The first half of my student teaching has been completed, leaving me with a small bit of time to prepare for my upcoming stay in Clayton, Panama. My university has a program which allows me to complete the second half of my student teaching in an American school located in Panama. I'm incredibly excited for this opportunity, albeit slightly nervous as this will be my first time out of the country. I've always wanted to travel, but have never before had the chance. Now, I get to experience a foreign country as a part-time resident through the weeks that I will be teaching there. Wish me luck!

The cold has finally settled in Virgina, and I'm afraid it's now here to stay.... Everyone around me is so excited about apple cider, hot chocolate, the leaves changing colors, scarves, and everything "fun" they say comes with the cold. Now don't get me wrong, I love matching cute scarves to my outfits and sitting with a warm mug of hot chocolate, but seriously? Painfully, spine-achingly cold weather that nips at your extremities before reaching down into your core and staying there until April?! I can't stand it! I despise the cold, and ABOVE ALL, dread the day when the leaves fall off the gorgeous deciduous trees I'm enamored with.

So hello cold. Forgive me if I don't jump for joy, for fear of disentangling myself from my pile of blankets...

It's official - I'm a college graduate! But I don't feel like I'm anywhere close to being done, as I'm taking two grad courses right now that are kicking me square in the bum. Unfortunately, doing poorly in these classes is not an option. One, because I will get kicked out of the program, and two, because this material directly corresponds to what I want to do with my life - teaching in an elementary school. So not always understanding one of the many (MANY) theories and concepts behind the various seven years worth of education we're studying makes me feel like... oh, what's the best word... a failure?! But I keep telling myself that all of this work will pay off in the end. And it will. If I don't keel over first.

Good news? I'm going to be doing five weeks of my student teaching this upcoming spring in PANAMA! Right near the Panama canal, the mother of all canals! I need to brush up on my Espanol, but luckily that's what fluent family members are for. I've never left the country, though it has been my deepest desire. In high school, I planed to take a trip after my college graduation.... and then I went somewhere where I would begin getting my masters degree the day after graduation, so that plan fell through. Now, I'll just take my trip as part of obtaining second degree. Anyone have suggestions as to what a visiting American should put on her To Do List while in Panama? I want to do it all!!!!!

Spring Semester of 2008 is drawing to a close, and with it brings my graduation from CNU! On May 18th I receive my BA in History, and I am thrilled to have made it this far. Lot's of work.... lots and lots of work, but it has finally paid off!

Downside? I graduate on a Sunday and begin classes on Monday (yeah, the next day) for my Masters in Elementary Education. So there won't be too much of a break for me, and I'm going to be using all my time between finals and graduation to start moving into my new apartment, since I can no longer be an RA as a grad student But I'm excited to have a pool during the summer, as it will be my one plus to being away from my family for so long.

I've uploaded a bunch of photos I developed in my Photo 101 class which I took as an elective this semester. It has been a lot of fun, and while I know there are some flecks of things I could change on what I added, I really want to stick to the traditional side and leave them be. Through I don't think I'll ever get the smell of darkroom chemicals out of my nose!

Hopefully I will have more time to draw, because I feel like a piece of me has been missing since my schedule has for the past few years prevented me from doing much. But I've been saying that for ages. I just wish for this summer to be different, because I've started a few pieces I'm really excited about!

Thanks for caring

Fall Semester 2007.... Senior Year is here.

After spending the summer substitute teaching and working as an art instructor at a day camp, it's back to the grind of school. Senior year. I'm so close to my...

BA in History, 2008!

However it won't end there. As my goal is to become an elementary school teacher, I'm completing my masters at CNU too. They call it the "Five year MAT program", as in you spend 4 years getting the degree of your choice taking numerous education classes on the side, and the Monday after graduation, spend the summer, fall, and spring taking grad courses and student teaching. Only the grad courses don't start in the summer, they start NOW.

So I don't even have a bachelors degree, yet I'm taking grad courses. They're incredibly interesting and will benefit me tremendously as a teacher, but for now, they equal INTIMIDATION. And I am trying my hardest to not fall behind. However, once again no art is being produced. What a lame period of my art life.

But because it is humanly impossible to have three of one's classes be 3 hour night classes, I am working on a few pieces on scrap paper. They will one day be images of the elements as I see them. I think they'll be amazing, but hey - that's just me. And I have to think that, just like a parent lives their children unconditionally no matter what.

If you're still reading, please feel free to take a look though my gallery. I will try to get new images up as soon as possible. And if you have any suggestions of what you would like to see next, comment on this journal and let me know!