Well, it's happened. Southwest is now behind me and I have moved on. I'm sure many of you will be happy to no longer have to listen to the constant rants and raves. The last days at school went smoothly with only a few tears as I said goodbye to my adorable students. I promised each of them I would be back to visit in the coming years as well as to see them walk across the stage to receive their diploma when that day comes. It was the most bittersweet I have ever felt, and even now as I have started my new job and settled into my new routine, I find myself thinking about the school and the students often. It's a feeling of nostalgia that I'm sure can only be expected when you make a hard but necessary decision to leave a place you love (feelings I very much identify with how I felt leaving New York to move back to Kansas City). Here are some pictures from the last day of school with the student's who will always have a place in my heart...
 |
| 3rd Hr: Deshaun, Eric, Abu, James, Essense, Estefania, America, and Tuong |
 |
| 7th Hour: Vonzell, Devin, Jorge, Frashonda, Angel, Trayvonna, Wedline, Rabao |
 |
| Jarrin and Mary |
 |
| Rabao and me |
 |
| 4th Hour: Brittney, Sabrina, Joquisha, Josh L, Josh R, Anthony, Alex, Nix, Brittney, Daejah, Keisha, Ivan, Hector, Duy, La'Monica Ana, Angelica, Melissa |
 |
| 1st Hour: Brandy, Rubi, Isoke, Danielle, Joshua |
 |
| 8th Hour: Deaja, Binh An, Jesse, Brandon, Delyce, Devin, Darius, Raven, Rahma |
 |
| My seniors: Lily, Richard and Geno |
 |
| Cheerleaders at pancake breakfast fundraiser: Angel, Jarrin, Wedline, Rubi |
|
|
|
So on to the next...
I have been working at Kauffman Scholars now for two weeks and I feel really good about it. I was dreading the first few days a little bit because they are always somewhat awkward--asking questions every five minutes, not knowing what your are supposed to be doing throughout the day, explaining to each person that says hi to you that it's "HAL-ley" not "HAY-ley", etc. But it was actually very easy for me to just jump right in. Since it is summer, we spent these first two weeks teaching 8th and 9th grade students for full days. I literally started teaching on my second day. They handed me the curriculum and showed me my classroom and that was it. For me, this was the best way to do it. I am certainly in my element and most comfortable while teaching. Even after just two weeks, I really started to connect with the kids. I won't see this particular group again until the fall, but will teach a group of 10th graders a few times in the coming weeks. Summer is super crazy, my schedule is different everyday. Sometimes teaching all day, sometimes in the office all day, sometimes half one and half the other. Also, every summer, we take a group of students to a University for a week where they get to stay in the dorms and experience various campus activities. I leave next week and will take a group to Emporia State. Hopefully, when I'm no longer the low-man on the totem pole, I will be able to take a group to a larger university like MU, or Nebraska, or KU!!!! For now, I'm just thankful I was NOT given Rolla as my college...that place sucks! My coworkers have been very welcoming. Most of them are young, which makes it all the more fun! We already had a happy hour last week :) I am also adjusting to having an office where I spend a lot of my time. During the school year, I spend the majority of my day in the office, and then just a few hours teaching the kids after school. It's so weird! I never thought I would have a cube! It is also the strangest thing to work in a building that is actually sanitary, where you can go to a nice, clean bathroom whenever you need to, can go down to the dining room to get lunch or a diet coke whenever you want, and where no students are screaming up and down the halls throughout the day distracting you from your work!! To most of you this is normal, to me it is SO WEIRD!!!!!!! All of my coworkers have been telling me it is a great organization to work for because although we work really hard and put in a lot of hours, the perks are also really great as well (like half days every Friday, lots of extended holiday time, various tickets from the foundation, etc.). In fact, we got this whole week off for our "midsummer recess" because August is a crazy month when the kids start school and we induct the new cohort of Kauffman Scholars.
 |
| This is the Kauffman Foundation building where my office is...just east of the Plaza and just north of UMKC |
|
|
 |
| My cube...lots of pictures already, but still needs some work! |
 |
| It's official!! I'm a Kauffman employee!! |
In other news, we are doing a lot of traveling thing summer! So far we took a trip to Omaha to visit Tom's family and then also to Chicago for my friend, Johanna's, wedding.
It had been since Christmas since we had been to Omaha to visit the French's. In January, Sam got pregnant so we had to see her and her cute little baby bump! We had some girl time with pedicures and shopping, got to see pictures from Tom's parents' trip to Italy, saw the nursery where Tom's nephew, Easton, will sleep, and set off LOTS of fireworks since it was the weekend before the 4th of July! I always have such a great time when we go there, I feel so lucky that Tom's family is so loving and inclusive...I hear all these horror stories of in-laws and I feel sorry for those people because I know I will never have to deal with any of that! His parents and sister are like second family to me and I am very fortunate to have them in my life.
 |
| Sam's baby bump and Easton's room!! Brian painted that wall, it looks awesome! |
 |
| Tom and I with future mommy and daddy, Brian and Sam...before setting off fireworks in the backyard! |
For the 4th of July weekend, we were in Chicago because my friend, Johanna, was getting married. I met Johanna when I lived in NYC. She was a Math Fellow in the NYC Teaching Fellows program with me, so we spent the whole summer of '07 together in day-long education and math classes. She quickly became one of my closest friends throughout the year I lived there and we have stayed friends since despite our distance. She still lives and teaches in NYC, but is originally from Chicago, which is why she had her wedding there. Her husband, Chad, teaches at the same school as she does which is how they met!
Her wedding was absolutely adorable!! They got married in an old mansion in the Chicago suburb of Elmhurst. Both the ceremony and reception/dinner were held there. What I liked most is that the wedding really seemed to reflect who they are as a couple. I think a lot of weddings these days are just about putting on a show and trying to impress others rather than being an authentic celebration of the newlyweds.
 |
| Wilder Mansion |
 |
| Tom and I with the newlyweds, Johanna and Chad |
The wedding was Sunday, so Tom and I got to do some other things while we were in town. We stayed in downtown Chicago so that we could see the most of the city. Saturday, we went to the Taste of Chicago first thing in the morning. It was awesome! They had streets lined with vendors from Chicago area restaurants and you could get samples of unique things that each restaurant served. It was by far my favorite thing we did. We also did some shopping on Michigan Avenue. Later, we met Tom's friend Josh and his girlfriend for dinner at a gourmet burger restaurant (a la Blanc Burger) in Lincoln Park where Josh lives. We also got to spend some time with some other KU friends on a rooftop in Lincoln Park. Between the time we had pre-wedding and pre-flight on Sunday, we also got to see a show at the Adler Planetarium and explore the Museum of Science and Industry. Both I would recommend! We also walked around Navy Pier, but that place was way too crowded and touristy for my liking :) We had a great time exploring the city, especially once we decided to stop taking taxis and just take advantage of the public transportation. I love not having to use a car! KC needs to step it up in that department...we also didn't forget to eat some authentic deep dish Chicago pizza while we were there. Delish!!
 |
| Entrance to the Taste |
 |
| Adler Planetarium |
 |
| Nick, Josh and Tom on the rooftop in Lincoln Park |
And now??? Waiting for Trader Joe's to open....
