in·spi·ra·tion

in·spi·ra·tion
     1. the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

To the teacher who is my inspiration,
     Whenever I was younger, I always forced my cousins, friends, brother or whoever was closest to play 'school' with me. I always wanted to be the teacher and I needed a class to teach too, so of course who better to teach than your younger brother. He would get angry and be defiant (boy did I not know he was only preparing me for the later real world, like today...) and eventually he would beg me to "end class early". Even though, it took me a few semesters in college to come to the realization that I wanted to teach, I had always known somewhere that I needed to be a teacher.
     Here I am today, reflecting on you, one of the most influential and inspiring teachers that I had the pleasure of having. This week, one of Sedgwick's greatest teachers will leave the heart and halls of SHS. I say heart because everyone all knows your classroom is inevitably the center of school. Smack dab in the middle of school. For many years, SHS, the facility, and more importantly the students have been blessed with a wonderful art teacher. Luckily, I am able to say I was one of those many students.
     I transferred to Sedgwick when I was in seventh grade, absolutely dreaded it might I add (sorry but I am just telling the truth). However, one thing, I definitely looked forward to was the fact I was enrolled in art. Art was always a class I looked forward too and was my escape in a way. I was free to do what I wanted, be creative, and just have fun. So having art on my schedule was the only thing I looked forward to when starting a new school. So let me set up the scene here just in case you "don't remember"...   Here I was this shy, scared, and awkward seventh grader going in to some brand new school that I did NOT want to be at. I walk into art with Andrea Brown, who was showing me around, I was greeted by this women. She welcomed me and we sat down at the first table by the door. I do not remember what the art project was exactly but all I know was that we had to cut something out. So here I am cutting stuff out just minding my own business when I hear, "what is this? You cut like a kindergartener!" I look up and my art teacher is holding what I had just cut out...Ouch okay, sorry guess I already made a bad first impression here. (Even though you do not believe me when I say this happened, I promise you it did. It scarred this left handed person... what you did not realize is life in a right handed world is sometimes hard). However, little did I know that someday I would look back on this and laugh. Little did I know that at every lunch, get together, or just simple conversation post graduation, this would still come up in conversation and WE would laugh at this.
     Middle school finished and it was time to go to high school. I started to warm up to this place called Sedgwick a little more and I actually started to enjoy it. Like always I enrolled in art. I was excited to actually start high school art because this meant that we could make bigger and better projects like jewelry, pottery, and print making. Freshmen year, I kind of laid low and just observed. Art class sophomore year: Lacy, Brittany, Dustin, and Kirstie. Need I say more? That was the year I give a lot of my credit to you. That year was full of a LOT of laughs, a lot of gum popping, and a lot of singing and dancing. Anywhere in the world with Dustin is to be followed with some singing and dancing. This was the year, I started to realize how awesome of a teacher you were. That year, my personal life was a little of a struggle and you were there for me. I never asked you for anything but you being the definition of a great teacher, you knew something was off. I will always remember you pulling me aside and asking me what is going on. That was the moment, I knew you were more than just my teacher. You were someone who believed in me when I did not even believe in myself. You made me believe that all things are possible if you "think you can do it". What you think expands right? I know I tell you this ALL the time and I am sure it looses its validity after awhile but you are such an amazing person, educator, artist, and friend. You truly helped make me the person, I am today.
     So here I am still reflecting on my high school years, I cannot help but to think about all the lessons you have taught me. Not only did you teach me how to cast jewelry, make that PERFECT print (God only knows there is only about one or two of those perfect prints), keep your pottery just the right amount of wet, the list can go on but you also taught me basic life lessons. You have taught me to go after my dreams. My dreams of wanting to go to the University of Kansas, the dream of actually graduating college, and my most recent dream of teaching in Honduras. If there was one person who definitely pushed me to actually teach here, it would be you. So thank you, thank you for that. Thank you for being such a great role model and teacher.
     I just wanted to say thank you, thank you for everything you have ever done for me, for the students of Sedgwick, and for anything and everything else. You have truly enriched the lives of many. Here is a small list of things I know I will miss and I am sure others will too:

-coming back to Sedgwick and seeing the latest addition of ceiling tiles
-the senior bricks in the back room
-knowing you will always make me spit my gum out even if it still had flavor because I had JUST put it into my mouth
-not closing your door
-your space heater, even though it's August and its 97 degrees outside
-the beginning of the year art project with the 9 squares and random lines (always a fun way to begin a semester)
-hearing "what you think expands" at least once a day
-You

Congratulations, Nancy Jo! Congratulations for being such an amazing educator all these years but more importantly congratulations on your retirement! You deserve it! Best of luck to the next big thing you do! It will probably be going viral for drawing on shoes or something... I hear you're pretty good at that!

With love,
From just another student but this student just so happens to cut like a kindergartner.

"I teach because I am still inspired by a great teacher I had when I was a kid. So, I get that what we do every single day truly matters." --unknown. 

And here I am, actually teaching...I look back on the teachers who influenced and inspired me in high school and I hope to be a fraction of them someday. You, you also taught me a lot about who I am right now, about being an educator. You taught me that being a teacher is important but caring for your students is the most important. 

life is a blessing.

One way ticket booked. FAFSA filed. Enrolled into 13 credit hours. All three of these things have been done in the past 24 hours. Yep, you read all of that right, I will be returning to the good ol' state of Kansas and attending school in the fall. It took a lot of pros and cons lists but after about a good month long debate, I settled on going back to school. Starting in the fall, I will be attending Wichita State University and finishing their Elementary Education Program.
     During Christmas break, I had myself convinced I wanted to stay and teach here in Honduras for one more year. While yes, this is still a very strong urge that I want to do, it simply came down to reality. The cold hard reality was that I could not afford traveling back and forth another year all while paying student loans (those things are inevitable, people!). So once, I came back to reality, I finally decided I wanted to go back to school to become a "real" teacher (you know that piece of paper that I have to prove to the State of Kansas.) So for the next two years I will be taking classes and officially getting licensed to teach! While this is super exciting opportunity and privilege of getting to go back to school, I cannot help but to wish these next two months could just slow down a tad. Time here goes by so fast...and I know everyone tells you the older you get the faster the years go, however, I am not accepting that because I am not getting old...yet. I just simply believe that time here goes by 4 times faster than anywhere else. No exceptions, just the truth folks.
      So today as I bought my plane ticket...my one way plane ticket home I would be lying if I said I did not shed a tear or two. But I had to remind myself to smile. Smile because I have been beyond blessed. Blessed with this amazing opportunity to fall in love. Fall in love with such a wonderful country, community and beautiful set of people. This opportunity has opened my heart and made itself a home that will forever be apart of my life. So here's to 2 more months and living in the moment!

P.S. People, do not forget to live in the moment. We, and I am just as guilty, are often so caught up in what is happening next or a few months down the road that we forget to look around and appreciate what we are doing and who we are with. Live in the moment :)

xoxo,
Carly

Semana Santa

I haven't been the best blogger of 2014. I will admit that, however, I like to think that it's due to the fact I have been at such a loss for words lately due to my many mixed emotions. I cannot believe that it is already the fourth partial. I cannot believe it is already going on the end of April. I cannot believe that Semana Santa has come and gone. I cannot believe how QUICKLY time has gone. Anyways, this blog post is not about how much of an emotional wreck I have become thinking about how little time there is left. This post is about my latest adventures during Semana Santa.

Semana Santa is also referred to as Holy Week here in Central America. It is the week prior to Easter and down here, it is a big deal! A lot of places will shut down, schools will get off, and many people just get to enjoy a week full of family and friends. As for me, school did close and myself and 4 other teachers took the adventure to Guatemala. I had been to Guatemala before and was even more excited to go back. Guatemala is such a beautiful country full of bright colors, culture, and friendly people.

Day 1: Travel to Copan Ruinas.
-Because traveling in Central America takes 4 times as long as it would by car, we had to break our journey up into segments. Right after school ended on Friday, we set off for Copan Ruinas. Copan Ruinas is super cute, touristy boarder town. Our first part of the trip started out awesome when we ran into a friend who was already going that way. So casually, we hitchhiked and hopped in the back of his truck and off we went.

Day 2-4: Antigua, Guatemala
-Like mentioned before, I had been to Antigua, Guatemala prior to this trip so to say I was excited to go back was an understatement. Antigua is such a cool, chill, and beautiful city. After about 8 hours in a bus we finally had arrived to Antigua. The next couple of days, were spent exploring the city of Antigua. We shopped, we wondered from church to church, we took naps, we ate (lots and lots of wonderful food), and we witnessed the real Holy Week. During Holy Week, so many towns in Central America celebrate with parades, purple, and lots and lots of people. Experiencing Semana Santa in Antigua, Guatemala is definitely bucket list worthy. It's such a strong tradition and a beautiful one at that. On Sunday we were on our way to the market to do some shopping when we got stopped by the parade. This parade was breathe taking. Thousands and thousands of people gather to watch and participate in this parade. A sea of purple people were walking in the parade. However, the coolest part of the whole thing was seeing this HUGE and I mean huge Jesus being crusified on the cross, float being carried by the sea of purple men. We read in the newspaper the next day it brought together around 7000 people and they averaged 6 blocks an hour. I kid you not, this parade was no joke. They started early morning and did not end until 11:30 pm. It was definitely a sight to see and a sight to be remembered.

The other days spent in Antigua, were the true definition of vacation. We wondered around when we wanted, slept in, took naps, ate when we were hungry, and just enjoyed being on vacation.

Day  5-7: Semuc Champey
We left Antigua and headed about 8 hours north to a place called Semuc Champey. For those of you who don't know what that is. Stop what you are doing right now and go google it. Look at the pictures and put it on your bucket list. Semuc Champey had been on one of the girls I was traveling with's bucket list. Needless to say, it is now on mine and officially checked off my list as well. Semuc Champey is literally a hidden pocket of the world. It is in the middle of a mountain, down in a valley. It took us about an hour just to drive down the mountain to get to the little town we stayed at. We arrived at our hostel to only be blown away by the view. We stayed in these beautiful cabanas looking out on every side to nothing but mountain! Woke up: mountains. Showered: mountains. Ate breakfast: mountains. Brushed my teeth: mountains. It was wonderful. The next full day we had, we took a tour of Semuc Champey. We started the morning off with a 2 hour cave tour. With candle in one hand and nothing but excitement in the other we climbed into the cave. For two hours we climbed up and down, in and out of the water, slide down and jumped off cliffs all inside this bat cave. It was incredible. By the time our candles were just about burnt out it was time to move on to the next part of the day. After eating lunch, we hiked up the mountain to the look out point of the one and only Semuc Champey. The hike, in my opinion, was rough and challenging. SO. many. stairs. However, I made it to the top, barely, and I did thoroughly enjoy the view from the top. It was breathe taking once again. We then climbed back down the mountain to what I think was the best part of the day. We got to swim in the all natural made lime stone pools. There were a series of pools and waterfalls that we were able to swim from one to another. Swimming in these pools has been one of my favorite memories thus far. Imagine swimming in an all natural lime stone pool, fish nibbling at your feet, crystal clear water, mountains and monkeys howling in background. It was such an incredible moment that I keep watching over and over again in my head. After a long day of adventure and lots of water we climbed in the back of a truck yet again and headed back to our hostel. The day was wonderful, however hitchiking in the back of a truck driving through the mountains is icing on the cake. The next day and last full day of true vacation we had the definition of a relaxing day. We woke up with the sunrise, had lunch, read our books outside, went to the river, and had fun with our new friends we met. Semuc Champey was such a wonderful experience I advise anyone to check out!

Day 6: Rio Dulce
-The next day we had to catch our shuttle to our layover town because once again traveling is always a long process. We stopped in Rio Dulce which is a really cute and fun lake town. It is one of the main stops when going to Livingston (another new bucket list item). In Rio Dulce there was a big fair happening in celebration of Semana Santa. There was a ferris wheel, live music, food, games, and lots of people. I was beyond exhausted which resulted in pretty much staying in our hotel the whole night. If I had another opportunity, I would for sure go back to Rio Dulce and spend a night or two there and then head out to Livingston.

So there you have it, Semana Santa 2014. Definitely a trip to remember! Now back to reality full of students, tests, and Honduras. I still cannot believe we only have 6 weeks left!

xoxo,
Carly

Small Things in Life.

One of my new years resolutions was to blog/journal more...needless to say that has failed. Good thing it is only February and I still have time to change that. As always, I am still in shock how fast time goes. How, by the end of this week, February will be HALF over! Where in the world does time go? The more time I spend here, the more I am reminded of how amazing life, people, different cultures, and the world really is. Also I am constantly reminded of things I often take for granted. 

For example, as of Friday night, the Honduran government decided to shut off all cell phone services for what was suppose to be "24 hours". Well if any of you know, Honduras runs on their own time and 24 hours has now turned into 4 days. And we still have no cell phone services. Rumor behind all this is so the government can get a better handle on the drug trafficking, by tapping into peoples phone lines when needed. Another recent event has reminded me to not take things in life for granted is basic practiced health care. Yes, health care is such a debated topic in America. It always has been and always will be. However, I was informed tonight that one of my students broke her arm and will be out of the classroom for a few days. As I was talking about this incident, I was informed that she needed to be taken to the nearest town (about an hour away) to get her arm reset and cast put on. Wait for it, here is the catch, she has to wait at the local hospital for the ambulance to take her to the neighboring town. The ambulance is coming from San Pedro Sula which is 4 hours from Gracias. It is times like this that I am reminded to not complain about the health care I receive in America. Lastly, one other concept that has really got me counting my blessings these past weeks is running water. Water, such a basic and simple concept that the world runs on. As we go into dry season here in Honduras apparently dry has more than one meaning. Meaning, yes it will no be raining but also the scheduled water outages are more frequent. Why these happens, beats me. All I know is I will never take running water for granted ever again. Basic communication and running water such simple and common concepts that we are so conditioned to revolve around. All I know is am fortunate enough to have been born and raise in a country where these are not issues. However, I am even more fortunate enough to have gained these experiences that remind me not to take life for granted and to be reminded of how the small things in life are what really make the world go round. 

Just a few of the small things in my life that keep me going: 

• Waking up to the dogs barking and chickens clucking--such a fantastic reminder of how much life there really is in this world.
• Getting to walk to school every morning
• Seeing the amazing yet still very breathe taking mountains on my walk to school
• Greetings from my kiddos every morning-- every morning, it never fails, I get the biggest hug from one of my kiddos as if he hasn't seen me in almost a year. Never fails, always puts a smile on my face
• Baby animals--Honduras is full of animals and the best ones are the tiniest. 
• Texts from your best friend--even though I am countries away, having continuous communication with my best friends always put me in a great mood. 

On of the amazing teachers here, drew this for me. Words to live by and even better...in the shape of such an amazing country. 

Goodnight Y'all. 

xoxox,

C

The 5 F's

Christmas Break...I could describe my last two weeks in 5 words...

Fast: I had the amazing opportunity to spend the holiday season with my family and friends. However, my Christmas break went so fast!! And I use the term fast figuratively and literally. Not only did my two weeks feel like two days, I also was reminded of how fast paced America is. I was often taken aback by how quickly people are moving and how eager we are to get on to the next event. And in doing so, we sometimes forget to enjoy the moment we are in. Live in the moment, slow down a little and enjoy everything for what it is worth. 

Family: I am so blessed to have spent time with my family and friends. Nothing was more needed than spending some quality time with the ones I love the most. This Christmas I was beyond blessed. I got to spend multiple Christmases with my family and my best friends' family! Never take for granite spending time with the ones you love. They are the only medicine in life that truly heals the soul. 

Food: One word: food. Man I think if I had to sum up my trip home in one word it would be food. I feel like all I did while I was home was eat. (Not complaining) I ate some of the best food I have had in a very long time. So if you are reading this, drop what you are doing and go buy a bagel, put some cream cheese on it and eat one (two, three, or four) for me. K thanks. 

Freezing: If you are breathing right now then you know what I am talking about. Literally the fact that it was close to 20 below a few nights is not okay. Like come on Mother Nature, I get it you wanted me to experience the snow and the cold as much as possible while I was home, but seriously 15 below? So I think I got my share of the cold and I am ready to move on. 

Furious: Furious is a good adjective to use for when United Airlines cancelled my flight to Honduras and rerouted me 5 days later. However, after 5 hours on hold, some awesome friends, and a few flights later that is in the past and I am now safe and sound back in the little town of Gracias, Honduras. 

Today was the first day back with the students. Words could not even begin to explain how excited I was to see my little minions! I am so grateful to be back and so thankful for the time I spent in America. America was awesome and I had so much fun but one last observation made while I was there was that we Americans waste a lot of electricity. So as I say goodnight I leave you with a few words. Go unplug something, something you aren't using and save a little electricity (and money). :)  

Happy New Year!

xoxo,

Carly 

So there it is...

     I, Ms. Carly Adams, has officially finished her first semester teaching. For anyone who can kind of relate to surviving their first semester, I am sure we are feeling similar feelings. For me and all my other fellow educators out there, I finished my first semester teaching! The semester ended on Thursday and on Friday we closed it in with probably one of the most extravagant parades I have ever seen or been apart of. I like to pretend it is the Macy's Day Parade for Minerva Bilingual School. Like I am not even joking, all week we spent HOURS on HOURS decorating and preparing for this parade. It reminded me a lot of Homecoming week and Rock Chalk Revue week all in one. The kids had to have tailor made outfits all themed to Christmas, the floats had to be just right, and there HAD to be glitter on everything! So basically when I though I was done with the sorority life, I was wrong. Good thing I had four years of glitter training under my belt. So to end the school year and to celebrate Christmas, all of us teachers and students lined the streets of Gracias and paraded down to the school. After about an hour of walking we ended the parade with a nice and short Christmas show. Many different groups performed including: girl scouts, teachers, theater, black theater, and the band.
     After all the chaos had ended, I basically crawled myself into bed for some rest. Before I turned my brain off for the night, I started reflecting on the past 4 months. The past four months have been breathtakingly challenging, rewarding, beautiful, and so quick! These months have flown by faster than I could have EVER imagined. I remember as if it was just yesterday, I was terrified to teach my first day. However, I did it, I survived. I survived the first week, the first month, and even the first semester! In the past four months, I have learned more about myself than I think I have in the past 22 years of living. I have learned what works and what does not work in a classroom. I have learned how to work with administration. I have learned how to be resourceful when resources are limited. I have learned how to be flexible and boy am I not exaggerating that one! The list can go on and on and truthfully, I am excited to see what else is to be learned in the next six months living here.
     Living here has taught me two things and that is to enjoy the most simple things in life and to be flexible. As a North American, it is instilled in our lives to always have control over situations. However, like I have mentioned before, to live here you must be comfortable with flexibility. Being able to just go with whatever is being thrown at you is the way of life here. Sometimes yes, a little organization is helpful however sometimes you just have to sit back and ride it out because in the end it will all work out.
     So as my last week in Honduras for the year 2013 comes and goes, I am preparing myself for my journey back to the United States for a couple weeks. I started to pack my bags today because I was so excited! I miss my family and friends so much and the just the thought that in ONE WEEK at this exact time I will be in flight to Houston. I am beyond blessed to be able to spend Christmas with my family!

In the mean time, I have tests to give...
See you all in one week.

xoxo
-Carly

THANKSGIVING FROM EL SALVADOR!

So remember that one time, I spent Thanksgiving day on the glorious beach of El Tunco in El Salvador!? Well I do, here is a picture to prove it.

I mean look at it? I must admit, prior to this trip I was a little bummed on the idea of my first Thanksgiving in 21 years that I would have not spent it with my family. So the idea and thought of not watching the Macy's Day Parade and indulging myself in my grandmothers amazing food was a little disheartening. However after 6 hours on a bus and an hour in a cab, we finally made it to our hostel. Threw on our suits and headed for the beach. The weather was awesome and the water was perfect! Never had I spent Thanksgiving away from my family let alone on a beach in El Salvador. Do I regret it? NEVER! Best holiday yet! 

 The weekend was filled with awesome and cheap food, nights out, great people, and awesome memories! This vacation was truly the first vacation I have ever felt was really vacation. We went to bed late, slept in and woke up when we actually wanted to and to only go lay on the beach, where we read and napped. Nothing needed to be done, nothing got in our way, we just enjoyed life's simple beauty.

The weekend was also full lots of educational knowledge on how the earth works. I learned how the waves work and how low and high tide happen. I learned about the green flash (which I did not get to see, so I am still skeptical), and countless other mind blowing acts of life. If you have never watched the sunset over the ocean, stop what you are doing right now and re-prioritize your bucket list. It is a must do! The last night we had to spend on the beach, we sat and watched the sun go down over the water while an amazing and beautiful wedding was happening about 50 feet behind us.

Time and time again, I have to stop and remind myself to thank God. He has blessed me beyond belief and provided me with a lifetime of opportunities. So as Thanksgiving weekend came and went, I am thankful for so many things. I am thankful for my life, my family who supports me on this crazy adventure, for my job, for the kids in my life, and my wonderful friends. The list goes on and on, however most importantly I am thankful for the wonderful earth we live on. It sure is beautiful. 

xoxo,

One very sappy and thankful Carly.

ps. all these photos are stolen from my wonderful and amazing partner in crime Elizabeth Foreman.