(this one is mainly for family, brief update)

YEEEEAAAAAA...... i kind of gave up on blogging there for a while....

But i'm back for an update!

A quick one.

So i went home to Portland for Christmas, and it actually could not have been ANY better. I saw all of my friends, who were nothing less than amazing to me, inviting me everywhere with them, hanging out at home with them, coming along with me when i wanted to see other long lost friends like Lech, Luke, and Austin, and then even throwing me a DELICIOUS good bye Asian feast (with a birthday cake!!!)! I also saw all of my family, including cousin Ryan, little RJ, Kayla, and Amiyah. I saw my cousin get proposed to on Christmas Eve!! I saw Kathy and Jackie and all the girls (who can alllll drink legally!) I saw Joanie and Joe, and their amazing and amazingly hilarious family... I spent a lot of time with the Carusos, and even went to midnight mass with them so i could see Ms Fleming - the amazing lady who talked me into joining JVC.

ANYWHO it was GREAT!

Now i am back. It was hard at first. I'm not going to lie. This city is rough. And the snow is not making it any easier. The sidewalks have just now started to be mostly cleared, before, everyone walked in the street. and i mean EVERYONE. The buses have definitely not been on schedule, which is frustrating... But we also got a Snow DAY!! Last wednesday it snowed 9 inches here in Newark, and although the streets weren't terribly bad, we closed (except for the prisoner re-entry workers who went in to shovel!)

We also just went to a 5 day retreat in Dayton, Pennsylvania, and it was a retreat solely focused on Social Justice. The retreat happened to start on my birthday by the way, which was kind of nice because i didn't have to go to work! Wa hoo! But the retreat was actually (i hate to admit it) inspiring. Mainly because the speakers and discussions were based on the hardships of our job, and how easy it is to get bogged down, lose hope, and forget our once proclaimed dedication. To hear the stories of other jobs, how they are forced to dive right in, and not only work with, but listen to and sympathize some of the most difficult lives one can have. (where as i am only a teacher, working with field trips, i never get to (or have to for that matter) listen to their disparities. I may have a difficult work environment, but in the end, i will have had the experience of playing with little children, and teaching them how to garden.... Pretty adorable.

After the retreat, and after the much anticipated, and long awaited trek home, i feel i am much less homesick, much less missing my old life, and realizing that this is my life RIGHT NOW, and if i plan to make a difference, i gotta step my game up. Although it will be hard to do this, seeing i am very tied down at work (doing nothing) but if i start by changing little things, i can hopefully change the dynamic of my job in the office.

We are getting along very well as a community i would say... I am making dinner tonight, pretty simple, enchiladas... And we definitely still have mice, and our house is DEFINITELY still cold... but i keep my snuggie on, and nothing can defeat me in my snuggie!! :)

One thing i have a question about, if anyone can answer, i have been getting headaches that literally last all day... Could it be the change in weather??

Another thing, is i got an AMAZING gift for my birthday! I got a KINDLE!! I'm obsessed with it and never want to put it down!! I already ordered a night light for it, to read in bed :)

Sooooo... if you haven't guessed already, my "care package" ideas might start consisting of books that you can order for me, and they will be automatically SENT to my Kindle!!! SO COOL RIGHT?!?! i love it!

One book however, i do need to ask about... I refuse to buy it on my Kindle, because i know it will be a book i will pass on to future JVs that live in Newark...Or whoever else that i feel may need it. It's called "What about me can't you teach?" and it is about Teaching in an unban city. It is suppose to be amazing, and a "must read" for teachers. Have any of you heard of it?? or by ANY chance already have it?? If you already have it, and are willing to pass it on, our house would GREATLY appreciate it! If you haven't, i suggest you check it out for yourself!!

I am kind of getting lost in writing these blogs, there is a lot less of needing to digest my new surroundings, so i don't know what to write about.... Questions would be greatly appreciated!!

Sorry for my poor grammar, lack of descriptive words, and kind of an overall mush of thoughts...