Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Prayers Please
Friends. My mentor teacher needs all of your thoughts and prayers at this time. Her niece was born not even 2 months ago with a rare condition where her brain does not tell her to breathe. The family knew even before little Kate was born that she would not live long because of this. It seems that god will be calling her home very soon. Paige will be flying back to the states to be with her family and I will be left in charge of the classroom for the week that she is gone. I ask that you please pray for me; that I will be ready for this responsibility when it comes. But more importantly, I ask that you pray for Paige and her family. I have been through a lot of loss in my life but I can not even begin to imagine how it would feel to lose a child, especially one that the family is just getting to know. Please pray that their family may find peace in this time of darkness. I am so blessed to have such a great support system in all of you. I know that there have been tons of prayers and good vibes sent my way during this trip. I now ask that you take a moment and think of Paige and her family as they go through this trying time. Thank you and all my love to you!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
First Days Frienzies
Hello all! I apologize for the long length of time that has elapsed since my last post. Things have been crazy here getting settled into my new digs and preparing for twenty four kiddos!
When I last left you, I was still staying with my mentor because the process for getting my housing proved to be more difficult than anyone could have anticipated. That continued to be an issue for me. We got the keys to a room on Tuesday from the base in Graff (30 minutes away), had to drive back to Vilseck to make sure it looked ok and that everything was working. Then had to drive back to Graff and sign my paperwork to make my room mine. Long story short, I spent 4 of my 5 days last week running from base to base with various teachers who donated their time all trying to pay for housing and get the passes I need to be on base. I finally got my housing paid for Friday (only 127 dollars a month!) and got my privilege card so I could fill my fridge. I am STILL working on getting the pass that will let me come and go on base. So needless to say, it's been a challenge and a bit of a nightmare. Hopefully soon everything will be resolved.
So I am in my room. It is a lot like a dorm, lots of rooms in one building. Because this is a deployment year, there appear to be only a handful of people in the building, none of which I have actually seen. So kind of a creepy, lonely place to be. It is all one room with a full sized bed, closet, desk, love seat, kitchen, and bathroom. The kitchen does not have an oven which is a little disappointing. I am really craving some homemade cookies right about now! But so far, I've been so busy with everything that I have been eating meals that don't require much preparation. Its a nice enough place. Has what I need and I have been able to borrow from others what it didn't have.
It wouldn't be right if I didn't stop and take a second to rave about the people I have met here. My mentor and her partner have been INCREDIBLE. Opening their house to me, taking me shopping the first time so I could put my things in a car instead of making several small trips on foot, letting me do my laundry at their house and borrow their Internet, driving me where I need to be, making me dinner, asking me on trips with them, introducing me to all their friends and other incredible people, etc. This place is wonderful. All of the staff are really friendly and have provided me with everything I could possibly want while I'm here. I have been offered rides places, meals when I want them, and beds in real homes when I need to get away. I feel so incredibly blessed to be surrounded by so many good-hearted people. It has made this transition seamless.
So last week was filled with cleaning, planning, and making trips all over the place trying to get ready for school and to get me legal. This weekend I went to my first fest in the small neighboring town of Schlict. It was there that I had my first brat, the Nuremberg brat. They were really skinny and long, like sausage links and very good. I went with my mentor and a bunch of her teaching friends. We drank beer, ate meat and bread, and ended the night sitting by their friends fire talking and laughing. It was a great night. I spent the night at my mentor's house and went to church with them the next morning. I spent the rest of the afternoon at their house working on homework and doing my laundry for free! Even got a home cooked meal while I was there. Have I mentioned how giving and loving these people are?!
First day of school was yesterday. I have 5th grade classroom with 24 students, 12 girls and 12 boys. The class is extremely diverse (these are military kids) which is really neat. They all seem really sweet and say things like "yes mam" all the time. It is hard knowing that over half the class has a parent who is deployed. It is amazing to see the way they carry on even when their world is in turmoil. I can already tell how rewarding this experience will be for me. I brought a behavior management program with me to Vilseck and all the teachers are raving about it and are so glad I did! It was nice to be able to bring something to the table. By 10 AM yesterday, my mentor was telling me that I am a natural and making plans to start turning things over to me as soon as Wednesday! Being told that you are a natural is, I think, one of the biggest compliments you can receive in this career. Paige and I get along really well and seem to have the same kind of teaching philosophy which helps a lot! I know I will be able to get a lot of invaluable experiences this semester and I am so looking forward to growing into an even better teacher!
That's what I have been up to! I am taking a weekend camping trip to Garmish, a southern German town, this weekend with my mentor and a bunch of other teachers. I will attempt to blog before then and am sure I will have lots to report after. For those of you who haven't heard, I have not gotten Wifi in my room yet so that is why I am unable to get and recieve texts, snapchats, and Skype right now. They are supposed to set me up September 4th, a week from tomorrow. When I have that set up, it should be much easier for me to communicate with everyone, especially through text and Skype. Sorry if you feel I have been neglecting you! I just haven't been getting things. Also, I got my address today which I will include at the end of the blog. PLEASE DO NOT FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO SEND ME SOMETHING. Things are expensive. Letting me know you love me is free and easy and does not require the use of the postal service! As always, thank you all for the love, prayers, and support. I honestly did not know how this adventure was going to go. I was very nervous about being this far away from family and friends. The people I have met here and the support I have gotten from home have really made for a smooth start. I feel settled and actually very excited about all of my opportunities over here. It's going to be a great 4 months. Until next time, Chuse!
When I last left you, I was still staying with my mentor because the process for getting my housing proved to be more difficult than anyone could have anticipated. That continued to be an issue for me. We got the keys to a room on Tuesday from the base in Graff (30 minutes away), had to drive back to Vilseck to make sure it looked ok and that everything was working. Then had to drive back to Graff and sign my paperwork to make my room mine. Long story short, I spent 4 of my 5 days last week running from base to base with various teachers who donated their time all trying to pay for housing and get the passes I need to be on base. I finally got my housing paid for Friday (only 127 dollars a month!) and got my privilege card so I could fill my fridge. I am STILL working on getting the pass that will let me come and go on base. So needless to say, it's been a challenge and a bit of a nightmare. Hopefully soon everything will be resolved.
So I am in my room. It is a lot like a dorm, lots of rooms in one building. Because this is a deployment year, there appear to be only a handful of people in the building, none of which I have actually seen. So kind of a creepy, lonely place to be. It is all one room with a full sized bed, closet, desk, love seat, kitchen, and bathroom. The kitchen does not have an oven which is a little disappointing. I am really craving some homemade cookies right about now! But so far, I've been so busy with everything that I have been eating meals that don't require much preparation. Its a nice enough place. Has what I need and I have been able to borrow from others what it didn't have.
It wouldn't be right if I didn't stop and take a second to rave about the people I have met here. My mentor and her partner have been INCREDIBLE. Opening their house to me, taking me shopping the first time so I could put my things in a car instead of making several small trips on foot, letting me do my laundry at their house and borrow their Internet, driving me where I need to be, making me dinner, asking me on trips with them, introducing me to all their friends and other incredible people, etc. This place is wonderful. All of the staff are really friendly and have provided me with everything I could possibly want while I'm here. I have been offered rides places, meals when I want them, and beds in real homes when I need to get away. I feel so incredibly blessed to be surrounded by so many good-hearted people. It has made this transition seamless.
So last week was filled with cleaning, planning, and making trips all over the place trying to get ready for school and to get me legal. This weekend I went to my first fest in the small neighboring town of Schlict. It was there that I had my first brat, the Nuremberg brat. They were really skinny and long, like sausage links and very good. I went with my mentor and a bunch of her teaching friends. We drank beer, ate meat and bread, and ended the night sitting by their friends fire talking and laughing. It was a great night. I spent the night at my mentor's house and went to church with them the next morning. I spent the rest of the afternoon at their house working on homework and doing my laundry for free! Even got a home cooked meal while I was there. Have I mentioned how giving and loving these people are?!
First day of school was yesterday. I have 5th grade classroom with 24 students, 12 girls and 12 boys. The class is extremely diverse (these are military kids) which is really neat. They all seem really sweet and say things like "yes mam" all the time. It is hard knowing that over half the class has a parent who is deployed. It is amazing to see the way they carry on even when their world is in turmoil. I can already tell how rewarding this experience will be for me. I brought a behavior management program with me to Vilseck and all the teachers are raving about it and are so glad I did! It was nice to be able to bring something to the table. By 10 AM yesterday, my mentor was telling me that I am a natural and making plans to start turning things over to me as soon as Wednesday! Being told that you are a natural is, I think, one of the biggest compliments you can receive in this career. Paige and I get along really well and seem to have the same kind of teaching philosophy which helps a lot! I know I will be able to get a lot of invaluable experiences this semester and I am so looking forward to growing into an even better teacher!
That's what I have been up to! I am taking a weekend camping trip to Garmish, a southern German town, this weekend with my mentor and a bunch of other teachers. I will attempt to blog before then and am sure I will have lots to report after. For those of you who haven't heard, I have not gotten Wifi in my room yet so that is why I am unable to get and recieve texts, snapchats, and Skype right now. They are supposed to set me up September 4th, a week from tomorrow. When I have that set up, it should be much easier for me to communicate with everyone, especially through text and Skype. Sorry if you feel I have been neglecting you! I just haven't been getting things. Also, I got my address today which I will include at the end of the blog. PLEASE DO NOT FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO SEND ME SOMETHING. Things are expensive. Letting me know you love me is free and easy and does not require the use of the postal service! As always, thank you all for the love, prayers, and support. I honestly did not know how this adventure was going to go. I was very nervous about being this far away from family and friends. The people I have met here and the support I have gotten from home have really made for a smooth start. I feel settled and actually very excited about all of my opportunities over here. It's going to be a great 4 months. Until next time, Chuse!
Monday, August 19, 2013
Surviving the Shuffle
This is now my third full day in Germany! I have still not been able to get into my room on base so I continue to stay with my mentor teacher. Hopefully I will be able to get all the necessary paperwork signed tomorrow and get moved in. School starts for teachers Wednesday!
I spent Saturday exploring a town called Amburg with one of my mentor teacher's friends who also attended Truman and now works at the school I will be doing my teaching at. Amburg is a quaint city surrounded entirely by a wall. There is a downtown area with many shops and caffes and rivers with walkways surrounding them. I will be sure to put up pictures soon! We walked around the whole city and then had a traditional German dinner of schnitzel and beer! It was all very yummy! She also showed me how to get around on the trains and busses and gave me a lot of advice about planning trips and ways to make the most out of my experience. It was a great way to see some of the country in a not-so-overwhelming way.
On Sunday I went to church with my mentor. We then went for a picnic at the schwimbad which is an outdoor pool. This one was unique because it was all natural, with no chemical treatments! It was too cold for me to get in but it was fun to people watch and take in the experience. We then went to some of my mentor teacher's friends house for dinner. They have 2 kids under 6 and it was fun to be around little balls of energy again!
Today I was able to look around base for the first time. We went virtually everywhere. I was able to see the school and the class ill be in. Everyone there seems really welcoming and friendly which will make for a nice transition. I saw the building I will be living in once we get all the logistics ironed out. I also went to the commissary and the PX where I got some information about Internet. Looks like it is going to cost a pretty penny to be able to have Internet in my room on base. What's worse, they are notorious for taking their time when getting things done so it could be a while before I am able to enjoy Internet from the comfort of my own home. This is something I have been most worried about when thinking about moving on base. I ask for good thoughts that things will be less complicated than they appear to be now.
I am so blessed to have the mentor that I do. She and her friends have made this transition as seamless as possible, keeping me entertained, fed, and in good spirits. While I wish I could complete my semester form the comfort of their home, I know that being in my own is one of the challenges I most wanted to face while I'm here. It is nice to know that I have people here looking out for me in addition to all my cheerleaders back home. Please keep good thoughts for my next transition on to base! Love you all!
I spent Saturday exploring a town called Amburg with one of my mentor teacher's friends who also attended Truman and now works at the school I will be doing my teaching at. Amburg is a quaint city surrounded entirely by a wall. There is a downtown area with many shops and caffes and rivers with walkways surrounding them. I will be sure to put up pictures soon! We walked around the whole city and then had a traditional German dinner of schnitzel and beer! It was all very yummy! She also showed me how to get around on the trains and busses and gave me a lot of advice about planning trips and ways to make the most out of my experience. It was a great way to see some of the country in a not-so-overwhelming way.
On Sunday I went to church with my mentor. We then went for a picnic at the schwimbad which is an outdoor pool. This one was unique because it was all natural, with no chemical treatments! It was too cold for me to get in but it was fun to people watch and take in the experience. We then went to some of my mentor teacher's friends house for dinner. They have 2 kids under 6 and it was fun to be around little balls of energy again!
Today I was able to look around base for the first time. We went virtually everywhere. I was able to see the school and the class ill be in. Everyone there seems really welcoming and friendly which will make for a nice transition. I saw the building I will be living in once we get all the logistics ironed out. I also went to the commissary and the PX where I got some information about Internet. Looks like it is going to cost a pretty penny to be able to have Internet in my room on base. What's worse, they are notorious for taking their time when getting things done so it could be a while before I am able to enjoy Internet from the comfort of my own home. This is something I have been most worried about when thinking about moving on base. I ask for good thoughts that things will be less complicated than they appear to be now.
I am so blessed to have the mentor that I do. She and her friends have made this transition as seamless as possible, keeping me entertained, fed, and in good spirits. While I wish I could complete my semester form the comfort of their home, I know that being in my own is one of the challenges I most wanted to face while I'm here. It is nice to know that I have people here looking out for me in addition to all my cheerleaders back home. Please keep good thoughts for my next transition on to base! Love you all!
Saturday, August 17, 2013
A Safe Place to Land
Hello all! As you may have heard, I attempted to post a blog yesterday without success so this is my second attempt. I have made it to Vilsec! My housing on base isn't ready until Monday so I am staying with my mentor teacher and her roommate. Their house is amazing. I have my own bed and bathroom complete with a glass shower with adjustable water pressure! So cool. They have been very accommodating, keeping me fed and showing me the town. We went on a rather lengthy walk yesterday after dinner to see the town and keep me awake. They were able to keep me up until about 10 pm German time and I slept in this morning. So my jet lag is nearly inexistent! Today has started with authentic German pretzels and some relaxing.
I won't lie, yesterday was really rough. Being in a country where you do not speak the language at all is overwhelming. I am the first intern to come over alone as well so I don't have anyone over here that can really relate to what I'm going through. Going on this adventure was not an easy decision to make . It involves leaving behind my family, friends, and everything familiar to me. I am not the kind of person who likes to be alone; I'd much prefer the company of others. So this trip is not only an incredible experience, it is a challenge. I hope to come home December 22nd a more independent, confident woman. Your prayers and good thoughts are much appreciated during this adventure.
I have no reason to believe that this trip will be anything short of amazing. I promise to blog as often as possible with updates but I refuse to do so if I have nothing witty or worthwhile to say. I'll leave that to the newspapers and late night talk show hosts. Keep in touch with me through face book, Skype (amy_hiatt85), email (amh6275@truman.edu), or texting and I will respond as promptly as I can. Love you all!
I won't lie, yesterday was really rough. Being in a country where you do not speak the language at all is overwhelming. I am the first intern to come over alone as well so I don't have anyone over here that can really relate to what I'm going through. Going on this adventure was not an easy decision to make . It involves leaving behind my family, friends, and everything familiar to me. I am not the kind of person who likes to be alone; I'd much prefer the company of others. So this trip is not only an incredible experience, it is a challenge. I hope to come home December 22nd a more independent, confident woman. Your prayers and good thoughts are much appreciated during this adventure.
I have no reason to believe that this trip will be anything short of amazing. I promise to blog as often as possible with updates but I refuse to do so if I have nothing witty or worthwhile to say. I'll leave that to the newspapers and late night talk show hosts. Keep in touch with me through face book, Skype (amy_hiatt85), email (amh6275@truman.edu), or texting and I will respond as promptly as I can. Love you all!
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