Germany: Home to...playgrounds?

What better time to catch up than when you have a 5 hour layover?! No better time!

Germany was a wonderful place where I could completely geek out about childhood, and teenagehood, and the like. I came to Germany for two reasons: to look at Steiner education (it was born here) and to look at playgrounds. The latter, I cannot say to people without busting out laughing. It kind of sounds ridiculous when you tell someone that you are looking at playgrounds—and I have received plenty of strange looks and questions in return. But, it’s what I was doing and I wasn't going to lie to them!

So why was I looking at playgrounds for a few weeks? When I was in the UK I learned about these places called “Adventure Playgrounds.” APs are places that are more than your set of monkey bars (which strike up enough debate in the playsphere to begin with—who knew?). They provide children with the chance to really take ownership of their play and harness their creativity. Plus, sometimes they have animals! Adventure playgrounds are filled with sand, water, mud, sticks, logs, rocks, piles of wood, and all the tools that children need to combine these. And when I say “piles of wood,” I mean actual piles of wood. Children are typically allowed to build and work on forts in said playgrounds. And yes, these children, who can be as young as 7, are able to check-out hammers, scout for nails, and use saws. Hence why these beauties are not really in the States yet. They have not reached popularity for two reasons: 1) Gross, kids get so dirty there, and 2) Tools are dangerous! WE MUST PROTECT THE CHILDREN FROM DIRT AND JAMMING THEIR FINGERS!!!!

Pretty ridiculous, right? As I’ve said many times on here, if you teach children properly and give them chances, they will rise to the occasion and surprise you. The children cannot just go and get a saw and start cutting wood. They have tutorials, adults are on staff, and children teach children. I always asked the managers about safety and liabilities. Each one of them said that they had fewer accidents than most schools in the local area. When children are in a place that is unstable, unlevel, they generally pay more attention, the same as we do. If a child enters a “safe” playground, he/she will probably not have as much awareness for their surrounding and be more likely to get injured.  When I spent time at the playgrounds, I did not see children crying, falling, or running into things. I saw children who felt empowered. I had children come up to me (one with a saw in his hand) and tell me about their projects that they themselves had planned and completed. I saw children using their hands to create, which let’s be honest, handwork is a dying art. I am a megafan of adventure playgrounds! So, now can you see why I wanted to look at them for a few weeks? J

Besides hanging out with kiddos, I was able to go on a few adventures while I was in Germany. One of my favorites was a trip to KulturinselEinsiedel—Germany’s largest playground!! I first heard about this place in the UK and knew that I had to get over there. The playground is actually in the middle of nowhere. You drive through the woods and then, boom, you are there. The playground has sort of a fantasy environment and feels like a small village. A group of artists and carpenters are on staff and create year-round. Lucky for me, I was there in winter and snow. Which was actually lucky because I felt creepy enough being a 22 year old walking around this place by myself, climbing through tunnels and up in trees. Turns out, the playground was not really designed to accommodate 22 year olds, as I had a difficult time fitting into the underground tunnels. Lucky for me, though, there were still plenty of things to climb on and to see! Plus, they had some animals, which tended to kind of spring up in strange locations. It was absolutely a hilarious and wonderful place. I would have had a field day there if I was 10! Although…I did kind of have a field day there…which is why I knew that adults couldn't fit in the tunnels…whoops!

Another one of my favorite times in Germany was going to The Avett Brothers concert!! It was the most hilarious mix of expats from the south and Germans. I wasn't sure how crowded the show was going to be because, well, to be honest, I really didn't think that folky music would be that popular in Germany. Turns out, Germans have a thing for southern folk music! (Which is why I heard “Country Roads” being played at the beer festival and everyone was singing along.) Marvelously enough, I ended up only 10 FEET from the stage AND in a section of people from South Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina, and various other southern states. Needless to say, the evening was the perfect fix of southern love that I needed! Crazy how hearing the word “y’all,” even in Germany, can make you feel at home. Because that is how I felt in this crowded music hall with hundreds of other people around me—at home. 

Just to update y'all, I am in India now! I've been here a week and it has been a great adventure--filled with lots of sights, smells, and plenty of getting confused :) 

The Things I Did in Italy Besides Eating...

Because let's be honest...I could probably write a rather lengthy post about the food that I ate. The last few weeks have been a great combination of new and old things. For the old, I was able to drop my jaw like a bass (this is no joke, I feel like I walked around Italy with my mouth open half the time haha) and see Pompeii, Rome, and the history of Italy. I was able to see some friends and share our joint experiences of living overseas. And for the new, my beliefs on childhood were challenged and I learned about cultures and traditions through new friends.

While I was in Italy, I spent the majority of my time in Reggio Emilia, a small town with a lot of charm close to Bologna. Besides the fact that I was STILL not able to escape the snow while I was in Italy, it was a beautiful experience there. The reason that I traveled to Reggio Emilia was because it is birthplace of the Reggio Emilia philosophy (I know, the name is real creative, right?). The school movement very first began after WWII, when schools were created for the new era of life. This movement continued into the 1960’s, when it began to take more shape into the philosophy that is recognized now. Inspired by educational philosophers, the Reggio Emilia way of teaching was created to be more in tune with the Democratic society that Italy was becoming. The schools are intertwined with the city, a cooperative initiative, making the city one of the most child friendly cities in Italy. This statistic is based off of the fact that the pre-schools are accessible to all families, and that over 90% of children in Reggio Emilia attend a toddler center. So, you can imagine why I ventured there, huh?

The Reggio Emilia philosophy was one of the reasons that I designed my proposal around exploring educational philosophies. My mother works in a Reggio Emilia inspired pre-school and that is how I was introduced to the world of alternative education. Being at the source got me thinking and it got me a little frustrated. The seed was planted last year at Sewanee in one of my courses and, reading this article, it was revisited. What Waldorf, Montessori, and Reggio Emilia have in common is that they were born from modest beginning. They were also born from people who believe in children. Now, each of these philosophies represent privileged educations—educations that continue to be “successful” (I use the quotes because what defines them as successful can be subjective) because they empower children and believe in children. Soooo what the heck happened? When did society lose their respect for children? Of course children have their own unique needs. And when that was more recognized, we gave them their own rights. In doing so, however, did we alienate them? We keep children inside school walls, in playgrounds. Granted, they can’t vote, drive a car, or shop for food, but does that mean that they are less superior beings of society? If we allow children to believe that they belong in their city as much as adults do, will that change the way that they grow-up? Children are capable. So, how can we change society’s perception on childhood? Here lies my frustration, as well as the frustration of countless educators and policy makers that I have met. These are just thoughts, and lord knows that I’m not going to find any answers while I am abraod, but, I figured that I’d share a little of what was challenging me while I was in Italy.

NOW onto something completely different…

Naples and Rome. First, the fact that I was not hit by a motorcycle in either city is a shock in itself. Good lord people in Italy drive like crazy people! I went to Naples first, and had no idea what to expect….besides pizza, let’s be honest. And besides the deliciousss pizza that I had there, the highlight was visiting Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvious. Pompeii was absolutely nothing like what I thought it would be. When I learned about it in history, we saw the pictures of the ash, of course, and so I expected it to be this depressing ashen place, frozen in time. And granted, I did feel frozen in time, as I did visiting many places in Italy, but, since the volcano, Pompeii has been cleaned up. First off, it is GIGANTIC! The old city of Pompeii is absolutely huge and not designed for people who get lost easily. I would like to add to that statement: ITALY is not designed for people (like me!) who get lost easily. I was lost in Italy all the time. All the time. But, it is not all bad. In fact, there are many fantastic things that I have found when lost! Anyways…Pompeii. Fantastic. The city would have been a beautiful place and although it is cleaned up, it was still a haunting place to be. I loved visiting there and getting to go on top of Mt. Vesuvious was a remarkable experience. Who would have thought that you could spend more than an hour walking around the top of a volcano?? That is how in awe I was with its vastness.

Rome was marvelous for two reasons: 1) I have never felt so small and young amidst all the history and 2) I got to have a SEWANEE REUNION! Luckily, it turned out that there were three Sewanee folks in Rome at the same time! So Mary Gray, Andrew Bradshaw, and I shared a lovely pasta dinner and got to catch-up. It was the absolute perfect time to see some Sewanee people and I am so grateful that I got to see both of them. It was the perfect start to the weekend. Rome, for me at least, was one of those places where I was always just in awe over something. I absolutely loved the city. It was the type of place where I was both grateful and sad to be traveling by myself. There was so much to see there, that I was really glad that I was able to have my own schedule and pick what I wanted to do each day. The beauty in traveling alone is that you do not have to comment on something with someone. I could walk around the perimeter of the Coliseum and just be alone with my own thoughts and emotions and not worry about having to put my feelings to words. On the flip side, experiencing places as historically significant and well known makes you want to be with someone else. It was a bizarre mix of emotions, but in the end, being alone allowed me to have random conversations with strangers and be lost all the time. Because, lord, anyone’s sense of direction is better than mine! Side note, I LOVE how strangers talk to each other when they are traveling! I’ve never been in the super market and gone up to someone and introduced myself randomly.  Like being a freshman in college, travelers seek conversations and new connections with people. Changing strangers to friends while you are traveling is one of the beautiful things in the world.

Now, I’m in Germany! I’ve only been here a week, but it has been a jam packed week of awesomeness so far! I spent last week in Munich, where I was able to visit my friend Kristen from studying abroad, Neuschwanstein Castle, a freaking cool adventure playground, attend an Avett Brothers concert, and go to the dark beer festival. Ya, I said it was a busy week! I feel like I should include a Germany post separately, as to not make this one super long….I’ll have to do that then. 

Walking in a Finland Wonderland

I've come to the realization that when I walk around in Finland, I actually feel like I am living in a snow globe.  I have never been around this much snow!! And it keeps going! Amazing. Everyone here laughs at me when I start to ramble on about the Finns ability to be warriors of the winter season. I can't get over it, though. After being here for 5 weeks, it has ceased to amaze me. When I boarded my plane bound for Finland, I was terrified of the snowy weather that lay ahead. And when I landed and saw the amount of snow surrounding the runway I thought that I was crazy to come here. Living here, though, I feel like I am in this magical Narnia of a place. The trees here are tall and beautiful and always dusted with a layer of snow. The air is cold and smells pure. The nights are orange. The connection to the natural world is so intense and it is intertwined into the lives of those who live here. I just love it.

For the last 5 weeks, I have spent time in some wonderful schools! I got to meet some awesome kiddos and take part in their wintery play. Playing outside in the winter always reminds me of that one scene in "A Christmas Story," when Ralphie's brother, Randy, is getting wrapped in clothes by his mother. When he is finallllly ready to go outside, he screams, "I can't put my arms down!" Well, I have to say, now that I have experience getting kids ready to go outside, that statement is not far off. But once these kids are outside, they are in their element! Seeing the way that the children here play just reaffirms my belief that children have an innate connection with the natural world. They are so observant, so aware, and it is beautiful to witness. And may I say, the coolest thing about snow is that it is basically like playing with giant blocks that can be molded into any shape that you want. I have seen some fantastic creations come from snow--snowmen of all shapes, foods, houses, and tunnels. I just love hanging out with kids...is it obvious?? :)

Ok, so I have to share probably one of the CRAZIEST things that I have done so far this year--winter swimming!! What is winter swimming? Winter swimming is swimming outside in the icy water. Sounds fun when you describe it, right? And despite how horrendously terrifying it sounds, it is surprisingly popular here.  And not just because the water is warmer than the air outside (true but scary). People who swim everyday swear that it fights off illness and keeps them healthy. The woman that I stayed with for a week had done it before and talked about doing it while I was staying with her. It was one of those things that when I first heard it I thought, "no way!!" I mean, what sounds worse than swimming around in water in a frozen over lake? Well, I figured that I was in Finland, and if this was semi-normal, I was doing it! We made plans to go winter swimming one afternoon. We met up with a 70 year old woman who goes everyday! The lake was beautiful! It was completely frozen over, with the exception of a small chunk that was ice free via a circulation pump. The three of us walked out onto the dock in our bathing suits, water shoes, and gloves and headed towards the stairs. I got into the water and although I felt like my breath was taken away, it didn't stop me from screaming. It was such a strange feeling! So invigorating! I climbed out of the water after 20 seconds and felt my skin freezing. Then, I busted out laughing. And I mean really laughing! The three of us were hunched over with tears coming out of our eyes. We could not believe what we did! We ran into the locker trailer and continued to laugh. It was such a pure and blissfully happy moment. I can't even begin to describe how foreign your body feels after you get out of the water. You feel the cold under your skin, but with it, comes a rush of adrenaline. I loved it! I absolutely loved it. We went again the next morning. The whole experience was hilarious and I am so glad that I did it.

On Sunday I head to Italy! I'm excited to begin a new part of this journey! And although I have loved my "Winter Wonderland," the next time I come back will be in the summer :)

6 Month Marker-Finland

Hello everyone!

Sorry for the untimely posting on my part. Things have kind of been a whirlwind since the holidays.

Current location: Finland! A fun fact about Finland--they consume more milk than any other country in the world. And their population is a smidge more than 5 million, which is the size of greater Atlanta.

Six months ago today, I boarded a plane for South Africa. As I sat in the airport terminal, I felt of excited and nervous, unaware of what was ahead of me. What I have learned is that these feelings do not go away. I continue to experience both of them and that is what has been amazing about this journey. I am so thankful for the last 6 months. All of the teachers, children, schools, friends, and strangers that I have met. I cannot wait to see where the next 6 will lead!

So, to mark today, I went cross country skiing, a Finnish pasttime. Let me say something about the Finns, they are ROCKSTARS when it comes to handling the winter elements. Maybe it is because I grew up in Atlanta, a place where even the mention of a "wintry mix"  (I still don't exactly understand what that means...) is enough to cancel school the following day. In Finland, they know how to deal with snow and ice, and it absolutely amazes me. Children play outside at school unless it is past -15 C (5 F). Like I said, these guys are rockstars. We got to the ski tracks (yes, tracks, I will explain) and were greeted with perfect, beautiful weather. I rented the skis and received a short lesson on the proper form. Since I have never cross country skied before, only downhill, I laughed for the first few minutes, unable to get the motion of picking up my heel figured out. Cross country skiing is like running, but with skis on your feet. As you move one foot forward, you propel yourself almost like you are skating and release your unattached heel. You can ski in two ways, either on tracks, which are indentations in the ground to keep your skis parallel, or you can skate (probably not correct vocabulary), which is making sweeping diagonal motions off to each side in order to move forward. It was a packed day at the ski tracks and the scenery was stunning. The routes went through the forest and along bodies of water that had iced over completely. It was so beautiful. It was so much fun and I can see why it is so popular here.

Maybe I will start training for a biathlon?

Whose Play Is It?

“Yes, we remember all the benefits [of play], but we have to remember that it’s fun!”

This was one of many phrases that I loved and took from the “Whose Play Is It?” conference on play in Scotland. Yes, I got to attend a conference ON PLAY! How freaking cool—right?! The conference was a wonderful experience. I got to meet a lot of passionate educators, members of organizations, and people who really just want to support children. The coolest thing about the conference though was the fact that when I told people about my project, they did not have a weird look on their face. We were all dorking out about play together—understanding its merits and challenging our perceptions of childhood. It was so great!

The conference was called “Whose Play Is It” because of the adult invasion over play. The keynote speaker, and rockstar, Bob Hughes, spoke of the adult world that we have tried to create for children’s play. We want play to look like one thing—something that will educate and benefit children, something with an end result. We think that we know what is best for children, when really, evolution has allowed children to receive the skills that they need through play. Without letting children play freely, they are unable to access what evolution has selected for them. When we, as adults, intrude a space, whether literally or figuratively, we interrupt the natural connection between free play and brain development. This got me thinking about my role in play and my project and the different philosophies that I am looking at. Is my project intrusive? Am I being realistic when I want to understand play? After all, it is not my world, but the world of a child. It also got me thinking about what play looks like to different educational philosophies. Each philosophy creates their own idea of what play should be and what it should look like. This idea is constructed and carried out in the structure and content of the classroom and the daily schedule. I would like to further explore this idea in each place that I visit. I think that it would be interesting to look at what play looks like to different school settings and cultures.

In addition to attending the conference, I have also been able to meet with some organizations that support play. Surprisingly, Scotland has a decent amount. I have no idea whether or not these types of things exist in the States or not, but if they do, I sure want to be involved in one when I get back. The organizations that I have talked with do all sorts of fun stuff with neighborhoods, schools, organizations, and government projects. This ranges from advocacy to play space construction to funding to training. Cool beans—huh?! But really, all of these guys are fantastic! I have had a great time learning from them!

Alrighty, so besides nerding out about play, Scotland has been a wonderful adventure! I have been in Edinburgh for two weeks now and although it is kind of chilly and it gets dark a wee bit early, it is lovely here! Here are some of my favorite Scotland happenings...

Hiking in the highlands. Last week, two Sewanee folks were randomly in town and when they said that they rented a car and planned on hiking the next day, it did not matter to me that I had the stomach bug, I was going on that trip. So, we headed up to the highlands past Stirling to Ben A’an, our hiking destination. We were told the night before from a drunken Scotsman that Ben A’an was “a hill,” well, I’m sorry Scotland, but you need to change what you consider to be a “hill.” This was a mountain. A large, steep, lung sucking, mountain. A snow covered mountain. These things considered, it was a fan-freaking-tastic climb! The views were stunnnning. I was constantly stopping (NOT because I was out of breath) to admire my surroundings. The hike overlooked a gorgeous lake and was surrounded by snowy peaks. All I have to say is I know why John Muir was inspired by the Scottish landscape. It is beautiful.

Seeing The Black Keys in Newcastle. I went with my host here to go see them and man, was it an incredible evening! Not only was the concert fantastic, but what happened afterwards was equally remarkable. So, we had originally booked a bus back to Edinburgh for 4:30 am (I know, ouch!) but since the concert finished earlier than we thought it would, we decided to try our luck at catching the bus that was at 11:30 pm. While trying to figure out if we were at the right stop or not, we met the other two people standing there, because there is no better way to bond with strangers than over a confusing bus schedule. They were waiting for people who were on the bus and confirmed that we were in the right place. The girl who was waiting there had an accent from the States, so naturally, I had to ask where she was from. Turns out she was a fellow Southerner—woohoo—from Mississippi! We hugged, because that is what happens with you meet a Southerner in England, and began to chat about what we were both doing on the other side of the pond. Turns out, we had a few friends on common. One of which was also a Watson Fellow!! Crazy?! Naturally, we quickly became new friends! Once we had stopped jumping up and down and shouting at each other (which did merit A LOT of strange looks), her friend came walking down the street. Turned out that the bus didn’t stop where it was supposed to so we were sticking around until the 4:30 one. Thankfully though, our new friends let us come and hang out with them! We had an amazing evening that was spent talking about linguistics (what she was studying), swapping funny stories, drinking tea, and eating bad take-out food. It was absolutely perfect! I could not have been more thankful for the hospitality of two wonderfully kind strange strangers! So Jane and Kirt, Y’ALL ARE THE BEST, THANK YOU! J

One funny thing that I have noticed from being away from home are the weird things that make me nostalgic. Random, strange things.

-The smell of Christmas trees.

-The song “Country Roads.”

-Seeing a picture of rolling mountains. And these mountains don’t have to be from the States, they could be rolling through any country.

-Seeing Jack Daniels memorabilia. This one is particularly funny to me, because the distillery is really not THAT close to Sewanee.

-Smelling fried foods. 

Ya, they are pretty weird, huh? 

I’ve tried haggis (really tasty if you don’t think about what it is), developed an appreciation for Scotch whisky, and tried a deep fried Mars bar (which is a Scottish thing, strangely enough). Scotland has been a great adventure and I am amazed with its beauty. I’ll be here another week and then head down to Londontown! To get you in the holiday spirit, I will leave you with this classic UK Christmas tune from my favorite 80’s band Slade J

Adventures in Montessori and Western England

It has been one month since I have journeyed to the UK! Hard to believe…although, that is a theme for this year so far haha.

For the last 2 weeks I was in Clevedon, which is a lovely small town on the western coast of England. I stayed with one of the teachers and was graciously adopted into her family. My very first day in Clevedon was a hilarious adventure. Not only did I learn about how “Glee” is a great teacher for those who want to master the American accent, but I also learned that the West Country is a fine producer of ciders. My cider experiences were pretty limited, so quickly, it was decided that we would take a trip to some pubs in order to sample some of the local brews. The first place that we went could definitely be called a “hole in the wall” establishment. It was a farm house on the side of the road that sat pretty much on its own. The layout was still very much set up like a house, in fact, I believe that someone might still live on the top floor. The inside smelled like a wet dog and they had an excellent collection of cassette tapes. Best of all though, they had some great ciders! After we tackled the “off the beaten path” pub, it was decided that we should try a more mainstream place. The afternoon was great and a fantastic introduction into the place where I was staying!   

I went to Clevedon in order to go to a Montessori nursery, and goodness, was I impressed! I had an absolutely wonderful time at the nursery. The staff was very friendly and welcomed me in. This was my first time in a Montessori environment, so I really did not know what to expect. The nursery is small, with two classrooms, and is in the basement of a home. What I loved the most about the environment was that the children were free to move in-between the two classrooms. Both of the classrooms had different materials that the children could use. Montessori is more academically focused, and they had a lot of activities that involved counting, fine and gross motor skills, and practical life. I was very impressed with the level of independence that the children had. A child would pick out an activity, set it on the table or on a mat, and when he/she was finished, the activity would return to its home on the shelf and the station would be cleaned up. Children essentially ran the classroom, and worked on their own or in pairs for the entire morning. It was also great to be able to work with smaller children. I have not had the chance to work with little ones yet, and I forgot how little children actually are, haha, I know that sounds redundant. But really! One morning I worked with children on cutting—cutting! Cutting may seem easy to you now, but to a 2 or 3 year old, cutting can be a challenge. Grasping the handles with one hand instead of two, pushing down on the handles and pulling them apart. This is hard stuff! It was so amazing to watch children learn these skills. One great opportunity that I had at the nursery was working with children one-on-one. It was such a gift to spend time with each child and work on one thing. The best part was when the child would get excited about mastering the skill. It is such a great feeling to sit next to a child and have her smiling up at you because she completed something or learned something or figured something out. J

In addition to spending time with the children in the classroom, I also got to accompany them on a fieldtrip to the Bristol Zoo! It was such a fun time from start to finish. We had spent the previous week learning about the Arctic, especially penguins. We all walked around the zoo, watching monkeys and seals and had a picnic lunch. A fun part of the fieldtrip was the “Arctic Experience” that we got to do. We all went inside an “Arctic tent” classroom and learned more about what it was like to explore the Arctic and the kinds of animals that live there. The most impressive part was when one child correctly identified the picture of a Narwhal—A NARWHAL! To which the woman running the presentation said, “wow, I didn’t learn that word until Uni,” and I thought, “wow, I didn’t learn that word until ‘Elf.’”

Another fun Clevedon happening was Bonfire Night.  I had heard the “Remember, remember the 5^th of November” poem before but I never really knew what it meant. In the UK, they celebrate Bonfire Night on the 5^th of November. Bonfire Night does not celebrate Parliament almost getting blown up, what I originally thought and was very confused by, but the fact that Parliament still stands. There are bonfires where they burn a “Guy Fawkes” dummy and people set off fireworks. Now, people don’t just set off fireworks for one evening, it kind of happens throughout the week. And they are not just sparklers or bottle rockets, but HUGE, full scale fireworks! People set these off in their backyards, their backyards with are right next to houses, haha, I was shocked. When I told my host friends that in the States you could only buy fireworks in some places, I received the response, “Wait, so you can own a gun, but you can’t buy fireworks?”

One of my favorite excursions while I was in Clevedon was a walk in the Cheddar Gorge—home of Cheddar cheese and cider shops. We went on a walk in the valley of the gorge and were greeted with fresh, squishy mud! Haha, it was a poor decision to wear my sneakers that day. Despite the mud, it was absolutely stunning. I am completely in love with the English countryside. I love the random stone walls that are all over the place, the grassy hills, and the frequent farm animals. It is just beautiful!

Some other fun tidbits:

-I had some serious language instruction regarding English slang and the Bristolian accent. If you would like to learn more about the Bristolian accent, I would recommend this guy, I fine instructor of some graciously useful phrases.

-The English also celebrate a unique version of “No Shave November” called “Mo-Vember.” Mo-Vember is when the non-shaver must grow a mustache in November. Lord I am glad we don't celebrate it like that in the States. 

-I learned that dinner is also called tea and that lunch is also called dinner. And that pudding is not pudding, but dessert. These made for some confusing meal expectations. 

One thing that has really hit me this week is how hard this year is going to be in terms of saying goodbye. Anyone who knows me is aware that I have trouble saying goodbye. I have only had to do a few goodbyes so far, thankfully, but I know that there are many more to come. The good news is that on the other end of the goodbye are memories that I know are not temporary. :) 

Now I’m back in Bristol for a few days before I go to Scotland. Unfortunately recovering from the the stomach bug...haha working with children for a couple of months, I was bound to get sick at some point.

I’m heading up to Scotland this weekend to attend a conference ON PLAY! I am actually super duper stoked! While I’m up there I am also connecting with some organizations that support play. I had no idea that there were so many, especially in Scotland. I’ll leave you with this little ballad from a folksy band from Western England that I was introduced to while staying in Clevedon. I asked if they were a kid's band and was laughed at. 

One week in the UK!

Well, it has been one week in the UK!

My journeys in Cape Town ended…well…abruptly. So, here’s the thing, I have always had an issue with military time. I know that it “makes sense,” but it never has to me. And yes, I even tried to “get used to it” and it resulted in me missing my first class when I was in Vienna. That is another story. Anyways, so the point, I hate military time, and military time almost caused me to miss my flight to the UK. I had my entire last day planned out. I spent the entire day barefoot, which you could do in my neighborhood, and walked to the beach, the farm village, did some reading, and some sitting in the sun. The girl were going to pick me up and take me to my bosses house where we would all cook dinner. We were supposed to pick up our friend to take him with us. Then, on our way to the airport, we were going to go by my host family’s daughter’s house and say goodbye to them. Well, as you can imagine, none of my afternoon plans happened. We went to my boss’ house and began to make dinner. At around 6 pm, 18:00, I went to print off my boarding pass. Now, the number 20:00 time has always confused me. I always look at it and think that it says 10 pm, which it doesn't.  So, that ENTIRE week I believed my flight to be at 10 pm. As I was printing off my boarding pass, I saw that my gate closed at 19:50. Now, I know that time. I know that 19:00 means 7 pm. So, I began to freak out because I realized that my flight was in 2 hours, not 4. We ran out of the house and dashed to the airport. The girls tried to get me to eat cookies to calm my nerves, which were running pretty high, but I was nauseous. So, my goodbye to Cape Town was more or less ripped off like a band-aid. In hindsight, this was probably a good thing, so that I didn't completely draw out my goodbye. On the other hand, all of my emotions hit me at once while I was in the airport, resulting in one uncomfortable woman sitting to my right. I was amazingly thankful that my friend Grace was on the other side of the flight in London.

So Grace picked me up at the airport and off we went into London! It was hard to realize that I was in the UK. It was, and still is, a very different environment. My senses were overloaded with the trains, cars, people, and buildings. We got to her neighborhood and it was beautiful! I was so overwhelmed with the environment and the wonderful stone buildings and uneven streets…which were not so great for my clumsy feet. We spent the afternoon walking around her neighborhood, hitting up various markets and tourist attractions. I was so thankful for having the comfort of a friend J

The weekend ended up being a Sewanee affair! Seeing Sewanee friends was so amazing, and we were all able to talk to each other about our experiences abroad. London was an amazing place, and it was so crazy being in a city after living in a farm neighborhood for the last 3 months. Here are some weekend highlights:

-Having dinner in Notting Hill, yes, I was freaking out a bit because I am a huge fan of the film, with Sewanee folks.

-Seeing Matilda the musical!! I really love Matilda and all of us had heard great things about the musical, which is a huge hit in London. So, Grace, Chris, and I woke up early on Sunday morning to get in line for student reserve 5 pound tickets. The theatre reserves 8 tickets for 16-25 year olds each show. Amazing, huh?! We were second in line, so we got the tickets!!! The show was AMAZING! The children acting in it were so fantastic! Mostly though, I was in love with the set! It was so cool! The floor looked like plywood, but then things kept coming out of the stage, like desks, chairs, and walls. It was decorated floor to ceiling with scrabble like letters, all in different fonts and colors. And the best part was, our seats weren’t even restricted view or behind a column or something!

-Hitting the art museum AND the British History Museum in ONE day. Not recommended. Never the less, it was a great afternoon!

-Going to an apple festival! There was all kinds of yummy apply goodness there. My personal favorite was a pork sandwich with apple sauce! Who would have thought about that?!

After leaving London, I caught a bus to Bristol to continue on my school adventure! I got to Bristol and had written down directions to the school. After exiting the station and re-entering twice looking for the street, I sought help at the information desk, where I was told that I should catch a bus instead of walk. Well, I started towards the bus stop, and then saw the street where I was supposed to begin my journey, so I decided to walk. Well, I got about halfway when I was confronted with about 6 flights of stairs. Now, in my google maps directions I had written down, “take the stairs,” but looking at the stairs, I was second guessing myself. I asked a girl if she knew the street on top of the stairs and when she asked me where I was going, she also recommended the bus. So, I turned around and found the bus stop. I kept my eye out for the school, since I only had the street name and no address number, but luckily, I found it! Woohoo!

The school that I am at is lovely! It is a Steiner school, so it follows the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner. It is in a really cool old building and goes from play group through class 10. I am spending time with the older students, which has been really great, since I spent time with mostly the younger ones in SA. One thing that has really impressed me is their handwork. Steiner education really puts an emphasis on handwork and man, the things that these kids create is amazing! They were doing cross stitching, knitting, crocheting, and sewing. They made little animals, teddy bears, dolls, purses, glasses cases, all kinds of wonderful things. And I have to say, I felt a little embarrassed that I had to tell children I couldn’t help them because I didn’t know how. To which they would reply, “It’s easy,” and show me what they were doing. I can’t wait to spend more time there!

The good news about the UK, which I am thankful for considering the rain and lack of sun, is that it is fall here, YEA!! I’m just so, so glad that the leaves are out here! The only bad part is that winter is coming…and I don’t think that I am ready yet. But on the flip side, I think experiencing two springs makes up for that J