After receiving a text from my dad today about the women on the tube with their great big hat boxes heading toward Wimbledon, I decided it was time to reminisce on the summer of 2006. It was a good summer. A summer of friendships and traveling pants… no, seriously, my pants traveled.

I was in a strange space during my study abroad. I was in the middle of ending a pretty long term relationship with a pretty awful he-who-must-not-be-named. For the only time in my life, I chopped my hair nice and short, making me look 5 years younger than I already did. I was a know-it-all (nothing’s changed, I know), and I know I drove everyone crazy.

Let me tell you a little bit about my study abroad group. It was 95% estrogen. Need I say more? Ok. Without further ado, from the archives of my undergrad past, the hottest summer in London’s history. Study Abroad, 2006.

If you didn’t believe me about the heat wave, check this out:

Rooming in the attic, with one window, and no air conditioning made sleeping quite an adventure. That summer I learned how to sleep on top of the covers in nothing more than my knickers. So Amy and I spent a lot of our time at Trafalger Square, cooling off in the fountain.

Every time I visit London, someone drags me to the Tower of London. Once I’m done looking at the Crown Jewels, this is about all I have left in me: (real mature, I know)

Portobello Road, Portobello Road, Street where the riches of ages are stowed. Anything and everything a chap can unload is sold off the barrow in Portobello Road.

And then there’s Abbey Road…

And while we’re on the famous locations list, Wimbledon. Arguably (by me) the best sports tournament ever.

Since we were cute, young, American girls, the security guards let us sneak into Centre Court, where we saw Venus Williams:

And then, since Pirates of the Carribbean II was opening in the UK, we saw this guy. Yummy.

And, since she was studying across the street from us, we saw her, too. Actually, we ran into her (literally, in my case, on the sidewalk) daily. (Misha Barton, I know, it’s hard to see but this picture was weeks in the making…)

The necessary Stonehenge pictures:

And my favorite statue in all of London. Peter Pan. With my lovely friend, Tiffany, who came to visit on her way back from Spain!

Because of the heat, we played hookie one day and hit up Brighton Beach.

Give Peace a Chance:

And I end on the best part of our trip, Henry, the Incredible Vacuum Cleaner. He sat up at the top of our stairs every night when Amy and I stumbled back into our room, a little too much Strongbow ingested. He looked after us because he knew more about Walkabout night clubs than we did at that time… and we loved him dearly.

Isn’t he cute?

So go on with your bad self, London. I’m ready for another Wimbledon… bring it on! Host the Olympics, you deserve it! And to the Royal Family, you simply rock. I love you. See you again, soon. Cheers.

*Filed under Wanderlust Life*

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Looking back, it all becomes a big question.  What’s it all really for, anyway?  To be a teacher?

To all of my teaching friends: please don’t take this next paragraph personally, keep on reading.  I sometimes worry that the statement “those who can’t do, teach” holds true.  After 2 years of graduate research on the topic, I’m afraid to announce that yes, our dumbest college graduates make up the majority of the teaching profession.  They may have made it to college, but their SAT and ACT scores are some of the lowest of the bunch.  Here is where we find the problem with education in the great USA.  How did I get here?  I didn’t sign up for this in college.

So I sit here and look back on everything I did in college not to become a teacher.  The 16 credit hour semesters chugging away at public relations and art history while always thinking about how to be better.  Why stop at joining the honors society?  Become honors society president (which I did).  Be happy with a really high GPA?  Nah, add an honors thesis to top it off (which I did).  Why graduate a semester early if you can?  Stay and take more classes (which I did).  Take on an easy summer job?  Scope out those paid internships and work your life away, instead (which I did).  See the pattern?  Yet, my public relations portfolio is sitting on the shelf in our guest bedroom gathering dust.  I haven’t needed it since my first job offer out of school- to be a conference planner. 

Where did things steer off course?  You could blame the recession.  You could blame my itch to be in the classroom.  Sure, but this is my point.  Does it really matter?  I’ve read hundreds of resumes just like my own.  Young minds, bursting with energy, experience, background and a clear drive for success.  They have majors in fields like engineering, public relations, math, biology, Spanish.  Some even have a law degree or their MBA.  And they sit in front of me, magna cum laude, president of Lambda Pi Eta, the Communications Honor Society, 4 fantastic internships deep, published and paid for, not to mention a years worth of experience in non-profit government consulting.  They’ve traveled the country for this job, yet they are begging me to send their portfolio through with a nice, confident check next to ”highly recommend”.  They take each question I throw at them with ease, tenacity and brains.

Do I allow them what was allowed of me?  Do I give them the same opportunity to steer off course, leave the fireworks of success that are bound to follow them through corporate America, in the lab, or the courtroom?  This could end bad.  Do I do it?  Only if…. only if I can see that they have the same commitment I made three years ago.  Our students are thrown in the gutters of society because they were born into the wrong tax bracket, the wrong race, and the wrong side of the city.  To be quite honest, your run-of-the-mill educator with their low SAT score won’t cut it.  These kids need the best we have to offer.  And I know it’s the best as I look up at the clean, polished, nervous as hell young adult in front of me.  Their resume tilts up towards me from my lap with a glory to be proud of. 

And what does he do?  He recommends me in.

*Filed under Personal Life*

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