The Imagined Life

I am resolved. I would like to publish a blog at least once a month despite my crazy chock full brain at the moment. It needs to happen. Not only is it cathartic, but it also keeps you all updated since I hardly ever get to speak to you all! And, now that I am finally teaching 7th graders, I will now have boatloads of stories to tell. Yay! Yes, I have moved on from the comatose 8th graders to the mentally insane and energetic 7th graders, hoity toiter honors 8th graders, and the slowly leaving their comatose state 9th graders. I never thought I'd get the opportunity to teach this subject since my degree is in Elementary Ed. and English. Who knew that Kerilee Nickles would be pondering the skills of geography and the woes of history and talking away to groups of young people who have no idea that in reality, I'm just a regular girl who doesn't feel like an adult, and who doesn't actually know everything. One of my classes is World History. Ok, so I have to know the his

I'm back in Taiwan! The second year is always the best, and it's a lot easier. You're kind of over the initial frustrations of adjusting to a new life and a new job, and you can kind of just slide into your old routine and can now focus on new things and more fun things. James and I have moved into a beautiful new rooftop apartment, so now I can officially live an adult life. Last year, I was living in the crustiest apartment in the world with a really nice yet strange woman. And living in a crusty place makes you crusty. But, now I feel refreshed and made new and can head into this world with a renewed power and enthusiasm! James and I had a beautiful summer vacation. We traveled to London to see many members of his family including his brother, and we went to Ireland to visit friends, and I even went to Wales to visit other friends. It was amazing! We could go to dark mahogany pubs where people understood what you were saying when you were ordering. I could order glute

Even though I'm only 27, I still feel like I'm the last of an antiquated generation--those who had a free and amazing childhood that is, these days, almost the stuff of myths. My parents pushed us. They wanted us to do well, and they expected a lot of us. But, they wanted so much for us. They wanted us to be free, independent, and to have fun. They always encouraged me to push myself out of my comfort zone. They wanted me to try new things, explore opportunities, and to get the most out of my experiences! I may honestly be one of the last people around who truly had a Mayberry-like childhood. And it was heaven. I played in the park, rode bikes, made teepees and forts outside, created culinary mixtures, went to bonfires, played card games, went camping and watched the stars, and listened to the sound of the crickets at night. I spent summer evenings on a back porch, watching the fireflies gather. I went bowling, went to awesome church events, met new people, made great friend

Wow, I don't think I've ever been this busy in my life. I remember last year I had a lot of time to myself and a lot of time to just wander aimlessly around, not sure what to do with myself. Now, I wouldn't dream of going back to that, but sometimes it can get a bit much over here. We have this long work day, and so when I get home it feels like there isn't so much time left in the evening. And there are social events, exercise groups, sports practice, grading to do, online courses to complete, articles to publish famously, etc. :) So, it seems as if there is no end! The weekend can seem like our own getaway from our busy lives, but then we feel like we need to do so many things! Exercise, spend time outside, see cool things in Taiwan, etc. And the vibe of the city does not lend itself to quiet and relaxation. There are so many people, and they are always doing something! Even if you want to go on a relaxing city hike, there's like a bajillion people up on the m

Hey, I love flying, but SEVEN FLIGHTS is a little ridiculous. Ah, well, It was worth it! Last weekend, I returned from a beautiful 3 week vacation after 6 months of constantly working in the winter darkness and depression. It was amazing. I flew home to visit with family and friends, then fly off to St. Louis to see my sister and her little ones, and then I ended up on the beach in the Philippines with James. \ I'm so glad I got to see everyone and spend a lot of time with people! I hate being away from home so much, so that was just what I needed. I got to eat gluten free pizza from a restaurant, fill up on Target clothing, and speak English with people that understand me. It was wonderful! Since I got to see most of my blog readers while I was home, I'll head straight to my description of my Philippines trip! I arrived on a lovely warm morning in Puerta Princessa, a busy city with lots of people and lots of tourist spots. But, our focus for the trip was just to lay around