Home again, home again (and dreaming of my next adventure) !

The possibilities are endless.....
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I left Nadi, Fiji at 10pm on Sunday. I arrived in Los Angeles, California on Sunday at 10 AM !

That means I got to California  BEFORE I ever left Fiji!

I am renewed and re-energized and can't wait for school to begin!

WOW!!!  That dateline sure is something!!! It's like I got to do Sunday as a "do-over!"

Cassowary Warning SIgns
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Arriving in LA, I cleared customs and proceeded to catch my connecting flight to Houston. Much to my surprise, the gate agent announced that the pilot "missed his landing!" Now THAT is inspiring!!!  He later announced that he missed his landing because of  a problem with the flaps! Our flight would be delayed!

Now, if I couldn't be in Fiji, I definitely wanted to be at home with my family!   As I lost track of the number of hours I was awake, the plane finally departed at 9pm for a 3AM arrival in Houston!  Whew, what a day (or two!!)

Kangaroo Crossing Sign
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It's amazing that after the 10 flights during this trip, it was the flight from LA to Houston that destroyed my new suitcase! The handle was mangled and bent and 2 rips were in the fabric.  The airline of course denied that it was their fault!  Really!  Oh well! I'm just grateful it all showed up at all!

Seeing my family again was wonderful and I certainly fell asleep with a smile on my face and dreamed of where I could possibly go next- when I apply again in 5 years to Fund For Teachers.

Energy saving key feature in hotel rooms.
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I feel confident that my grant proposal was successful despite some glitches.

• While I actually found internet cafes to update this site, it cost  a pretty penny, took a looooong time to upload photos and we rarely had more than 30 min  to an hour of free time!

• It was impossible to videotape the swirl of the toilet draining because every single toilet had a water-saving feature that simply shot the water from the front to the back directly and had NO swirl at all! However, I DID get video of a "talking" toilet in the airport in Brisbane and pictures of the water-saving feature.
  

  Drive on left sign...
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• Collecting hair samples from the koala would have been better if I brought some clear plastic scotch tape to remove the hairs from my dark sweater and then taped them to an index card. I had not thought this one out enough! I managed to collect some and keep them in a baggie, but tape would definitely have been better!

• Coming through customs of 3 different countries can be hard on the collection of specimens such as shells, sand, hair, bark, seeds etc. Some will let things pass, others will confiscate them.  ALWAYS, ALWAYS, declare them!!

Give Way...(not yield)
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Thank you again, Fund for Teachers, for making this dream a reality!

The other teachers in the tour are hoping to apply next year or are wishing for funding to reach their state! I am planning to inservice the teachers in my school and perhaps district since I know we have many, many talented teachers who impact the lives of students every day!

If I can dig up more funding somewhere...I'd love to present my experiences at the next National Science Teacher's Convention and help other teachers with their applications.

Water-saving Feature on toilets.
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I am renewed and re-energized and can't wait for school to  begin!

Teaching sixth grade in a middle school, we are starting the year with an interdisciplinary effort that compares how coming to middle school is like traveling to a new country. You research and find out about it, you get excited and maybe even a little scared! There may be different customs, foods and even different languages. There are things you can control and things you may have little control over. There are places and people you can go to for help and maybe some people you might know.

"Nappy" Disposal...better than just in the trash!
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I made a picture of my footsteps on the beach in Fiji into poster with the title, "Where will YOUR footsteps take you?" It now hangs on the door to my classroom as a reminder to students that the possibilities are endless!

There are so many wonderful experiences, books, pictures, videotapes, samples etc. that I can't wait to share with both students and colleagues.

Just wait till my students see the video of me, SCUBA diving on the Great Barrier Reef .........