Long Time, No Comment

Sorry for the time lapse...it has been busy around here. It is really is crazy how time flies. It's almost been three months! And I have to say it's been a pretty smooth 3 months for packing up and moving to a different continent! We just finished our first quatrer at school and have returned from our CWW trips. CWW stands for Classroom Without Walls. It is an opportuntiy for students to get out of a classroom and do some experiential learning. Seems as though we're getting back to our to our roots, the way it should be. I was on a trip to Corioco, which is south of La Paz between the mts. and the rainforest. The climate is much warmer and the scenery, much greener. 24 students, 4 adults, 4 days, 3 nights and quite bit of hiking....priceless.
I wonder what they will take away? For some, simply completing the 5 hour trek we took on day 3 to a 20 meter waterfall might be at the top of the list; for others, the waterfall in its towering entirety may be it. Quite possibly the boys would say the amazing swing that was attached to the infinately tall trees that swung us out over a breathtaking ravine would hands down, be the best to them.
I would agree with any of the above; yet for me, I think it was just talking to the students, hearing their voices and watching them interact outside of the small constraints in which I see them at school. It's nice to see them in living color, hear their stories. It is such a rare opportintunity to be able to take a trip like we did and I really feel blessed to be a part of it.
As we arrived home, the 8th graders then had one week to finalize all their plans for Middle School Madness...this is a quarterly event held by each class in the middle school and our 8th graders got to kick off the year's festivities....they went with the clsasic October, Halloween theme and really did it up....I think the Haunted House was big attraction. Groups of 5-6 we taken through the boys lockers room that leads to the pool...apparently there was a boy named Dylan Rodrigez who was ruthlessly bullied all through middle school and come October of his freshman year in 1987, he lost it. The story of course gets better, but I will save you the gory details.
It has been a been a good ride thus far...and soon that ride will take me home to be with those I miss and love...in the meantime I watch my 30 second, updating stream of the Indians on Yahoo sports...thinking of all of you. I got to see a few innings on TV Thurs evening and it almost felt like a family gathering--seeing the field, the city, our team and knowing that no matter where each family member was, there was a very high chance that we were all anxiously watching, hoping for the Tribe to pull it out....I will be doing the same this evening. Go Tribe.