Not All Those Who Wonder

Goodbye Readak!

2009-01-05T21:45:00.003-06:00

For those of you who do not know, I am no longer traveling on the open road for Readak. Long Island was my last assignment & I am now back in the magical city of Birmingham, AL. I am happy to be back in the South and be back in the company of my bestest buds and family. Thanks to all of you (probably just three of you) for reading my blog. It was a fun five months while it lasted. I hope to see you all soon!

Much love!
AC

Christmas in NYC

2008-12-08T17:12:00.011-06:00

My time here has flown by! Friday night David, Heidi & I went out to sample the local Long Island Iced Teas at an old resturant that is over 200 years old. It was fun - as we left it started snowing! It was the first snow I've seen here, like, first real snow. I bet we had several inches. It was absolutely beautiful! It was like a winter wonderland. The only thing I don't like, it's still on the ground and now frozen & still 28 degrees outside. I'm ready for it to melt off of my car. But with Janet having decorated the house, it looks like Christmas here. I love it! Sunday afternoon we went into the city for the last time. We went to see Mary Poppins (LOVED IT) then Magnolia Bakery (one last time) and then to see the big tree. It was magnificant. Words can't describe when I walked around the corner then looked up - it was beatufiul. I hope you enjoy the pictures! I return home Sunday. I start my drive on Saturday. I honestly can not wait to be home. I will be home for good as this was my last stop on the Readak Train. I hope you all had fun following my adventures on the blog. I look forward to seeing you all soon, real soon.
love!
AC

LIIT.

Almost in my mouth!!

Yay! Snow!

Heidi's perfect form aiming at David!

Sunday morning - the beautiful snow on the football field.

David & Heidi outside our beloved Magnolia Bakery on a cold, cold, COLD, windy December day.

The Great Tree @ Rockefller.

Saks & St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Jones Beach & The Hamptons

2008-11-23T17:41:00.007-06:00

Today was an eventful day - long, too. First of all, we all got up this morning and went to church then went to eat brunch at a nice little dinner down the road. Janet then took us to Jones Beach, which is 10 minutes from their house! David, Heidi & I had a great ole time. I then ventured out on my own to make the journey towards "THE HAMPTONS!" I had to see what the fuss was about. It took FOREVER - 1.5 hours. Anyway, I made my way through Westhampton first, then South Hampton, then East Hampton. East Hampton is where all the celebs are. I made my way down main street and people watched a bit and then bought some gifts in a gift shop. East Hampton is cute, honestly, I could easily compare it to Mt Brook Village but with a Tiffany's and a few other high end shops. They had these windmills everywhere out there - gorgeous. I then drove to the farthest point on the South Shore - Mantaulk. I saw the lighthouse and then drove home. I now am preparing to COME HOME! I can't wait! I fly in Monday for a week. I can't wait to see my family and friends. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! xoxoxo!

Heidi, David & I @ Jones Beach.

Beautiful Jones Beach, Long Island, NY.

Jones Beach. Everyone keeps asking what my secret is in jumping so high. I do have a secret and I won't tell...

Westhampton. Me.

East Hampton.

Mantaulk Point, already all done up for Christmas. Oh and I could see CT from this side of the island. Pretty neat.

A cold, windy day on Long Island

2008-11-16T16:54:00.006-06:00

I decided to venture East on Long Island today. Thinking, "hey, this is a small island, it won't take me long to get there," I was wrong. I had the best of intentions to see the North Fork (wineries, beautiful harbors) and South Fork (the famous Hamptons). I only made it to the North Fork. The area is just beautiful. It's very New England-esque. The houses remind me of New England and there are a lot of cute, quaint shops and fishing boats. I need to mention, it was windy x 10 out there today - horribly windy! All of my pictures will show it. I went to one winery that was recommended to me. It was beautiful, but unfortunately, this time of year the vines look dead because all the leaves have fallen off. I made a few friends in the Rafeal winery - they all loved trying to guess where I was from with my accent. I then headed farther East to Glenport and Orient. Glenport is a small, cute town with B&Bs everywhere and nice little docks & fishing boats. I then ventured as far off the island as possible to a town called Orient. By the time I got to Orient Harbor the winds had picked up - they were so strong that when I tried to get out of my car and open my door my door would not move. Enjoy the pictures!

Glenport, NY - whoo-wee-- hold on to that hat!

Glenport, NY. Cute little fishing town.

The beautiful Orient Harbor, NY.

Orient Harbor, NY - Long Island. Massive, crazy winds!

For Amber Monty - she loves my new "point."

Long Island & NYC

2008-11-12T14:46:00.022-06:00

So, I woke up from the night after my birthday with only five hours of sleep and drove from DC to Long Island. I thought I left in enough time to make it there in six hours, so I stopped for lunch at Cracker Barrel. I saw the sign and instantly thought: SWEET TEA! I drank 1 pitcher all by myself, no lie. I'd been without it for nearly 4 months. After seven hours of driving (I HATE driving around Manhattan, cut my wrist, please), I made it safely to Brookville, NY. I am staying with the Hahns. Dr. Hahn is the headmaster of Long Island Lutheran & his wife is a middle school science teacher. Words can not describe how they have treated me from the second I walked in the door! They are wonderful! There are also two student teachers staying here from NE, (David & Heidi). They are so sweet & fun. The school I am teaching at used to be a mansion - no lie. This area is very affluent - mansions everywhere. NOT to name drop...(laugh) but J. Lo & Marc Anthony live up the street AND Jon Bon Jovi was here last weekend at the football game b/c his son played on the other team. I SO wish I'd been here then! The school is beautiful and the leaves are in peak season. I will get two falls! DC's fall was just ending as I left. The person who is my contact at the school went to UA (Roll Tide! - I hear it all the time now) and is super sweet. I am enjoying it here a great deal. It's a beautiful area, woodsy and quaint. Oh and did I mention Mrs. Hahn makes dinner for us each night? Yes... :) I am very blessed.

We were off for Veteran's Day yesterday, so Heidi, David & I went into the city. We took a 45 min train commute to Penn Station then walked the city for TEN HOURS. We went to Macy's (already decorated for Christmas), went to the Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Center) - the best view of the city, hands down, St. Patrick's Cathedral, watched the Veteran's Day Parade, walked all through Central Park, had lunch @ the Boat House, took the Staton Island Ferry so we could see the Statue of Liberty, ate at Magnolia Bakery (best cupcakes EVER!), ate New York Pizza, then walked from 44th St to 84 St via 5th Ave... yes, 40 blocks. We ran into George Stephanopoulos (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Stephanopoulos) while walking - I have an eagle eye for celebs, even nerdy ones. We met the Hahns, with their daughter & her boyfriend, at a bar to play trivia. We finally got home by midnight. What a tiring day - but tons of fun! The city is already spread with Christmas cheer! I love it! I will be going back soon as it's not a far commute. Enjoy the pics. Miss you all! xoxo!

Macy's... "It's starting to look a lot like Christmas!"

What's a trip to Times Square without a jumping shot?

Look how tiny Central Park looks from Top of the Rock! All of those colors are beautiful.

Heidi & I from Top of the Rock facing Empire State Bldg.

The view from Top of the Rock - overlooking Central Park.

The view as you pop out of Rockefeller Center to go towards St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was beautiful!

Central Park. Sheep's Meadow - my favorite place. Look how beautiful the trees are!

Central Park. Throwing leaves in the air.

The Statue as the sun is going down.

Staton Island Ferry with Lady Liberty behind me ... it was FREEZING!

Radio City Music Hall. Already with Christmas decor! I love it!

Birthday Celebrations & Going Away

2008-11-09T21:29:00.012-06:00

This past weekend has been an eventful one! Saturday was my birthday & last full day in DC area. We all went out to celebrate my b'day Saturday night in Georgetown. It was also Jenn's birthday, another friend of Kelly's. We went to a great Italian place near the water (sat right by Tom Brokaw) then went out to the Guards (read: crowded, very crowded 80s/90s dance club reminiscent of a college party). It was a memorable night and the very next day I had to make my trek to New York... enjoy the last night in DC pics!

What's better than one Van Assche? TWO Van Assches! Meagan, Me, Kelly. My b'day night.

Kelly & Lindsay (with Tom Brokaw behind)

The Crew: Danny, Billy, Matt, Brian, myself, Kelly & Meagan.

This guy right here killed me! They brought their iPod in for the other party and blasted 80s songs from it. He held it up like this the entire time. I had to capture it on my camera.

Happy Halloween & Other Misc Pics

2008-10-27T19:19:00.008-05:00

This past weekend I saw an old friend, went to a pre-Halloween Party and went to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. JT, one of my oldest friends (from 3rd grade) came into town to run the Marine Corps Marathon. We got to visit with one another on Saturday - went to lunch in Alexandria and then went to a couple of museums. Congrats to JT for finishing the 26.2 miles with a broken foot! Saturday night I went with Kelly to her friend's Halloween party. I borrowed her costume from last year (flight attendant). We had a great time! Sunday I went to Annapolis, MD, with my new pal, Jack. It's a small, quaint town and home of the Naval Academy. It was right on the water and a beautiful day to be outside! So, I hope you enjoy the pictures below to document my last few days/week in the area. It's hard to believe my time is almost over here - only two more weeks! I leave on my birthday (Nov 8) for Brookville, Long Island, NY. I will be living with the headmaster & his family, along with two student teachers. It'll be nice to be in a house with a couple of people my age. It should be a great experience!

JT & I in National Mall - Capitol Buliding behind us.

Jennifer, Kelly, myself & Joe "the Plumber"

Jack & I in Annapolis, MD.

Go Navy!

Amber & Merry Michael's Visit!

2008-10-20T16:48:00.015-05:00

I was very lucky to have two great friends come into town and visit me this weekend! Amber & Merry Michael flew in Friday and stayed until today, Monday. We had loads of fun! Friday we went to the National Mall area and walked from the Monuments to the White House. We even managed to have a great jumping picture by the Reflecting Pool, where Amber literally lost her shoes! She stalled hoping the man who took our picture would get them, but nope, he wasn't going in. She had to roll up her pants & get in. It made for a great DC memory! Saturday I had class, so they went to the Holocaust Museum & Smithsonian American Art Museum. Saturday night we went to dinner with some of my new, random DC friends, Jack & Andy. I met Jack on the flight from DC to Birmingham last weekend and Andy went to college with a girl I met in Boston through Readak. They were great fun - we all had a wonderful time. We ate & went out in Georgetown. Sunday we ventured to VA Wine Country. It was a beautiful day and was so much fun. Despite having my string of bad luck this weekend with my car, it was totally redeemed with the company of my bestest buds from Birmingham. You can also see in the pictures how fall is really here in DC. We all about froze this weekend - the high was in the low 60s each day. Amber & MM - thanks for coming! xoxoxo!

Us from Lincoln Monument with Washington behind us.

The big jump! Look for Amber's shoes falling...

Hahahahahahaha...

Reflecting Pool with Lincoln Monument behind us. Amber, me, Memi.

Rolling down the hill from Washington Monument.

Amber & I @ Washington Monument.

Hillsboro Vineyard.

And...another jumping pic! Tarara Vineyards.

Happy Columbus Day!

2008-10-15T09:57:00.007-05:00

Kelly & I explored the city on Monday due to us both being off. We went to three musuems: African Art Musuem, Asian Museum and Japanese Museum. I must say, all three were very interesting. The Smithsonian has some 18 different museums in DC. The great thing about them - all free! Here are a few pictures from my weekend in Atlanta (Tonya & Chad's wedding) and DC.

Tonya & I at her Atlanta Wedding!

John & I at Atlanta Aquarium.

Garden area behind Smithsonian Castle. It's truly beautiful back there!

Kelly & I at Smithsonian Castle.

Fall is here!

2008-10-06T09:13:00.010-05:00

This weekend Kelly had a huge wedding to attend Saturday night, so I got to meet a lot of her college friends & even see some old friends from Birmingham - Lauren & Ryan! Lauren's brother was the one getting married. Thursday night we all went out to Arlington to watch the debate. The rest of the weekend I went into the city to visit a few museums. I went to the Georgia O'Keefe/Ansel Adams exhibit at the Smithsonian American Museum of Art on Saturday. It was great! I then made my way to Dupont Circle and bought a cupcake from Hello Cupcake & sat on a bench & people watched. I even took the book I'm currently reading & sat & read it for a while. There was too much going on - I was easily distracted. I returned downtown on Sunday afternoon to visit the Holocaust Museum. I must say, it was one of the most emotional places I've ever been. It was unreal - the pictures, videos, testimonals, things I saw there will haunt me the rest of my life. It was disturbing, disgusting, sickening, enlightening, and very sad. People were sobbing as they were walking through the halls. I'm glad I went. It was an awakening experience. After the museum I strolled through the National Mall and sat on the steps of an art gallery & ate my first Italian sausage hot dog.

Fall is really showing itself in DC! The leaves are changing & it's beautiful. I will post more pictures of that as I get more pictures!

Smithsonian American Museum of Art

Hello Cupcake! in Dupont Circle - aren't they cute? Who could hate cupcakes? Urban Standard's are still better than these.

Dupont Circle

National Mall area

Weekend Recap

2008-09-30T19:26:00.006-05:00

John came to visit me this past weekend. We had a grand ole time! Saturday we went to the Spy Museum. Saturday night we went downtown for dinner at a nice little Italian place, then on to the Mad Hatter. It was a fun night! Sunday we went to Georgetown then went to the movies. Monday we visited Ole Town Alexandria, then I took him to the airport & said goodbye. We saw a lot of things and had great fun, I wish the weekend had lasted longer.

As for my classes, they are going fine. I have a total of 27 students divided into four classes. It's hard to believe my first assignment is almost over! It ends a week from this Thursday. I will then fly out Friday to attend Tonya's wedding in ATL! When I return, I have Monday off (yah for Columbus Day & school is out), and then I start at my second school.

I hope everyone is well in the lovely Magic City!

Here's a picture from the weekend!

Arlington National Cemetary

2008-09-21T17:37:00.010-05:00

I decided to hop on the Metro this afternon & venture out to Arlington Cemetary. From the second you enter the gates you know you are somewhere sacred. They have little white tombstones everywhere. I always thought they were just unmarked, but they have the names and dates on them of the fallen solider. Some even have the names of their wives on the back. It was a very touching experience. You could tell everyone walked through it the same way I was - in awe - in silence. I got to the Tomb of the Unknown Solider just in time for the changing of the guards. That was so interesting to see! Everyone was seated on the steps in utter silence. Even when the change had taken place and the new solider was marching in front, people started to whisper, talk, and he turned directly towards us and said "Please keep silent in memory of those who have fought for our country." It caught everyone's attention & everyone shut up. It was a beautiful day to go out there. It was a moving experience. For those of you who love wiki facts - here's a quick link to learn more about ANC. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlington_National_Cemetary

The view from the top!

The Tomb of the Unknown Solider.

Changing of the guards @ the Tomb of the Unknowns.

JFK's grave.

Jackie O's gravesite, buried by JFK. Eternal flame burning.

6am on a Saturday! Ugggg!

2008-09-21T00:01:00.003-05:00

My alarm came early today! 6:05am on a SATURDAY! Yes, I have a four hour class on Saturdays - the good thing is it only meets three times & it's done! Today was my first "real" class. I had seven students - six boys and one girl. As I went around the room asking them all why they were taking Readak they all said the same thing, "My parents are making me." They loved being in class at 8am on a Saturday, let me tell you. Anyway, it did go by very quickly and they were all very receptive. They are sweethearts - they all mentioned they are excited to take this & hope it helps them. It touched my heart. I know that sounds silly, but I never imagined being a teacher before. It is great to know I could actually help these kids be better students. Also, it's still sooooo odd to hear them call me "Miss Hartman."

I know some of you want pictures of me lounging in the teacher's lounge - consider it in the works. I may see what I can do. :)

I am going to attempt a walking tour of the city tomorrow. I say "attempt" because my car's stupid check engine light came on. We'll see how far I can get.

That's all I got. Good night!

Old Town Alexandria

2008-09-19T15:58:00.009-05:00

Wednesday my bossman, Gerry, came in from Boston to check in on me & the school I am at now. He took me to Old Town Alexandria to eat. I LOVED Old Town! It was beautiful. We walked down the same cobblestone roads that George Washington & Robert E. Lee skipped down. For all of those waiting for my wikipedia facts, you'll find a picture of a sign that tells of the history of Old Town. Enjoy.

Look who was in Alexandria!

And look who else!

Loungin' in the Teacher's Lounge

2008-09-19T13:17:00.003-05:00

While in school, I always wondered what teachers talked about in the teacher's lounge. I mean, what did they do in there? Well, now I know. They talk about students! LOL... I've been camping out in the teacher's lounge this week. I've been doing mini-presentations in classes trying to recruit kids. High school students can be such smart a$$es. One kid, man, I wanted to slap him. Anyway, it's been a busy week. Kelly's apartment is without internet for the time being, so I thought I'd use my "school time" to update this. My first class is tomorrow. Four LONG hours. I have seven kids in there. We'll see how excited they are to get up on a Saturday to come to an 8am-12pm class. :) The weather here is great! I've been running and it's nice to not run in hot, hummid weather. The highest it's been was 78 degrees. I may go to a museum this weekend and go to a cookout. I hope Bham is lovely and I hope you are all well! xoxo!

The First Day @ School

2008-09-15T14:40:00.002-05:00

My first day had a rocky start. Talk about BAD first impression. I get there early - of course- and am scheduled to meet Tom (my contact & the assistant principal) at 7:30am. They page him. He finally comes running in at 7:50am & yells "Who paged me?? What's so important?" The secretary says, "The Readak girl is here," and points to me. I wave & say hi, he then says, "That is NOT important and it's the least of my concerns right now!" They all look at me & sigh. Ugg... what a jerk. He then comes back 10 min later, smiling, laughing and I go back to his office & we talk. He reminds me of the gay guy from Will & Grace. He's real bubbly and maybe, early 30s. So...yah...that was my first day. I hung up posters promoting the program, met some of the 80+ teachers, tried to remember their names, got a lot of paperwork done, and even ate a canolli that an old student brought in to the office staff. :) It's so weird to be back in a school. From the second I walked in, that smell of the school halls, oh my, it was overwhelming. It took me back to high school. I never thought of being a teacher. I actually think this may be fun. My first class is Saturday from 8am-12pm. My day got off to a rocky start, but I think I'll survive.

The Capitol City

2008-09-14T18:15:00.002-05:00

I'm here! Aftering driving 9 hours from Boston to DC on Friday, I arrived safe & tired. The weather in Boxborough, MA was 62 degrees when I left and 97 degrees when I arrived in DC. Talk about a huge change! I miss the cooler weather. By the way, I hate, hate, HATE Garmin for taking me through the Bronx on my way here. Not a good idea and not fun. It gives me something to look forward to on my way to Long Island in November *touch of sarcasm* Anyway, so I met my new roommate, Kelly, on Saturday. She is truly fabulous! *Thanks again, Lauren!* She took me out with her friends on Saturday night & I had a great time. Her friends are great - so friendly and they loved my accent. I never knew I had a Southern accent until I went to Boston. I just thought people here in VA would sound somewhat Southern too, but nope. I stick out like a sore thumb. We went out in Arlington to watch the Ohio State/USC game. It was a fun night! My first day at Paul VI Catholic School is tomorrow. I already scoped out the area and it's only 15 min from here. I'm not nervous now, but ask me tomorrow at 7am. I have to be there at 7:45am. My day will last until 3pm, then I have a seminar tomorrow night. It'll be a long day. I hope my other friends traveling made it safely to their respective places (Halifax, Houston, Tyler & San Jose). Tomorrow is the start of a quick month. Gerry (boss man) promised us this time would fly by. We'll see. I hope everyone back home is great! I miss you all!

Razzy's!

2008-09-11T14:22:00.003-05:00

We went out last night for Allison's birthday. We were in a nice little area of Boston called Sommerville. It's just a few minutes outside the city & cute. We went to Razzy's and that's exactly what it was: Razzy! It was a karaoke bar. HER idea, not mine. I did "razzle" the crowd with my performance of "Bad Medicine." Had a few high fives after it - I think I fit right in with the Boston crowd & karaoke here. These pictures are of our night. These are the first you'll see of my roommate, Taylor, and the other girls. It was a fun fun night!

I am actually leaving for Fairfax, VA tomorrow. I am not sure when I'll get to update this again ... but I will be staying with Kelly (Lauren's kind & generous friend) starting on Saturday until first week of November. She seems so fun and I'm very excited to meet her!

Me, Ali, Taylor & Allison.

Me & Taylor

Sweet, Sweet Massachusetts!

2008-09-08T17:19:00.005-05:00

It's hard to believe my time here is almost over. I remember driving in on that night, scared to death and anxious. I've made some great friends here & I'm excited to see where the year takes us all. I am so excited & so ready to get to DC! I love that area and think this will be a fun two months. Thanks to my pal in Birmingham, Lauren, I may have found housing with a friend of hers. I hope it works out because she lives right in the middle of the two schools where I'll be teaching.

Every day we seem to learn more and more about what the year holds for us. We got to make a "wish list" today of places we hope to visit/see. I mentioned just about every country I could think of :) I did sorta find out if I don't get picked for the three month Australia bit then I'll get to go to Barbados. Not a bad trade off, huh? They are also working on getting a school in Indonesia. Yes, near Bali! I instantly thought of Eat, Pray, Love. They mentioned the first FOURTEEN assignments next year are in the Caribbean. If things go well this year, I may do a half of a year next year to just take advantage of that!

I have enjoyed Acton, MA and the Boston area tremendously. I could seriously see myself living in Boston one day. I absolutely love it. I had dinner with my good pal, Omar, and his wife Saturday night. They live in a great part of Boston - the South End - LOVED IT. Harvard Square is unreal. Charles River is amazing. I just can't describe in words how much I love Boston. For those of you who have been here, you know. It's one of the only places I've been where it does feel like home. It is a comfortable city.

This final week will consist of one final presentation (tomorrow), Wed night we're going to celebrate Allison's 23rd birthday in Boston doing one of my favorite pastimes ... karaoke! Thursday we only come in for two hours to finalize things, then we have our farewell dinner that night. Friday I will be off to Fairfax!

I hope you are all well! I miss your smiling faces & your laughter ... hopefully I'll see some of you real soon.

So MUCH love!
AC

Back to DC & NYC!

2008-09-05T14:39:00.007-05:00

I found out my first THREE assignments today. I leave Sept 12th for Arlington, VA. I will be there for four weeks. I will then scoot over to Fairfax, VA for my second assignment. I will be there until November 7th (*day before my bday*) then onto Long Island, NY. I am very excited! I visited DC on my way up to Boston & loved loved LOVED it! I'm excited that I'll be there during the Presidential election and be in NYC for Christmas. I should finish up the Long Island assignment on December 13th & return to AL soon after for a few weeks.

Also, a fun & VERY exciting side note: Feb-May there will be three of us who are lucky to get to go to Australia. THREE MONTHS IN THE LAND DOWN UNDER! I mention it every chance I get, "Hey, I'm fluent in Australian," "I love to put skrimps on the barbie," "Hey, mate!" Gerry just rolls his eyes now. Given that there are five of us and two have been to Australia already, I have a huge chance! Also, I'd get 2 weeks off between the 2nd and 3rd assignment there. Talk about awesome! I would possibly get to see New Zealand & the French Polynesian islands (my dream). I feel so lucky to have this opportunity!

Drum Roll Please...

2008-09-01T18:54:00.004-05:00

Ok, geez, I almost forgot! My options for round 1. I found them out last Friday & I got to choose where I wanted to go - but we won't see if we got our choices until this Friday. Here they are:

Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada)
San Jose, CA
Fairfax, VA
Tyler, TX
Houston, TX

Round 2 options:
North Andover, MA
Arlington, VA
Oak Park, IL (Chicago)
Hendersonville, TN (I won't get this one)
Viva Las Vegas!
Nicaragua

First of all, there are two returning teachers from last year. One has already chosen the Vegas school & the other choose the Nicaragua schools (2). I choose San Jose first round because my good friends, Amber & Jason are there & choose Halifax as a 2nd choice. I mean, when would I ever get to be in Nova Scotia? Since our housing is iffy from place to place, they told us if we know of people we can stay with in any one location, chances are, they'll put us there. I also found out I may not be home for Thanksgiving, which is fine. I'll be home for Christmas for sure. They pay to send me back home no matter where I am - here or in Madagascar.

That's all I have now. I find out THIS Friday where I'm going. I'm nervous, but wherever I go, I should be fine!

Welcome to Boxborough, MA

2008-09-01T18:50:00.002-05:00

Some of you have asked for more pictures of where I am living. This place is beatuiful. I have grown quite fond of it. The smell of the air is just lovely - it's this crisp, fresh smell that is like nothing else. It actually reminds of me of the way the air smells in Montana. Anyway...this is the area I have found to run in. I love it, wildflowers everywhere. :)

The Big Delicious

2008-09-01T18:14:00.011-05:00

I left Boston on Friday for a weekend in NYC. I went to visit a friend of mine from Birmingham, Jason. What an experience it was for me to get there - I had to take 1 train, 2 subway trains, and the bus. I did the ultimate touristy thing - took a double decker bus around the city to see the sights. I actually saw everything I wanted to in two days on that bus. I can't describe how overwhelmed I was with the city. It was HUGE. Unreal. Enormous. I was very intimidated. I've seen a lot of different cities, but this one, this one was the biggest of the big. I loved Central Park. I stayed there both days and just about walked the entirity of it. Favorites of the Park were: Strawberry Field, Boat House & just the main mall area. My favorite NYC moment was walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. Pete & I did it! It was amazing to walk half way and turn around & see this huge city skyline behind you. It was unreal. We got to the Brooklyn side & we were going to eat some pizza at his favorite place, but it was a 2 hour wait! We opted for ice cream instead :) That night hung out in the East Village & went to some dive bar and then karaoke! And yes, people go crazy for Journey there as they do in Bham. It made me laugh pretty hard. After karaoke we made a stop for Belgium fries. YUMMY! Sunday I went to Serendipity (walked there on my own!). Jason had a little Labor Day party at his place that night & I got to meet a lot of his Cornell pals. They all were so nice! I had a lovely time in the Big Apple & hope to return again soon when I have more time to see other areas. Most of my pics below have little captions. I hope you all had a fun and safe Labor Day weekend!
love!!
AC

Yep. I went. Wait for party of 2: an hour and a half. Wait for party of 1: seated immediately! One of the only perks of sightseeing on your own :)

And this is the $15 piece of heaven I got. It was my lunch. What! I was on vacation! I wish I could have taken pictures of all the little kids in there -when their treats came their faces just lit up. It was a fun time.

Central Park (again).

NYC people LOVE to karaoke. That's the only thing we found in common. Believe it or not, we were singing my favorite Journey song.

Brooklyn Bridge.

The Brooklyn Bridge. Pete & I walked across the entire bridge. At the end, on the Brooklyn side are some amazing spots! It's a great view for the other end as well. It was my favorite New York memory.

Best pizza in NYC has a 2 hour wait out the door. It's on the Brooklyn side of the Bridge. I smelt it, but didn't eat it. One word: HEAVEN!

Quiz Time! Can anyone guess what famous man was shot in front of this building - on his way home? It's the Dakota Apartments. I must say, I look too excited to be there considering the history. The security guard yelled at me the second I jumped. By the way, the answer ... John Lennon.

Strawberry Fields in Central Park dedicated to John Lennon. Yoko donated $1 mil after his death to have this area in the Park for him. People lay flowers down everyday here. If you look close enough the word "Imagine" is in the middle. It's quite a sight to see. Very beautiful.

Boat House Cafe. Central Park. I had lunch here & it was one of the most beautiful places in the Park.

Pete, me, & Jason @ Belvedere Castle in the Park.

Central Park. Again.

One of my favorite areas in the Park. Look at the people in the pond canoeing. I loved it!

Central Park. Bike taxis & carriage rides.

Financial District. Ride 'em, cowboy!

Times Square. I got out of this place quick. Too much going on - a nightmare for someone with ADHD.

Somewhere near Canal Street.

Empire State Bldg.

Who is from Acton, Mass? Steve Carell??!!

2008-08-27T16:15:00.002-05:00

Yes, folks, he is. He's actually from a small town down the road named Concord. I say it as "Con-cord" and the locals say "Con-curd." I make fun of them & they make fun of me. Anywhoo .. Steve is from here & come to find out my roommate, Taylor, had dinner with him LAST MONTH! His nephew is Taylor's best friend from college. Super coolio. She said he was very nice, but his wife was 10x funnier than him. Go figure.

Day 3 of training was fine. I did my first teacher presentation and it went well. I winged it - probably didn't do as many lesson plans I should. I think it'll be easier than I thought. We'll see.

I am thinking of going to NYC this weekend since I have Fri-Mon off. All the other girls are going out of town- back home. We'll see how that pans out. I have a friend there who told me to come visit. The bus from Boston to NYC is 4 hours - yikes.

I am growing more & more fond of this area. Acton, MA is just beautiful. Very country. Wildflowers everywhere. The smell of pine. It's nice. I hope you enjoy the picture.

Oh and mark Vegas off your list. The other girl who came back for a 2nd year of teaching took it. I could kill her. *shaking my head*

More Than a Feeling

2008-08-26T15:41:00.004-05:00

Today was my first full day of training, well, we still got out at 4pm. My head hurts. For all of those who may slightly care about what I'll be teaching - we learned all about how to take Cornell notes - which turns out is very interesting. This is stuff I wish I had learned in high school. It would have helped me tremendously. I have to do a presentation tomorrow - they will video me (yay) and critque my teaching skills. I'm nervous. I've never taught before! None of the other girls have either. They are all 22,23 years old. At least it makes me feel better about my situation.

On a more interesting note - I find out Sept 5th where my first two assignments will be! We will even get to kinda pick. I must mention there's a girl who came back this year to travel for a 2nd year and is helping train us. She got first pick of where she wanted to go this year & let me tell you it's all the exotic places I remembered on the schedule. She'll be in Nicaragua, Barbados, Jamica, and Australia. The only places left that I could get are San Jose, CA; Nova Scotia; Vegas; Virginia Beach & Tyler, TX. My heart tells me Vegas since Amber, Jason, Dan & Keenum will be there when I'd be there but part of me wants to try a place I've never been. We'll see how it plays out.

Also, we are off 1/2 a day Friday and all day Monday. I have NO plans - what the mess will I do? Anyone want to come up? Free hotel & I'll pick you up at the airport ;)

In case you're not the music nerd that I am, I named this post after the only Boston song I know.

That's all I have now. I'll spend the rest of my night studying, reading, organizing lesson plans & hopefully running. I miss running - haven't found a spot yet that's good for it.

Much love!
AC

Be true to your work, your word & your friend.

2008-08-25T19:37:00.002-05:00

Today was my first day of training. It was as any first day would go & I even got out early. My roommate, Taylor, is 22 and from Boston. The other two girls doing this will me are also around the same age & all three are straight out of college. They are all very nice & all from the NE area. IThey love making fun of my Southern accent. I have a lot of reading assingments to do each night (Wes - do not laugh).

I went into the city to have dinner with Johnny tonight - he leaves tomorrow. We ate on Newbury Street, which is very famous for shopping. Claire would have loved every second of it. :)

I decided to name this post after a Henry David Thoreau quote, who has a place out here called Walden Pond. I hear it's beautiful & a place I must see. For all of you English nerds ... I thought you'd like that fun fact.

That's all I got for now.
Toodles!

Bean Town

2008-08-24T19:03:00.006-05:00

One last pic. Had fun, Johnny! Thanks for coming with me - I enjoyed every second. I'll miss ya!

Graveyard that was est in 1660.

Boston Commons. It's truly amazing.

Fenway Park.

Fenway Park. The oldest ball park in the US. It's smaller than I imagined.

Oldest area in Boston - cobblestone streets & oldest resturant in the US.

Who loves canollis! This girl!

Some guy named Paul Revere's house. I heard something that he woke up a bunch of people late one night to tell them something pretty important. Not sure what it was.

Johnny gives Little Italy two thumbs up. He loves Italians.

Little Italy. Every resturant looked like this - amazing!

Final Day in Boston

2008-08-24T18:58:00.003-05:00

Today John & I went to Little Italy (LOVED IT!), toured Fenway Park and then just sat on a grassy knoll in the Commons watching the children play. It was an amazing day. Boston is great in so many different ways - it's clean, historic buildings everywhere, old graveyards that date back to the 1600s nearly on every street and cobblestone roads. The hotel we stayed in, Omni Parker House, the oldest operating hotel in the US, place where boston creme pies were invented AND...and...hold... the place where JFK proposed to Jackie. Also, the people have been so kind. Last night we met a man at the bar while waiting for our dinner reservatinons. We sat there with him & watched the Olympics, talked, and then we left & said our goodbyes. Once our dinner was over the waiter told us a man at the bar had bought us dessert. I thought it was such a kind guesture! Anyway ... I'm now sitting in my hotel in Boxboro - my new home for the next 3.5 weeks. This area is in the country of Mass and quite beautiful. It's near Concord & there are orchards everywhere. I'm waiting on the arrival of my roommate. To be honest, I'm nervous Nancy. My day starts at 10am tomorrow & lasts until 5pm. The first day of any new job is scary ... it's just hard to believe this new adventure starts tomorrow.

I hope you are all well in Birmingham. I miss you all!
love,
AC

DC & Philly & Boston

2008-08-24T08:47:00.008-05:00

Catherine dancing up on the Washington Monument. She's a patriot.

The White House. I believe Catherine saw George waving from a window.

Catherine insisted on sitting in this statues lap - outside Boston Public Library.

Old City Hall at night. Across the street from our hotel in downtown Boston.

A few blocks from the hotel in Bean Town.

This is in a park in Old City Hall - Boston.

Old City Philly again. Hard to get a good picture, but these little houses were built in the late 1800s.

I love Philly! Me in Old City.

Philadelphia from our hotel.

Love Park. How precious.

Alma de Cuba. A great cuban restaurant in Philly.

Driving into Philly.

Man outside White House protesting. Part of me agrees with him.

Reflecting Pool.

Inside the Capitol Building.

Me in front of the White House - warning - rated PG-13...

We are Here!!

2008-08-24T08:37:00.002-05:00

Ok, first of all I am sorry for not posting sooner. We just have not had much time to access the internet. I will start off by saying the trip to DC was L-O-N-G. We made it in 13 hours. The only thing worth noting on the way up was the Shanandoah Valley. It was beautiful. We were in DC Wed/Thurs. We had a great hotel - right in the middle of downtown and just a few blocks from the White House. We saw W's House, The Lincoln Monument, had a tour of the Captiol and just walked around. John & I were both amazed with how beautiful the city really was. It was great! We ate in Georgetown Thursday night. I loved Georgetown. I could easily live there ... if I had ... say ... more moo-lah. We were so tired from walking all day we crashed early Thursday night. We woke up to drive straight into Philadelphia. It was a short 4 hour drive. We stayed downtown and the City Hall area was amazing. I must say, Philly does leave a lot to be desired though. The people, the streets, all dirty. We had lunch and dinner at two of Stephen Starr's places. Fun fun! Saturday we woke up & drove 6 hours to Boston. I must say - my least favorite part of the trip. We got stuck for an hour outside of NYC on a stupid toll bridge. Charlie Bear was right - we have paid around $40 on tolls alone. Shesh! It was a neat way to see NYC for the first time. It's one huge city, that's for sure. We made it here and the second we drove into Boston I knew I was going to LOVE it. We drove by Fenway (which is amazing!) and through Boston Commons. I about died - I had to pay attention to where I was going. Just imagine - those of you who haven't been here - of the grassiest little area, filled with people just laying around under weeping willows along side the river - I want to go there today. It's truly a beautiful city here. I am so excited to be here! The buildings are unreal - the history behind them. We are staying right off of the Freedom Trail. We are about to head out to do a boat tour, go to Little Italy, then maybe lounge around on the Boston Commons. I will be leaving John around 6pm to venture out to my area for the next 3.5 weeks. I will have a roommate - Taylor. I know nothing about her other than she's from Boston & hopefully she will go to bed around the same time I do each night *wishful thinking* I hope the pictures will suffice for the time being! The weather here is AMAZING - breezy, not hot and just plain lovely. I am not sure how much internet access I will get throughout the days from now on but I'll try to update as much as possible.

Until next time ...
much love!
AC

Moving Out

2008-08-12T10:22:00.003-05:00

Time has flown by! From the day I got the news I was leaving until now seems to have gone by in seconds. I had the big move on Saturday with the help of my parents. I am now trying to pack my clothes so they'll fit in my car. That has been my biggest challenge so far!

I have two days left at work & leave a week from tomorrow. Seven days left in the Magic City! I must say it's bittersweet. I am ready to get settled in Boston & start this new job, but I do know I'll miss my great friends here dearly.

I'm hoping to have some pictures to post in the coming days. Also, the road trip up should be fun as we are staying in DC, Philadelphia, & Boston. No one wants to read a stupid blog if it has no pictures!

Hopefully I'll see most of you before I leave ... if not, maybe I'll see you all really soon!
much love!

Time to Shine Out

2008-07-29T13:18:00.005-05:00

As most of you know, I have recently taken a job with ReadAk. I will be traveling like a nomad over the next year teaching study skills classes (how to improve reading comprehension, take better notes, etc) in private schools all over the country and internationally. I will be in each location 5-6 weeks and get 7-8 assignments per year. I feel very blessed to have this opportunity! They only hired four new teachers this year, so there will be a total of eight of us. Four returned to travel for a second year. I am so excited to start this new adventure, this new chapter in my life! I have been looking for ways to travel (and get paid for it!) for a long time now. Birmingham is a nice city, but I have longed to venture out. It's so odd how things just fall into place when it's the right timing. My last day at Details is August 14th and I am heading out on the road to Boston on August 20th. I am lucky to have my good pal, Johnny, join me on the road trip to Boston. My training starts August 25th & I will be in Bean Town for 3.5 weeks training. I will find out my first two assignments before training is over, which is on Sept 11th. I'm going to have to adjust to living in my car and only having the necessities. It's going to be interesting to say the least. I hope all of you can come out and visit me as often as possible! My housing situations from place to place may be tricky, but I'd love to see some familiar faces along the way.

It's going to be an interesting year. I look forward to making new friends, falling in love with new places, and learning a lot more about myself.

I want to say a special thanks to those of you who have helped me make this a possiblity by storing my furniture at your houses! I appreciate it more than you know. (Ellen, Merry Michael & Stephanie & Chris!!)

I will end my first post with a portion from a book Amber Montgomery recommended to me last summer before my X-Country RV trip. It changed my outlook on life and made me realize I needed to take more chances. Maybe it'll inspire you all like it did me....

"And so my prayer is that your story will have involved some leaving and some coming home, some summer and some winter, some roses blooming out like children in a play. My hope is your story will be about changing, about getting something beautiful born inside of you, about learning to love a woman or a man, about learning to love a child, about moving yourself around water, around mountains, around friends, about learning to love others more than we love ourselves, about learning oneness as a way of understanding God. We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting and the climax and the resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn't it?
It might be time for you to go. It might be time to change, to shine out.
I want to repeat one word for you:
Leave.
Roll the word around on your tongue for a bit. It is a beautiful word, isn't it? So strong and forceful, the way you have always wanted to be. And you will not be alone. You have never been alone. Don't worry. Everything will still be here when you get back. It is you who will have changed."
Donald Miller
Through Painted Deserts

so much love!
AC