My New Life

Wow. The past 3 days have been a whirlwind. And a whirlwind that seems to have lasted for about 2 weeks. On Tuesday, I left Columbia about 8:30 to head to my new life in Atlanta. I was excited, but anxious, as is to be expected. I can honestly say, though, that just 3 days later, I am about 100 times more excited than I was on Tuesday. I feel so incredibly blessed and grateful for the new life that I have before me. I know that Atlanta, GA is exactly where I am supposed to be despite all the craziness that has led me actually being here.

Why you ask? Well, so many reasons. I arrived on Tuesday afternoon, checked in, met a few roommates, and went straight to a few introductory sessions before our Opening Dinner. Opening Dinner included a few presentations by members of our community, students, and Teach for America Corps Members. After hearing one graduate of Atlanta Public Schools tell his story, I was so convicted. As a Junior in High School, he decided he wanted to attend Moorehouse College, but was unable to do so. Despite his determination, hard work, and the support of his TFA teacher, he was already too behind. He very poetically told us, “my dream was to go to Moorehouse, but I’m not there. I’m at Community College.” It was heartbreaking to realize that his dreams, despite his own efforts and work ethic, weren’t possible. This is what drives me to want to be a “transformational teacher” (one of TFA’s buzz words/phrases). The reality is that these children don’t have the same opportunities I did. The reality is that no matter how hard they work, there are outside forces that prohibit their dreams. This was not my reality. I am continually realizing how little my success is my own, and how much of it is owed to chance. Owed to race, class, and socio-economic position.

On Wednesday, we had the amazing opportunity to visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic Site. Once again, such a convicting and inspiring experience. As all my friends and family know, racism and equality are issues that I am very passionate about. So, to realize the historic significance of the city that I’m working in, pertaining to race, was so powerful. Joining TFA has been such a life changing experience already for me, and I am incredibly excited to realize exactly how deeply connected my work is to the work of racial equality. I would not have such passionate views and such a desire for equality had it not been for TFA and I’m so grateful to be part of a community of people who are just as determined to fight for equality. It is incredibly humbling to realize the connection between my work as a teacher and the continuation of MLK Jr.’s vision.

Wednesday afternoon and Thursday consisted of more panels and sessions about teaching, leadership, race, class, and all kinds of deep discussion, which y’all realize by now, are all things that I love. I will not bore you with more details because, let’s be honest, not everyone loves to discuss these issues like I do. I just wanted to hit on a few of the most powerful experiences thus far.

I am incredibly grateful for all the experiences I’ve had and support I’ve received that have lead me to this place. Thanks to all who have been involved in my success and continue to provide support and opportunities.

I am currently on a bus back home to celebrate my childhood best friend, Amber’s wedding! So excited to be home and be part of such a special day, but itching to get back and get started learning more practical information about teaching. (Our teacher training officially starts next week.)

Thanks for reading, and I will try to keep updating throughout the next weeks, despite the crazy schedule that awaits me. (I’ll be catching the bus each morning at 6:30 AM. AH!)

Lauren

Leap of Faith.

In my last post, I said that I would be moving to Atlanta for TFA. However, since that post, I've learned that is not the case. Due to lots of turmoil and changes in the Atlanta school systems, there are no longer many available positions for TFA teachers, so our Corps (of approximately 400) has been asked to consider either deferring for a year or transferring regions. Woah. This came as a huge shock considering we were planning on being in Atlanta in under a month.

After receiving emails and listening in on conference calls, I decided that I would be willing to transfer regions. I didn't think too much about this decision at first because I had always had an open mind about my location. When I originally applied to TFA, I selected about 20 regions that I would be willing to move to, but just happened to receive my first choice. So when asked to transfer, I thought, "Not a big deal. I'm open to moving." I immediately filled out a survey and said that I would transfer to one of six different regions across the states, (New York City, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Charlotte, Miami, and the Bay Area of California). Not a big deal.

As the next few days passed, I began to realize what exactly that decision meant. I don't know where I'll be living for the next two years. A more pressing issue, I don't know where I'll be living in a month. I don't know what the culture will be like. I don't know what churches will be there. I won't know anyone. I don't know if I'll be 500 miles or 2000 miles from my family. I don't know anything. And I was the one who decided it was okay for me to not know anything.

 WHAT WAS I THINKING?

I honestly don't know. My first reaction was that I needed to make the right choice. That God's plan was for me to choice one of the three options (staying in Atlanta despite uncertainty of placement, transferring regions, or deferring), and I had to choose the one He wanted. If I chose wrong, I would mess up His plan and knock my life off track. Thankfully, I have some great people in my life that have taught me that I can't mess up His plan.

After remembering that I can't make a "wrong" decision, but should just go with my gut and God will work it out, I decided to click transfer. I felt great about it at the time. Most of the time I still do, but there is a huge part of me that is extremely anxious. (See the above paragraph stating everything I don't know for insight on what I'm anxious about.) Tonight I was reminded of all the worrying that I have done over the past months about Atlanta. It's funny because I was so worried that I would mess up, that I had made the wrong choice in choosing Atlanta, that I wouldn't do enough for my students, or I wouldn't make it as a teacher, or I would lose touch with God. It was all about me and how I was going to fail or succeed.

Now nothing is about me. I literally have no control over the situation. Seems to me that God is reminding me that nothing I do can or will save me. That nothing I do can or will make Him love me less or make me fall from His graces. That He is in control and will not allow me to stumble or fall. It is such a beautiful feeling to know that I am not in control. That no matter where I end up next month, God is with me, working in me, and protecting me. That despite all the pressure I feel to do the right thing, that is not what He wants for me. That He wants me to rest in His arms and allow Him to do the planning and worrying.

I've been doing a Beth Moore devotional book over the past few months and one of the prayers that she wrote and I noted in my journal goes as follows,
"Lord, You alone are worthy of glory. So when my deliverance comes, may I give you alone the glory. And as you teach me to live abundantly, may that glory-giving continue."
Seems like this prayer is being answered for me. When all of this works out (with its inevitable struggles and issues), I will have no choice but to see it as God's deliverance and give Him the glory. It will not be about my planning or preparing, but about His divine plan.

I am excited for this ride, but equally anxious about the bumps and bruises that are sure to come along with making this leap. Please pray for me as I start this journey.

Lauren

Teach for America

So, it's been over a year since I've blogged. And life looks very different since my last post. I graduate from UT in exactly 10 days. I am a 2012 Teach for America Corps member and will move to Atlanta in exactly 28 days. I am planning on blogging again so that I can share my TFA experiences with all my friends and family. So stay tuned!

It's Been a While

¡Hola mis amores!

It's been a while since I've last blogged; mainly because I haven't traveled, so I feel like I don't have too much to tell you all about. But, I've come up with a few things. So here it goes...

--Classes. Aren't that bad, actually. I have to write a paper in Spanish for my Historia de Costa Rica class. But so far, things are going well with school. I like the classes I'm taking and I only have class on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Which is amazing. I start my weekend on Wednesday at about 3 pm. :) I'm excited to start my tutoring program next week. I will have a Spanish tutor that I meet with 2 times a week. It will be me, my tutor, and one other American girl. I'm excited to get some personalized help.

--Speaking Spanish. Is going well. I have really high expectations for myself, so of course I'm feeling like I'm doing doing great. But I'm constantly getting encouragement from my family and other classmates/friends. I can pretty much always get the gist of what someone is saying, but often miss the particulars. I'm also learning lots of local slang. The language here in CR is very informal, and there is a lot of slang that is used with everyone.

--Walking. I do a lot of it everyday. My walk to school is 25 solid minutes, so I'm definitely getting my exercise in. Today my mom saw me walking home because she was coming home from the grocery store, and she commented on how fast I walk. She then continued by saying what good exercise walking is, and that pretty soon I'm going to look like..... "a Barbie." I said, I doubt it, but I sure hope so. Haha

--Dancing. I haven't done as much of this as I'd like. But I did go to my host parents' surprise 40th anniversary party and got to dance there. The next day my mom told me that everyone was talking about it. Of course, I assume it's just because I was the only NOT Costa Rican person at the party. But, apparently, not only was I the only white girl, but I was the first white girl that they had seen that knew how dance the Latin dances that they do here. Needless to say, I'm incredibly grateful for my Social Dance class teachers from last year at UT.

Well, I think those are a few highlights. I really have just been going to class and hanging out in Heredia for the past few weeks, so I don't have many exciting stories. But, I definitely love being here. Even the small things like going to school are so different, and I am so grateful for every mundane experience here. Because it's here. I'm in Costa Rica. And I'm being immersed in another culture. How amazing is that? The little mundane things aren't really mundane because they're done in a new place with new sounds, new smells (not always good, but Knoxville doesn't always smell great either, ya know.), and with new people.

I'm learning to truly appreciate God's handiwork. I live in a very urban setting, but basically every time I stop to wait for cars to pass so that I can cross the road, I look up and see these gorgeous mountains. It's incredible. Every time I see them, it hits me that I'm in Costa Rica. That I'm in a lush, tropical part of Central America. That's ridiculous. I'm very blessed, and very grateful.

Thanks for reading. Sorry I wasn't a very organized writer today, but I've been up since 530 (yes, I have to be at class at 7 am. eek!), and so I'm feeling lazy. Hope you all are well and keep the prayers coming, please! :)

blog from the beach!

I am currently covered in sand, repping UT in my Tennessee hat, and listening to my new favorite dance song, which is in Portuguese, all while overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Therefore, I have asked myself and mis amgios, "Is this real life?" about 10 times in the past 2 days. I am incredibly blessed to be spending the weekend in Manuel Antonio, which is a small town on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. I want to give you all a few of the amazing details of this weekend....
--A 3 hour bus ride is all that stood between us and the beach. It could've been a terrible ride, but overall is was very painless. I slept for most of the time, and the other part I spent squealing with mis chicas about how excited we were for the beach.
--Vista Serena Hostel is our home for the weekend. We each paid 20 US Dollars for 2 nights. This 20 paid for a nice bunk bed, 1 shower to split between 14 people, amazing ocean views, plenty of hammocks, and free pan, mantequilla, y marmalada, y cafe for breakfast. This is my first hostel experience and I love it. Everyone here is just here to experience the landscape and culture, and unconcerned with having all the bells and whistles that we require from our hotels in the states.
--We spent the night hanging out and playing cards at the hostel. Oh, and dancing with a group of 9 Argentine guys and girls. If you know me well, you know that one of the most exciting parts of being in Latin America is the dancing aspect of the culture. So for about an hour, I sat and played cards and watched this group of free loving Argentines dance to their music (all in Spanish). Until FINALLY one of them told all of us to come over. After that we showed them some American movies, aka Lady Gaga's Bad Romance, and they shared some of their skills as well. It was a surreal night for all of us. Only I was very disappointed to find that none of them could dance the Tango. Seriously?
--We spent the entire day at the Manuel Antonio National Park. It is an incredible beach that inside a cove, so there aren't huge waves, but the water is perfect for swimming. We arrived about 930 and stayed till 330. I slept and swam and explored. So incredible. If I looked out over the ocean, I felt like I was in a scene for Pirates of the Caribbean and if I looked back towards the beach, I felt like I had just crashed into the island from LOST. There were also some pretty incredible animal sightings. We saw monkeys up super close, and a raccoon, yes a raccoon, stole some of our food. Ridiculous, right? Am I in Tennessee or at the beach in Costa Rica?

Anyway, that's about all for now! Thanks for reading, and keep praying for me! Love you all!

Pura Vida!

Update, Update!

Okay, its been about 9 days since I last blogged. ALOT has happened in these past 9 days, so I'm just going to start rattling off major events since there's too many things to mention. And I'm lazy.

*Orientation- Monday-Wednesday of last week was spent at the University with the other exchange students in my program. It was mainly boring meetings and signing up for classes. It was such a blessing to have this week to meet and get to know the other students that are in the same situation that I'm in. It was also great to have Ivelina, José, and Luis as our guides. These 3 "Ticos" (Tico is another way to say Costa Rican) work for the program and are basically here to help us with whatever we need.

*Southern Accent- The other Americans in my program are from all over the states. California, Nebraska, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Tennessee, North Carolina, Iowa, Washington, and I think that's all. I was always aware that I have a southern accent, but because I've lived in TN my whole life, it has never been an issue. However, on this trip it has been a topic of conversation. Apparently, my accent it the thickest, or I'm just an easy target. Anyway, I am always aware when I use the word, y'all because at least one Californian or Nebraskan or Washingtonian points it out. At first I was offended and embarrassed. I am very self conscious of this accent as it is often equated with... well, stupidity or ignorance. Neither of which I consider myself. However, after some reassurances from my comrades, I have come to understand it as more endearing to them, and that I am not considered either of the aforementioned characteristics.

*Piña Farm- If you know me very well, you know that Piña, or Pineapple, is my favorite fruit. So when the first stop on our 4 day excursion to the rainforest was a Pineapple plantation, I was stoked. And my expectations were blown out the water. Our tour guide was hilarious and our tour of the totally organic farm was great. We ate lots of Piña, and I was lucky enough to get a "Pineapple Lollipop", see pictures on facebook. The tour ended with more pineapple, pineapple cake, and Piña Coladas in real carved out pineapples. Amazing. Best Piña Colada I've ever had. Oh, and I also won a Piña for answering a question correctly. When pineapple's involved, I'm all ears.... Oh, and it was neat to be on the opposite end of a tour, as I'm usually the one giving the tours. (I'm a tour guide at UT.) It was funny to recognize the cheesy jokes that are told every tour. Not that I tell the same cheesy jokes ever tour or anything...

*Reforestation Project- Friday morning we had the privilege of working with the Saripiqui Learning Center in their Reforestation division. They are a local non-profit working to improve the local rural community. Their reforestation project is trying to connect biological corridors in the area, and therefore, improve the ecological environment. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but i know that we were able to plant about 150 trees in a little over an hour or so. It was such a surreal experience. My planting partner, Anna, is an Environmental Science major, so this was particularly incredible for her. We both just kept saying, "Um, we're planting trees in Costa Rica. How amazing is our life right now." I'm so very grateful to have had this amazing opportunity.

*4-Star Banana Bank- This one will really only have significance for those friends of mine who have been on the Belize trip. We stayed at the Selva Verde Lodge and its basically the same concept as Banana Bank, only bigger, nicer, and cooler. It was incredible to have no AC and still get cold at night. Thank you elevation! We had a lot of free time in the afternoons, so I laid in the hammock and listened to the rain fall while I rested. It was amazing to be in such a beautiful place and have God's creation surrounding you with little man-made constructions blocking it out. It was incredible dark, and loud at night thanks to all the creatures. And the stars were incredible.

I think those are the main events of my time here, thus far. So much more has happened, but I don't want to bore you all, so I will stop here. Thanks so much for all your prayers and words of encouragement. I know that these things are what has made my trip so great thus far. I couldn't do this without knowing the incredible support that I have back home.

Also, I want to thank Mom, Dad, Abby, and Nanny specifically for helping me make this possible. Your love and support and generosity is the only reason I am here, and doing so well. Love you all.

Okey, Hasta Luego! Que tengan una buena semana!

Estoy en Costa Rica

I arrived safely in Costa Rica at about 2 pm local time. (Which conveniently is the same as Columbia.) As I was flying out of Charlotte, all I could think was, "Goodbye America. For FIVE whole months." And as I was landing in Costa Rica, I was thinking, "Welcome home for the next FIVE whole months." But despite these concerns and the anxiety that goes with flying and getting through customs, I was at peace. And very excited as I exited the airport to find lots of people holding up signs with names on them. Excited, that is, until I didn't see one with my name. The next 8-10 minutes were not fun. I realized after about 3 minutes that I had memorized the address of my host family, but not their names. So if I needed to ask about them, I wouldn't know their names, great. I had to continually reassure myself that they were going to show, and I wouldn't be stuck outside the airport all night. And of course, they did. I'm very grateful that I only had to spend a mere 8-10 minutes worrying.

Since I met Odilie and Elias, I have felt extremely welcomed and comfortable. Of course, there have been many awkward pauses in conversations as I try to understand them, think of the word I'm trying to say, and then form the rest of my sentence, but they are extremely patient and willing to help me learn. Which is amazing and much more than, I believe, many of us would be, were the roles reversed.

The first stop we made was for food. Actually, one of the first questions they asked me was if I was hungry. I knew from that point on that I was in the right family. We had a little afternoon snack at a local Chinese restaurant. (Although we passed Taco Bell and McDonalds before we arrived at said restaurant.) I had told them that I wasn't extremely hungry, so they pointed out 'helado' on the menu. Helado means ice cream. And if you know me at all, you know that helado is my favorite food. Once again, I'm in the right family.

Their house is adorable. Small, but very nice and well kept up. I have my own room off the laundry room, and my own bathroom connected to my room. It is small, and I have never felt so materialistic in my life as I did when I tried to stuff all my clothing in the small closet. But it was a successful venture, and everything has its place. I plan on adding a picture or two of my room to this blog eventually, but I don't have time now.

My plans for the evening include a 31st birthday party for my parent's daughter, so my sister, I suppose. I guess I should get ready for said party. I believe we are leaving soon. I'm excited and nervous to meet the rest of the family. Hope they are as patient with my broken Spanish as my parents are.

Oh, if you haven't figured it out yet, I have Wi-Fi in my house. Amazing, right? So that means you'll be hearing from me a lot. Decide for yourself if that is good or bad. I'm very glad I have it because I have already skyped with my family. So good to know I can see their faces so often.

I think that's all for now. ¡Pura Vida!