Wednesday, July 10, 2013

To Mississippi and back


Dear friend Jill and I trying fried green tomatoes!

Wow, I am not very good at this blogging thing! It is hard to write about life as it is happening, but I will try. So in the midst of gearing up for moving to Turkey to teach and preparing myself for saying goodbye to all my loved ones, I had the amazing opportunity to go to Southaven, Mississippi, a town right next to Memphis, Tennessee, for the last two weeks. Why? Well it wasn't because I wanted to see Elvis's Graceland, or see where

Memphis
MLKJ was shot, or was dying to see the famous ducks at the Peabody Hotel, or listen to some tunes while I walked down Beale Street, or dip my feet in the mighty Mississippi. Though I did enjoy doing all of the above, touring Memphis was not the reason I went to this part of the  states. I went to Mississippi for the one and only PFO (Pre-Field Orientation). At PFO I was able to learn more about Oasis, fellowship with the 98 other teachers going overseas to teach including the five other teachers going to Ankara, Turkey, learn about the students I will be teaching, and yes eat good old southern cuisine breakfast, lunch, and dinner! It was two whole weeks full of vital information for teaching overseas that I feel is helping me see this new step in my life as a reality that will come
Roomies at PFO
very, very soon! I have less than a month before I leave now and though I enjoyed PFO, I am so glad to be back in my neck of the woods to spend the little time I have left here with my loved ones. So if I am not able to see you face-to-face before Ileave,  know I love you and my thoughts are with you!
-CC





Thursday, May 16, 2013

Here We Go...


     If you ask my closest friends, they will tell you I am not exactly savvy when it comes to technology or social networking (Is that even the correct word-social networking?), so blogging is a new concept to me. I am not sure what exactly to write about. I just figure I will write stuff that I would personally find interesting about this adventure and would want to read about. Of course, who doesn't like to read about themselves, so my plan may not work.  I will try my best though.
    If you are reading this blog, you probably already know I am in the process of packing up my whole life here in the states to teach middle school and high school English at an international school in Ankara, Turkey (See cool pink map of Turkey; Ankara is the giant star).Though I don’t leave for a couple more months, it has been a crazy whirlwind of making to-do lists, preparing myself to say tearful goodbyes, scheduling my couple months of summer, figuring out what parts of my life deserve to go in the two suitcases I can bring,  while still teaching my amazing 8th graders here in Pocatello for the last few weeks of school. I don’t think my brain has rested since April when I found out I would be moving. I know it will all come together nonetheless.Though the process has been stressful, there have been some fun parts to it also.     
   For example, after I found out I would be moving to Turkey, I gradually started telling the people in my life. First of course my parents, then close friends and family, then I moved on to my current boss and coworkers. Finally, a week or so ago, I decided to tell my current students about the move. I figured it wouldn't  be a huge deal since they are all moving up to high school next year. I wouldn't see many of them after this year anyway. Overall they all seem very excited for me, but I must say, some of their questions have been interesting. I thought I would share a few:

Most common question:

                  “Are you going to eat a lot of turkey there?” (Yes it is the  only food available in the country! I  feel I need a drum set to carry around, so I can do the ba-doom-tssh after such a great joke every time I hear it!)
roasted turkey
Funniest response so far: 

                   "Isn't that by Kentucky?" (A student asked this in all seriousness)

Latest hilarity they have conjured up:

                 "Does it smell like Thanksgiving in here?" (They say this every time they walk in to my classroom) 
 
     Oh the joys of teaching; you never know what you are going to get! I know deep down that what all of my loving students are trying to say is “Awesome, Miss Campbell! Congratulations! We are so excited for you! You are so inspiring, how you are following your dreams! It makes me want to follow mine!….” At least that is what I tell myself. Either way, I am sure going to miss them!   
     Thanks for reading this first post if you made it this far! Also thanks to all of you for all your love and support! I know your thoughts are with me, and mine are with you! I hope this post is acceptable to all you blog readers; please tune in for more! If you enter your email in the top, you will get email alerts when I post again. (I think!)
CC