Bringing the Heat

Okay, I feel like it’s finally time to talk about the heat.  Now, I know it can get pretty hot in the Midwest.  I’ve experienced those hot, humid days in Kansas, and if you aren’t from there, you probably don’t know what I’m talking about.  I mean there were days in Kansas when it gets over 100 degrees and the humidity around 90%.  It’s hot!  I’ve been there.  I know that.  BUT,there is nothing in comparison to the heat in Kuwait.  Today, I think I can officially say it was the hottest day I’ve experienced. 

On our mission to explore the city, we were up and out the door by 8:30 a.m.  Our first stop was the Friday Market (I’ll explain later).  At 9:00 a.m., the temperature at Friday Market was 41 degrees C.  If you do a basic conversion, you’ll see that is approximately 106 degrees F.  This is at 9 in the morning!  The longer we were out, the hotter it got, and the sun is so intense.  The humidity is pretty low, but when you factor in the sun, it’s miserable.

You can tell when those in our group start to get hot.  First, we usually get pretty quiet.  We just keep walking.  Then, we begin to find any type of shade possible.  We keep walking.  Next, it usually ends up with someone mentioning the possible sighting of a mall or other indoor area.  We keep walking.  By the time we reach an air-conditioned building, we are drenched.  To quote Emily, “I think I am sweating in places that I didn’t know could sweat.”  Yes, it’s hot. 

I can’t complain about the heat too much.  I at least get to wear shorts, and I can’t help but think of our military that are in places just as hot wearing long pants and long sleeves.  Needless to say, I think today I will stay inside. 

The first week of class

We all survived week one!  I can report that there have been no major issues in class.  My students appear engaged and invested in the learning process.  Their first presentations were on Thursday, and they ranged from very good to very poor.  The same principles exist here as they do in the states…if you prepare adequately, you’ll give a good presentation.  If you do not, your presentation   will suffer. 

It’s been somewhat challenging to adjust to a different workweek.  The Muslim holy day is Friday, so our workweeks are Sunday-Thursday.   It’s a very small thing,but I still catch myself talking about the wrong day of the week. 

Jill and I are requiring that each of our students meet with us at least once during the term for individual “coaching.”  During that time, we will sit down with our students and watch their presentation (they are recorded) and offer verbal feedback.  I am anxious to see how many students take advantage of that this week.  I believe that the students are very open to feedback, so I have a feeling I’ll see quite a few.

Exploring Kuwait

We’ve learned that it’s best to do plenty of research prior to heading out into the city.  Now that we are wired at our apartments, we have the means to make sure places are open, get addresses, and check times for the sights we’d like to see.  With that being said, we decided that we’d explore some of downtown Kuwait City this weekend.  Our main points of interest were the Friday Markets and the Kuwait National Museum.

Friday Market.  We were pretty excited about making our way to the Friday Market (or souk).  I’m not gonna lie, it was pretty overwhelming.  All five of us crammed into a cab for the 2KD ride to the market that was held at the fairgrounds.  The best way to describe it is the biggest flea market you have ever seen.  You could buy anything you wanted at this place:  irons, perfume, rugs, tools, dogs, birds, pigeons, monkeys, goats…ANYTHING.  It didn’t take long for us to realize that we didn’t need to spend a long time here.  We stuck out like sore thumbs; hence we didn’t feel the need to take any pictures.  Why make ourselves look more obvious?  Time to look for another cab.

Kuwait National Museum.  We thought the museum would be a great way learn about the history of Kuwait.  Sadly, we were wrong.  Unfortunately, during the Iraqi invasion, it was looted and mostly destroyed.  All that is left is two rooms.  There is a room with about eight large wooden doors on display, and then another room that houses archaeological items.  The grounds of the museum are quite large, but most of it is closed.  It’s actually sad when you think about it.  I was slightly amazed that there had not been more rebuilding of the museum.  It seems like the rebuilding of the country has been more commercial than historical.

At this point, we are hot.  We decided to walk towards the palace of the Kuwaiti Emir (ruler). Across the street from this beautiful palace was a very old, run-down building.  Such a contrast, but that contrast seems very prevalent in Kuwait.  We passed the Grand Mosque on the way.  The Grand Mosque is Kuwait’s largest mosque and can hold 10,000 men at prayer time.  Because it was Friday (the holy day) we knew that we were not going to be able to go inside, so we simply observed it in passing.  We are still really hot and the day is only getting hotter at this point.

Finally, we see our saving grace…a mall!  We knew this would be our refuge for air conditioning and a drink.  This mall had quite a food court.  We could choose from any fast food restaurants even Chili’s or Applebee’s.  We finally cooled down and cleaned ourselves up a bit before lunch.

The Burger Hub.  In Jill’s research, she came across a place called the “Burger Hub.”  After taking a look at the menu, we decided that a burger and fries was the weekend treat we needed.  We caught a cab to the Burger Hub and gorged ourselves with burgers, fries, and pumpkin chips.  I know what you are thinking.  It definitely wasn’t traditional Kuwaiti food, but at this point in the week, we felt that we deserved a treat.  Again, Emily said it best “I could eat the crap out of a burger and fries.”  She’s so wise.

After our delicious burger, we called it a day and began the process of looking for a cab.  This proves challenging during the heat of the day.  We finally found one and made our way home.  It was a short, but very exhausting experience. 

Other items of interest

No progress to report on the Dunkin’ Donuts.  There was a crane out front the other day, but sadly it was not working on the store.  I can taste the donuts.  I know it’s close to opening.

I got my hair cut for the first time in Kuwait.  Jill cut it for me.  My brother gave me a pair of clippers, and I convinced Jill that she couldn’t screw up my hair.  Actually, I think my exact words were “It’s like shearing a sheep.  If you can do that, you can do this.”  With only one little “oopsie” it’s a good job.  Thanks, Jill.  You’ll have your own salon before you know it.

Our Thursday night activity was a “make your own pizza” night.  It was very tasty…lots of fresh veggies and homemade pita pizzas.  We topped off our crazy night with three episodes of Weeds. 

Today, we booked our travel excursion.  It looks like we’ll be exploring Jordan.  Jill and I will spend our week off in Aqaba, Jordan and then Meredith and Emily will join us in Amman.  I can’t wait!

You Always Want What You Can't Have

It starts innocently enough. Sometimes it starts as simply letting someone know that you are hungry. Next, you begin to describe what you would eat if you were able to eat anything you wanted. Before you know it, it’s out of control. You are describing mouth-watering meals, foods you can’t have, and drinks that aren’t allowed. It’s dirty. It’s wrong.

The conversation on the ride home from campus usually goes something like this:

Cory: “I’m hungry.”
Jill: “Me too.”
Emily: “Oh my gosh…you know what sounds so good??? A burger from Mike’s.”
Cory: “Mmmm…I love burgers. I want some chip and dip with my burger. I could eat the crap out of some chips and dip right now.”
Jill: “Me too. I love chips and salsa. And queso made with Velvetta…in fact, I could just eat the Velvetta plain and be happy.”
Emily: “You know what goes good with burgers, chips, and dip? Chocolate. Like a flipping pound of it.”

It’s not to say that we can’t get the food we want because we can. At least once a week, we stop at the Sultan Center where we can get our fix of Old El Paso items, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, or even the biggest jar of Pace Picante Sauce you can find. The Sultan Center is the westernized grocery store, and it’s about two or three blocks from AUK. They have a great variety of fruits and vegetables, and pretty much any name brand food we can get in the US. BUT…we still talk about food. All the time! I think that we all have an idea of the first meal we are going to have once we get back. Right now, I’m thinking about Mexican food. I have to stop. This could get out of hand.

People have been asking what I have been eating. For the most part, I’ve been eating the same as I would in Blacksburg. I’ve been trying to eat as much vegetables as possible, and Justin bought a 5KG bag of rice, so we’ve had lots of rice. I’ve only eaten out twice. The first was at a place that I’ll call “Panera-ish”. It was pretty tasty. Then, the director of the writing program at AUK took us out to eat at an Indian/Chinese restaurant. I had “chunky beef” and rice. We also had some excellent hummus. The meal was great! There are plenty of familiar restaurants, but they are much more expensive than they are in the states, so we’ve avoided them. But, we are planning a trip to “Taco Time” in the near future.

Our latest eating adventure came last night. All along the streets there are small shops that have a rotisserie out front cooking chickens. We’ve driven by them and commented on how good the chicken looked, but for some reason, we’ve been hesitant to try them. I mean, seriously, who wants to get salmonella from an undercooked chicken from a street vendor in Kuwait? BUT, our new friend Kevin tried one the other evening and said it was amazing. So after we got home from campus, the five of us took off in the search for chicken. Surprisingly, there was a shop less than block away from our apartment building! For 2.5 KD, we got two whole chickens, some pita bread, and a spinach salad. They were amazing! I think I could eat a chicken everyday for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And the best news is that, at this point, no one has been visibly ill.

Not only do we talk all the time about food, but now we’ve started to talk about technology. Yes, there is still no Internet at the apartment even though they told us “three more days” about six days ago. We joke about spending too much time on Skype, texting each other, or checking for things online. Not sure if you’ve noticed, but we are pretty funny.

Students at AUK
I wasn’t really sure what the students at AUK would be like. I hoped they would be very similar to the students that I have taught in the past, and I can say they pretty much are. There are a few differences though. The students at AUK are some of the best dressed and accessorized I’ve ever seen. They are very conscious about how they look, and it is pretty evident. The girls in my class carry designer purses and wear designer sunglasses. They LOVE their Blackberries! Even the boys on campus look much different than boys in America and are much different than the boys on campus at VT. I told Justin and Jill that I felt like we needed to print off the Armani logo and tape to our shirts for the first day of class. Maybe then, we’d look like we fit in. Let’s not even talk about the cars that they drive. Now, I can’t be sure, but I’m betting of the students in my class, we’ll have several Mercedes, BMWs, maybe an Toyota FJ or two, and probably several other SUVs. I can’t wait to get out to the parking lot and take a picture of the variety of kinds of cars.

Before I got here, I was curious as to how my students would dress. I was assuming that most of my students would be Muslim, and I thought that most would wear traditional Muslim attire. In my class, I have a mixture. Around a quarter of my students do not wear any of the traditional dress. If you were to put them in a room with Americans, the only way you would be able to tell who was from Kuwait would be to listen to them talk. Around half of my students wear a hijab. The hijab is a headscarf that covers their hair and neck. But, their headscarf is still quite trendy and colorful and most also wear big sunglasses. One or two students wear an abaya, which is a black, long sleeved floor-length robe. I have not seen many students at AUK that wear a burqa, which also covers the face. No matter what they are wearing, they are very well dressed, and I can tell they take pride in their appearance.

Aside from the obvious differences or similarities, I will venture to say that my students are very eager to learn. They are very, very polite (excuse me, Mr. Professor) and they even raise their hands when they want to talk. I’ve been teaching just as I would if I was teaching American students, and they are responding nicely. The first time we did a “teach back” they weren’t quite sure about it, but they ended up doing an excellent job and seemed to enjoy it.

Our first presentation is on Thursday, and I am anxious to see how that goes. I’ll report this weekend.

Other items
The Dunkin’ Donuts is still making progress. They’ve put a door in the new sheet rock they have put up. I’m sure that in no time, I’ll be getting my fill of delicious donuts fresh out of the oven. Okay, that was sarcasm. I hope it is ready for the people that come next year.

We got a cell phone today. When we got to thinking about it, it probably isn’t a good idea that we have NO means of communicating with anyone once we leave campus. The director of the writing program was pretty concerned and suggested we see if we could get one. The university hooked us up. We have one phone for our entire group, and we were explicitly informed it only makes local calls. Good thing Pizza Hut and Papa Johns are local. We even programmed the number for the US Embassy…just in case.

We finished season one of Weeds. Wow. Good stuff. Between our chickens and the four episodes of Weeds we watched (including the season one finale), yesterday was a big day!

My brother asked me the other day if what I missed most from home. I’ve come up with some items: curtains/blinds on my bedroom window, a full-size washer and dryer, English speaking TV channels, and my coffee pot. Other than that, all is well at the Amman Street roundabout.

The Real World: Kuwait City

I’m convinced that my life right now is pretty similar to MTV’s Real World. I live in a pimped out apartment with people that I don’t know very well (except for Jill of course). Downstairs, they have a brand new pool table and exercise equipment, and we have these cool new jobs. If we only had a SUV to drive, it would be pretty much the same. Well, except for no booze, no clubs, no drama, and no fighting, it would be exactly the same.

Okay, it’s nothing like the Real World, but I continue to be thankful for this opportunity. I remind myself that not many people will have this type of experience, and I just add it to my list of blessings I have received. I know this summer will be challenging, but I also know that it will be worth it in the long run.

The first day of school
Even thought I’ve taught for many years, I always get nervous on the first day of class. If you’ve taught before, you know what I am talking about. The students don’t know you, and you don’t know them. It’s usually pretty quiet, and you have to do everything short of begging to get the students to talk. Today, I was much more nervous than usual. In addition to the usual issues of the first day of school, I was facing cultural differences, language differences, and gender differences. I’m still not sure why I was assigned the all female section, but I’m guessing there was a rationale for their assignments.

Jill, Emily, and I (we have decided to take a cab instead of walking…Justin and Meredith are walking each day) got to AUK campus around 9 a.m. We’ve decided that our workday will be from 9 a.m.- 4p.m. That will allow us to get to campus with plenty of time for the person with the earliest class and let us all leave together when the last person is done teaching. Once we got to campus, there were a few final touches to put on the syllabus before printing. My class began at 2:00 p.m. and there were 25 students on my roster. I was somewhat worried because at 1:55 p.m. I had only around 10 in the classroom. I started promptly at 2, and several continued to straggle in during the first 30 minutes. We’ve been warned that we HAVE to share our expectations immediately as it relates to being on time. The culture here is much more laid back, so their approach to time is much different than most. Like teaching in the US, I had to remind them to put their cell phone (mobiles) away during class. I told them if I can live without mine for 8 weeks, they can live without theirs for two hours. =)

I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what to expect today. My first impression of the class is that they are a very intelligent group of young ladies. Their English skills vary, but for the most part, everyone speaks fluently. They were interested/engaged during today’s class, and I hope that will continue. Because it’s a four-week course, we have to do our first presentations this week, and they seemed shocked by that. I’m anxious to see their abilities and how they handle this first presentation. They really seem like they want to become better public speakers, and they see the importance of the class and how it will benefit them.

Overall, day one of class was good. Not outstanding, but a solid class period.

Not connected
How did we survive without Internet in our homes? Better yet, how did we survive without Internet? In today’s world, most have access to email or the Internet whenever or wherever the want. Because of that, I can say that I am pretty much addicted to being able to email, chat, blog, Facebook, or IM at anytime. I have it at home, and I have it at work. Being in Kuwait, I was counting on the Internet as my means of communication with my family and friends. But, I am somewhat limited because we do not have Internet at our apartments yet. My time online is confined to my office at the university, and even there, some sites are blocked (Facebook mainly). We’ve been told that the Internet will be up and running by tomorrow, but we’ll see. We joke that once it’s up and running, we might not talk to each other, and we are convinced that not having it is their way of making sure we bond. Honestly, if not having Internet at my apartment is my biggest complaint I have at this point, I’d say life is pretty good. Although, I might complain some more if Skype really is blocked like they say.

Dust
The sandstorm that we had last weekend left our apartment DUSTY! Literally, the wind blew so hard; the dust came through my closed windows. I could write my name in the dust on the floor in front of my window. Finally, today, I bought a dust mop and dusted our floors. We have nice tile floors, and as of a couple of hours ago, they are dust free…or until Justin or I walk out and walk back in, or we get another sand storm.

I’ve been surprised that we’ve not really had a clear day. It seems like the later in the day it gets, the hazier it is. It’s the dust, and it’s been tough to get used to. Again, I fully understand that others have it worse than I do, so I’m not complaining at all. Just noting the differences.

Final thoughts
They did more work on the Dunkin’ Donut today. I think they painted the sheet rock, and I bet we’ll have another sign up before we know it. It also looks like another business is moving in the same area. Their sign was up today too. It was a big day near the Amman Street roundabout.

Look both ways before crossing...

Contrary to what we have all learned, in Kuwait, the pedestrian does NOT have the right of way. In fact, so far the only time I have ever felt I was personally in danger is when I cross the street. Yes, there are crosswalks, but that really doesn’t matter here.

When I was doing my research before I came, I read that the driving in Kuwait is pretty crazy. I can confirm that. While in other regards, Kuwaitis have a more laid back approach to life, that changes when they get behind the wheel. Cars fly down the streets, take corners at fast speeds, and seem to disregard anyone trying to cross the street in a crosswalk. Taxis are everywhere, and they honk at “potential” passengers. Anywhere we walk, we are honked at. You’d think they would get the idea that if we aren’t flagging them down we don’t need a ride. Even if we had access to a vehicle, I’m not sure I would want to drive. I’ll keep to the sidewalks for now and look both ways at least five times before I cross the street.

Life at American University of Kuwait (AUK)
We’ve spent several days taking care of things at AUK. So far, we’ve settled into our offices, gotten our computers and AUK email set up, and even gotten a small cash advance on our salary.

On Thursday, we learned more about the courses we would be teaching. Jill and I are teaching ENGL 108: Public Speaking. The public speaking courses are four weeks in length, and we are teaching two, four-week sessions. Our classes are two hours every day, Sunday-Thursday. This first session, my class is from 2-4 p.m. I am teaching the female section, and Jill is teaching the male session. I find that very interesting that the sections are separate, but we are teaching the opposite sex. I have 25 students in the first four-week session, and the second four-week session I have 20 students. Like most universities, they said to expect several students to drop or add during the first week. It will be interesting to try to teach public speaking in four weeks, but that’s our task.

Jill and I have been working on our course syllabus. We have the freedom to set the schedule as we wish, but the assignments were already set. The way we have it set, we will be teaching 18 chapters in four weeks. Fast and furious for sure!

Everyone at AUK has been very helpful! The campus is small, but it has a few amenities that most universities do not have. There is a Starbucks and Mac store on campus. Our official titles are “Visiting Adjunct Faculty.” We’re kind of a big deal. =)

Life in the apartment
The apartment is good. This is the first time I have lived in a city this big, and thank goodness we have one wall that is all windows. I spend quite a bit of time looking outside at the city. On some days, I can see further than others, but nonetheless, it’s entertaining. I’ve been surprised that we haven’t had many clear days. Most days have been hazy with plenty of dust in the air. The other evening, it even sprinkled. I guess that never happens here. We even heard a clap of thunder and saw some lightning. Nothing like the weather we see in Kansas, but it was big news around here.

One of my hobbies when looking out the window is to monitor the progress of the Dunkin’ Donuts across the street. When we arrived, there was a big sign out in front. But, when the dust/wind storm came through, the sign was demolished. Crumpled sheet rock was in the sidewalk for about two days, but recently new was put back up. I’ll keep everyone posted of the progress. Sometimes when I am looking out the window and commenting on the happenings to anyone that will listen, I feel a bit like my grandpa when we would sit on the screened porch for hours and just watch people. I’m that person now.

We have over 500 channels on our TV satellite, but we can only understand less than ten. My new favorite channel is CNN, and I imagine that I will be quite informed on world events when I leave in August. Sometimes you can catch some American movies (JFK, The Fugitive, Bugsy, etc) and this morning I watched a little of David Letterman. I do miss being able to turn on VH1 in the morning while I drink my instant coffee and eat my bowl of cereal. I’m sure I’ll get by. Yes, I said instant coffee. No coffee pot. It’s not that bad. I’ll live.

Other items of interest
I made my first cake EVER. To celebrate Jill’s birthday, I made her a cake. She picked out the cake mix and frosting at the Sultan Center (Western grocery store). We also invited our new friends Kevin and Amy over. Amy works full time at AUK and Kevin is an intern at AUK. I think they liked the cake too. I have considered quitting school and becoming a cake maker, but I’m not sure that I can get by on boxed cake mix in the business.

I’ve become addicted to weed…I mean Weeds, the Showtime television series. I’ve heard that it’s great, and I was able to get the first three seasons on DVD from my friend Tiffany. We have been watching it in the evenings, and it’s quite enjoyable. We are rationing the episodes though. We only have around 36 for the entire summer.

Learning the currency in a foreign country is challenging. The currency is the Kuwait Dinar (KD). As of yesterday, the exchange rate to US dollars was 1 KD = $3.47 US. No offense, but I hope the dollar does not get stronger this summer. =) When I pay in KD, I just give them some money and hope they don’t short change me. I’ll get better.

It's hot in Kuwait.

There. I said it, and I am sure that I will say it again before I leave in August. How hot? Well, I just checked the weather, and at 11 a.m., it's 99 degrees with 38% humidity. It's hot. I really shouldn't complain, I mean I do have it pretty good. I can wear shorts and short sleeves, and my apartment and workplace are air conditioned. Nevertheless, it's been quite a challenge adjusting to the weather.

Sorry...just had to put that one out there.

We've been in Kuwait for about two days, and so far, things are going well. Our flight from Atlanta was around 12 hours, but it seemed to go by pretty quickly. Once we landed in Kuwait City we were met at the airport and had help getting our Visas and transportation to our apartments.

Our apartments are nice, really nice! They are fully furnished and have two bedrooms. Each bedroom has it's own bathroom, plus we have a additional 1.5 bathrooms. We have a washer and dryer in the apartment, so that's nice also. I am living with Justin, another student from Virginia Tech.

The first night was mainly about unpacking and getting somewhat settled. I knew that I would have to stay up as late as I could to avoid any jet lag, and finally crashed around 10:00 p.m. I was woken up at 2:45 a.m. by the "call to prayer." That lasted until around 3:15 a.m. and I woke up with daylight at 5:00 a.m. I don't have curtains for my bedroom, so I've been waking up with the sun and trying to sleep as much as possible.

We met at 9:00 a.m and started our walk to campus. AUK campus is about a 45-60 minute walk from our apartments. It gave us plenty of time to see part of Kuwait City, and I could really begin to tell about westernized this country is. Across from our apartments, a new Dunkin' Donuts is being put in. Our ride from the airport was in a brand new Chevy Tahoe. On the walk to campus, we passed at least three Starbucks (not to mention the one on campus itself). I could have eaten Hardees, KFC, Ruby Tuesday's, Johnny Rockets, Baskin Robbins, Krispy Creme, or McDonald's. The western influence is definitely present.

Once we got to campus, we met with HR and signed our contracts. We took our ID pictures and met with the head of our department. Jill, Justin, and I share an office because we are in the Humanities department. After getting somethings accomplished (but not too much), we decided to start the trek back to our apartments. After a quick lunch, we stopped at the westernized grocery store and picked up some food. You can get pretty much anything at this store that you would at a grocery in the US. Then came the long, hot walk to the apartment, except this time, we were carrying grocery bags. After we made it back, it was time or a nap and a shower. I was pretty much beat and slept for a couple of hours. After dinner, we managed to find the movie JFK on TV and that was the evening.

I know I've rambled about some logisitics, but I also wanted to share with you some of my observations. First of all, I made the comment that yesterday that in some foreign countries, I felt "watched." I'm not really sure how to decribe that feeling, but here I do not. We are five Americans strolling down the street, and no one really pays much attention. Wealth is present in Kuwait. I see it more as we get closer to campus, and it will be very interesting to see what our students will be like. This is a country that is still rebuilding. Aside new construction are bombed out buildings. It's at least exciting to know that progress has been and is being made. It's also interesting to live in a country that blocks certain websites/programs. We've been told that as of four months ago, Skype is blocked. We are hoping that because it is loaded on our computers already, that we are okay. Again, we'll see.

That's all for now. More updates soon.

Blessed.

Have you ever had one of those moments?  It’s a moment that you can’t explain, but everything just feels right.  You feel blessed.  You feel full and completely satisfied. Content doesn’t describe it…maybe it’s the feeling of being happy and feeling like

 you are doing the right thing at the right moment.

I recently experienced that feeling.  It happened while I was running on a cool, summer evening.  I’m not sure what brought on the experience, but I remember feeling, for lack of a better word, full.  People that saw me running must have thought I was crazy because I had the biggest smile on my face.  I bet I was quite a sight to see.

Even though I am not sure what triggered that emotion, I know why I felt that way.  At that moment, I felt completely satisfied and happy.  I’ve felt that way for most of my time in Kansas.  My time home was fast and furious.  It was full of laughing, crying, and spending time with the people I care most about, and I had a chance to reflect the blessings I have been granted.  I am a lucky, lucky man.

Some thoughts from my time at home…

1.     I had an awesome teaching career in Kansas.  I can see that through the successes of my students.  My students continue to amaze me, and because of them, I am a better person.  I am not sure why, but God blessed me with the ability to teach.  I can see that very clearly, and I know that I will continue to use that ability for the rest of my life.

2.     I have amazing colleagues in Kansas.  The teachers that I worked with are an inspiration to me.  Their dedication to their students and to agriculture education is inspiring.  I’ve also been blessed with some amazing friendship with my colleagues.

3.     I met a great group of friends while I taught in Ark City.  I can’t even begin to describe how happy I was to be around the people that “get” me.  I miss them dearly, and I am already looking forward to the next time we can all get together.

4.     My family is amazing, supportive, and hilarious.  There is never a dull moment around the house or over at Epler Farms.  I can’t get enough time with them.  I’m convinced that my brother and sister are two of the strongest, most driven, and passionate people I have ever met. 

5.     I know where I want to be.  People always ask me where I want to go when I am done with my degree, and I think I have finally realized that the answer is “somewhere close to home.”

 

My trip home rejuvenated me, and it came at a point when I needed it.  It’s always nice to know that I can always go home.