[The Mystery Machine Discussion 1: Where in the Van?]

Mine seems oddly specific to me, but I need one of the window seats in the middle with the double seats. I need a window seat so I can watch the views and tilt my head on the window to fall asleep. I also would like someone to talk with and don't want everyone coming right by me on the way in and out. I don't want to be in the back, because I think it's too hard to get out of the back when you really need to!

[Together -Your Choice - Week 3]

Oh, gosh, I could go on forever, so let's try to keep it meaningful and concise. 

 

This goes without saying, but I'm thankful for my family. My mom has always been there for me no matter what. My stepdad walked in as my other 'dad' walked out and has never left. Though we're not legally family, I'm thankful for my boyfriend's family too. He has a HUGE family and they've all welcomed me (and my parents) with open arms for the past eight years. 

 

I'm thankful that I somehow stumbled upon a career that I love at a school that I love. My high school has such a bad reputation, but I work with some of the most passionate educators on the planet and my admin team would bend over backwards to support us while still holding us to high standards. I cannot imagine working anywhere else. I know that I'm right where I need to be.

 

I'm thankful for HOL - mostly for the people the site has brought into my life. I love that HOL is host to members from all over the world and that people who might feel like they don't fit in other places can find a comfortable home here. I don't think I'll ever leave, but if I did for some strange reason, I know I'd take those friendships with me through the rest of my life. 

 

Lastly, I'm thankful for opportunities to try new things. This year, we've had to get very creative with delivery of services at work, which has led to some really cool things we'll use moving into the future. For Christmas, I've asked for a bunch of little crafty activities. Jake and I are cooking a turkey for the first time for Thanksgiving because our family isn't doing their normal thing this year. It's been interesting learning to be innovative and creative to pass the time and make things work!

 

I'm thankful for all of you, too! <3

[Together -Your Choice - Week 2]

There are a lot of places I love to go, but the first thing that came to mind was band rehearsal. I probably thought of it first because I miss it so much right now. Band rehearsal is typically every Thursday night during the school year, in a large music classroom at the local community college. Instrumental music is something I'm passionate about and gave up for way too long before starting again six years ago. I love the feeling of being part of something bigger than myself. I love having somewhere to go where I can forget the world and get lost in the music for a few hours with others who share my passion. True, there are some days where I'm stressed and feel like I'm driving all over the place and getting home late and it frustrates me. But, ultimately, I can't envision my life without it now. 

[Together -Your Choice - Week 1]

Thank you, Louis, for sharing your story. I'm so happy for you that you've found your person who will support you through thick and thin no matter what. You've certainly gone through many trials and tribulations in your life, and I'm glad that you've found a home at HOL where you feel safe talking about that. I'm happy to have both of you here, and I'm sure others are too! Your ferret is also adorable. <3

 

I'm thankful for my parents, my boyfriend, and my dog, but what I want to talk about is how thankful I am for my students. I'm a School Counselor at the high school level. I work at a school that is over 60% minority, and I've found myself specifically working with our population of English language learners - many of whom have recently arrived in the country and/or are undocumented. These young people have given me a completely different perspective on the world and changed me from being my traditionally shy, timid self into someone who advocates and speaks up when I see something inequitable going on. I've learned so much about so many different cultures, and I've been able to make parents feel included and educated about what's going on in our school and district through my fluency in Spanish. I guess for that I need to include that I'm incredibly thankful for all of my teachers along the way who pushed me to expand my bilingual abilities.  Had I started my career anywhere else, I don't think I'd ever have gotten this experience. 6 years later and there's no place else I'd rather work. 

 

Also, to continue the pet sharing, here's my sleepy English Bulldog child, Teddy: 

 

 

 

 

 

[From the Highlands to Forks - Week 2 - Discussion]

Cedric never stood out to me that much. Generally I think of him as a nice character and a good Quidditch player, but I never found myself connected to his character in any significant way. Part of that may be that Quidditch wasn't a highlight of the series for me, and I wasn't obsessed with him because he wasn't a Ravenclaw. The Triwizard Tournament would not have been the same at all without him, so I feel that he was immensely important in that particular book. I also wasn't a huge fan of the Triwizard Tournament, so there's that. I sound like a downer, don't I? Summary - I like Cedric's character and I think he did a lot of great things, but nothing more than that sticks out to me. 

[From the Highlands to Forks - Week 1 - Discussion]

I've both read the books and seen the movies, but a LONG time ago when they were all new and popular. I was in high school, and these sort of love stories were a huge deal and everyone was swooning. Now I'm almost embarrassed to reread them someday because of the high school stigma I've placed on them. I have to agree with Emily, in that I think Edward was a little too dramatic and jerk-like for my liking. I was definitely team Jacob. Not that he's exceptionally any better, but the better choice between the two in my opinion. 

[Heart Celebrations!]

Thursday nights are band rehearsal nights for me, so I spent my typical Thursday night eating dinner with my parents (Thai food for Valentine's Day!) and going to rehearsal. On Saturday the 16th, my boyfriend took me to a Korean BBQ restaurant for the first time and it was super delicious. My stomach didn't agree with it for a solid 24 hours, but I have no regrets. We took our Monday President's Day time off and went to see Alita: Battle Angel, which was also very good. We really don't do gifts or cards anymore, but the time together was perfect.