cambios, cambios-changes, changes

As many of you may already know, I've made the decision to get off the trail for the year and stay here in Ohio. I got off Trail at the end of July with the intention to surprise my family and pay them a visit for a few days. After spending time with family and friends and my feet and knees screaming in agony from walking the 1200 miles, I decided to get off. Home was calling me and so was my urge to pursue a career in teaching and to start working. So, here I am in my home county, Geauga County. It is good to be living in the countryside again and so close to family! I have two pileated woodpeckers living in my backyard-it is inspiring to go to bed and wake up to such beauty!

I've also started substitute teaching in Geauga County and have taught Kintergarden, Music, Fourth Grade and Special Education already-I love it! It is most definitely a challenge as most of the job is behavior management, but I am finding my niche as I am loving teaching life-long values such as respecting others, thinking positive and trying our best. It is also empowering to be an encouragement to such young and developing souls who are discovering who they are and what this life is! So, I've made the decision to begin taking the steps towards applying for graduate school to get my masters of Education and License to teach Spanish K-12. I'm applying to several schools in the Cleveland area but John Carroll is my top pick! I hope to start Fall of 2010! The Trail is still on my heart and on my mind as many of my Trail friends are now making their way up to Maine. The Berkshires of Massachusetts and the Whites of Vermont and New Hampshire are enticing me-and of course, summiting Mount Katahdin. And because of this, I'm planning to get back on the Trail next summer for three months or so to finish what I can :) Ya veremos....

Here is a poem I wrote, inspired by one of my students:

Giggles, giggles in my tummy!

They tickle so much,

wow-Are they funny!

They travel from my tummy

to the tip of my tongue,

And when I taste them,

Yummy, yum, yum!

I open my mouth and out they come-

Right back into my tummy,
They never can leave home

Giggles, giggles in my tummy,

They keep on coming
and coming and coming!

A few pictures from a walk in Cuyahoga Valley National Park and sisters on Marblehead beach with the sun setting on Lake Erie.