Woops! #missedflight #sleptthroughBOTHalarms #AmericanAir

I'm finally at the Boise airport, waiting to board my flight to Phoenix to go to Chicago to go to London.

I couldn't help laughing out loud when I read this sign on the way to my gate:

If only they knew how NOT simple it was to get to the Boise Airport today! I overslept this morning. The alarm was set for 4 a.m., and a back up alarm was set for 4:30 a.m. Both have 3 snoozes for 3 minutes each. I heard none of them. I woke up at 7:30 to bright sunshine and birds singing. A lovely scene, except that I was supposed to be disembarking in Seattle at that very moment! I've never done this before! What a horrible feeling!

When an American Airlines agent finally answered, I started crying. She was so kind and told me to calm down, this happens all the time. After about 45 minutes and lots of different tries, we got it sorted. After a brief time on hold, she told me they were going to waive the fees so that all it cost me was more miles than my original ticket. In the end, I left at 1:40 p.m. instead of 6:17 a.m.

All in all, it turned out great to go later. Here are some of the benefits, in no particular order:

1. I got to go on a run before I left.
2. A hole in my small roller bag became evident, so I switched my stuff to a larger suitcase.
3. I was pretty well rested by the time I got to the airport!
4. A friend I haven't seen in a long time took me to the airport.
5. I realized that if you are willing to pay enough, you don't have to be super stressed! [All it cost was more miles to leave today instead of waiting 6 days to go at the cheaper price. I didn't realize that I was so programmed to do things the hard way!]
6. Don't take yourself so seriously! It's only life, after all!

Let the packing begin....

...but not Abu Dhabi yet. First, Europe for a trip with my dad.

The packing has begun (a little earlier than usual, to be honest):

Last day of school - Goodbye, Boise...Hello Abu Dhabi! #internationalteaching #travel

The last day of school! Hurrah, I made it!

But this was my classroom when I left on Friday...

slightly different than the way it looked for the last 2 years:

It's all in boxes in my living room now because I have accepted a job teaching math in Abu Dhabi next year!  Where? Abu Dhabi is in the United Arab Emirates, in the Middle East. I will be at an all girls school for Emirati students. 

I have known for a while but have been so anxious I was afraid to tell people. However, today I met with a couple that taught there for several years and all of my anxiety fell away. I am super excited and looking forward to my next big adventure!

#Movienight @JUMPBoise with #OpenSeasonMovie #MountainHosts

There is a terrific new space in Boise called JUMP - Jack's [as in Simplot] Urban Meeting Place. According to their Twitter page, it is "A celebration of creativity and inspiration, a place for the community to participate in a kaleidoscope of ever-changing activities, events, and programs."

Seriously, there is a ton to do there. Here is the calendar page. There are classes, programs, a maker space, wifi throughout, community events and spectacular views of Boise.

Tonight was free movie night where four of us met to watch Open Season, a funny kid movie. Not only is it free, you can bring in food (which only one of us remembered to do). An added bonus was that the creator of Open Season, Steve Moore, lives in Boise and was there to answer questions and chat. What a super fun evening!

Oh, and did I mention that we all rode our bikes downtown? 

I love Boise.

Us with Steve Moore - see movie playing in the background in a gorgeous room on the 5th floor.

Spring break @BogusBasin #lovetoski

One of the best parts of being a teacher? Spring break!! Beautiful spring skiing at Bogus Basin last week. We are so lucky to live so close to such a magnificent place.

New ski bag!!! #BogusBasin #Avalon #lovetoski

My new ski bag arrive a few weeks ago and it is AWESOME!!!  Also, it's pink. It fits both boots, my helmet and all of my garb, all at the same time! I used it a few weeks ago on a trip to Salt Lake and it was spectacular. I've wanted one for a few years but never decided I was worth the time and energy it would take to find one I liked. Well, that old idea has been in the process of being excavated all year, and finally, the ski gear barrier has fallen.

I found a recommendation list here and only considered models that come in pink. You can use your own filter! 

It's awesome!

Super comfy backpack straps

Handy-dandy pocket on the top next to a killer handle.

Look at all that stuff!!

#MAET Year 1 scrapbook FINISHED!!! #scrapbook #Ireland #Galway

I just put the finishing touches on my scrapbook from MAET -Year 1! (MAET stands for Master's of Arts in Educational Technology and I completed in 3 summers in Galway, Ireland.)


Yes, I'm a scrapbooker. Not the it-loos-so-good-you-could-put-that-in-a-frame kind; I'm more like the cram-as-much-on-one-page-as-possible kind. I won't lie, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood had a big effect on me, although I started doing this a little before I read the book. My first scrapbook was of my honeymoon to Greece with my ex-husband. Ever since then I have more or less accounted for big events and trips with a scrapbook.

Here's the gist:

1. I collect all sorts of things during my trip. I mean everything: receipts, tickets, napkins, posters, brochures, stickers, figurines, rain ponchos. You just never know what might come in handy later.
2. When I get home Some number of months or years later, I pull out all the stuff I've collected. I go online and print out a selection of pictures from the trip. For example, for MAET Year 2, I printed out 383 pictures out of 700ish total taken. 
3. I sort the pictures chronologically by event on a big table.
4. I sort all the collected debris on top of the pictures.
5. Assemble pages, event by event. This is the part where I really start to relive the trip. It's the best part (as long as it was a happy event!). Here is where I see what was actually important to me. Those things are included.
6. This is the second best part: I throw out all the stuff that doesn't go into the book. This feels fantastic! Before I started making scrapbooks I just collected boxes full of little mementoes and piles of pictures that no one ever saw except me when I cleaned out. Now, the good stuff stays and gets displayed, and the other stuff gets to go, and I complete the process with a visible piece of me to share and an indescribable sense of satisfaction.