Missionary Kid Monday: College Bound

I knew exactly where I was going when I graduated from my boarding high school in Germany.

To Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Never mind that I had never set foot in Michigan before.

I hardly had a choice: I wanted to go to a Christian liberal arts college where I could get my deaf education degree in less than five years. The ONLY school in all of America that met those criteria was Calvin College!

And just because I had to go there didn't make it any less terrifying. Here were my fears:

1.) I knew no one in Michigan. No one from my graduating class was going to college in Michigan. I would be lonely forever.

2.) College wouldn't be as fun as high school was.

3.) I wouldn't be able to relate to anyone else.

4.) Somebody would ask me the dreaded question:

But I was driven and ambitious and I knew that I really wanted that deaf education degree. So I went!

My parents flew me out to drop me off. (I'm sure they were terrified in a completely different way!)

I remember thinking that the campus looked so BIG and AMERICAN. I remember feeling so incredibly homesick for Europe. I remember alternating between an internal hissy fit and dramatic weepiness.

But the worst part? My mom tried to console me with these words:

"Don't worry honey. Soon, this place is gonna feel like home."

At the time, this felt like a knife going straight through my heart. To me, feeling at home in Michigan meant betraying my very identity as a Missionary Kid. Never! These words made me angry.

But of course, like most wisdom my mom gives me, she was absolutely right. If you asked me where home was now, I would most likely say "Michigan" (unless you had like 10 minutes to hear the whole story!)

Back then, however, I was depressed. And, if I'm being honest, too arrogant to understand that many other college freshmen had some of the same fears I did.

Looking back, I wish I had given America and college more of a chance. Instead, I retreated into myself most of that first year. I think I missed out on a lot of friendships that way.

How was your first year of college? Tell me, I'd love to know!

A Good Friday

Today is the first time I've had Good Friday off from school in THREE years! My district likes to reserve it as an inclement weather make-up day - and we've had to use it for the past two years. But not this year!!

Hubby and I are taking advantage of the three day weekend to drive 11 hours to Alabama. We'll be meeting up with my in-laws and Max's grandparents. It will be a quick trip, but I'm so excited to see everyone!

Do you have any exciting Easter weekend plans? Church? Egg hunt? Big family meal? I used to love waking up to my Easter basket - I can't wait to continue that tradition with our kids someday!

Teacher Mommy

I once had a conversation with another teacher about being working mom. She was teaching third grade at the time that her boys were four and two years old. She told me that after putting in a full day's work at school, she would drive home to her family. She would park the car in the driveway and put her head down on the steering wheel to gear up for the REAL work to begin!

I heard this as a first year teacher - back when I was staying at school until 5, coming in on Saturdays, and obsessing about every detail in my lesson plans. So you can imagine how scary this was to hear! I was always exhausted - I couldn't imagine adding a baby to the mix!!

via

Fast forward seven years - I'm still teaching! And pregnant.

The good thing is that I'm leaving school before 4 and I never come in on Saturdays. I don't bring work home. I've found a healthy balance between being a good teacher and staying sane.

But still... I have this nagging feeling that after the baby I'm going to be too tired to be a good mom OR a good teacher!

But this is my hope:

1. That being a mom will help me to be a more compassionate teacher.
2. That being a teacher will help me to be a better mom.

Are there any of you teacher-moms out there? How do you do it?

April Desktop Calendars

I get kind of excited every time a new month rolls around. It means I get to change my computer's desktop calendar!! There are a variety of free calendars available from generous graphic designers. I've compiled a list of my favorites below:

My four favorite options from Smashing Magazine

From Basic Grey

From Leelou Blogs

From Pepper and Buttons

Which one is your favorite?

Tickle Me Tuesday, 63rd edition

Welcome to the latest edition of Tickle Me Tuesdays, where we all share what's been tickling our fancy!

If you'd like to participate (and you know you do!!), here are the rules:
  

1. Write a short post with anywhere from one to five items that have been tickling your fancy recently. Please include pictures and links :)

2. Make sure to link back to the party in your blog post (you can grab the button or include a text link)

3. Come back here and link up your blog post!  

4. Visit some other links and HAVE FUN!

Rain of Hearts Embroidery Hoop from Buligaia

Pencils from the Carbon Crusader

Balsam Sachet from Gardenmis

Now it's your turn! What's been tickling your fancy lately? 

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Missionary Kid Monday: Deported

{For more on this series, click here}


If you caught the last post, you'll know that my senior year was pretty amazing! But like all good things, it had to come to an end.


And for us, the end of the road was Graduation.


Thing is, graduation felt more like deportation. Almost all of us were going back to the States or Canada for college... to several different schools in several different states. We would never all be together again!


Furthermore, most of us hadn't set foot in the States in YEARS! (I was an exception - and the unpleasant memories of my 11th grade year in California did nothing to make me look forward to college). 


So most of us felt bittersweet about graduation - and maybe that's generous. Maybe it was more bitter than sweet. 


My best friend Kara and I had been in the habit of going out for coffee every Wednesday before school. We were so sad to be ending that tradition:

Here's our last Wednesday coffee date.

We look awful. Like we were hungover from drinking our tears...

As far as I was concerned, graduation meant the end of everything good. I couldn't get past the thought that I was leaving the best years of my life behind me. That it was all downhill from here.

It was the wrong attitude to have, but I didn't realize that until YEARS later. You just couldn't convince my over-dramatic self that high school graduation was the end of the world.

My proud parents. And my dad 

was so excited to wear those glasses!

After the graduation ceremony, our class of 70+ was bussed across the border to Switzerland for a dinner cruise on the Rhine River. We signed yearbooks and tried to squeeze in the most fun possible on our last night together. 

After that, we all hung out by the bonfire back at one of the dorms. I have one picture from the bonfire and not a single person is smiling!! Once that was over, a bunch of students wandered around our little German town, talking and reminiscing with other graduates.

It was my first and only all-nighter.

And in the morning, I said good-bye to my best friend (she was heading to Texas and I was heading to Michigan). That day, I went into my room and just cried all day. My mom checked in on me at lunch and said I was lucky and blessed to have friends that I cared so much about leaving. It was a small consolation at the time, but now I realize she was absolutely right!

Stay tuned for next week - a missionary kid all on her own for college in a state she'd never been to!

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