park made for perfect shade.

Best part? Admission is free. They just do a security check and then you can walk around the park. I spotted several couples taking advantage of the beautiful paths. I also saw a lot of readers, mothers with young children, and college students studying. This place is great for everyone, and I'm hoping to go back again soon.

I'm all about having fun and going on adventures. Good news is - you don't have to travel far to find cool places! Anyone have any Philly-area suggestions for my next local adventure?