Orientation, Cooking, & Cold Showers

Hey guys, this week has FLOWN by. I can’t believe it’s already Friday. I’ve been constantly going all week long with 10-12 hour days inside the classroom, only to come home and prep lessons that keep me up most nights. Today marks the day of a joint lesson I will be giving. We’re presenting one on using clues within pictures to help sound out the words on the page. Typical 2^nd grade stuff. I’m really excited. I’m starting to get more and more comfortable teaching and being in front of people.

Even though I’ve been really busy, all of us get together for dinner every night and help cook. This is the first thing I’ve been learning during orientation that has nothing to do with teaching. Last night for dinner was jambalaya, a few nights ago it was corn flake baked chicken and rice. Turns out that when I don’t have the pressures of being a college student, I actually like to cook. Now, I’m not saying I’m good, I’m just saying I’m working on it. Looks like my future husband might actually have a wife that cooks after all.

Another thing that orientation has introduced me to are cold showers. There isn’t hot water in American Samoa. I mean there are some places, but not at houses. I’ve been taking non-heated showers for the past two weeks and that will continue on for the next year. It’s safe to say that the thing I’ll be looking most forward to come my return will be a hot bubble bath.

The last thing I wanted to mention in this post deals with my future. For those of you who know me well, know that I’ve had a year, 5 year, and life plan since I could talk. If one thing changed, I would calculate and recalculate the changes that would take place because of the alteration. For the past couple years, my plan has been to graduate, take a year off, then go to law school. This is definitely still the goal I’m leaning towards, but I may take another year off before I go to law school or grad school. Idealist.org is a really great website that I’ve been looking at for jobs I could have when I come back to the States. The website posts education/public service/social justice jobs and volunteer work that are available. If it all worked out, I would love to spend a year in Grand Rapids or Detroit working and then hopefully going to law/grad school the following fall. I know this is all a bunch of rambling, but I’m still trying to work things out. I think I’ll still apply for law school this fall, but if given an option, I may defer for a year. Again, who knows?

Anyways, nothing super new to report here. I want to thank those who have already purchased things on my Amazon wish list-- they will be used to their full potential! Another shameless plug- Check out this link for ways you can help my classroom! Also, my phone is back working! I guess they thought our 989 area code was Afghanistan’s country code, which is why I was being charge $.75/min instead of the $.12/min rate. I guess it’s easy to confuse Northern Michigan and Afghanistan. Hah.

Faifai le mu!

Take it easy!

Jess

P.S. Have fun at Marathon this weekend Up North people! I don't remember the last time I missed it!