Traveling...

So, between the end of Octoboer and early November, I’ve been doing quite a bit of traveling – especially for someone like me. I mean, I’m not a business person who has to go visit clients or an engineer who has customers out of town. I’m a teacher – and an engineer. Well, within the last three or so weeks, I’ve been out of state twice. Once to Washington, DC and then to Chicago. My students teasingly asked me if I didn’t like them and that’s why I’m leaving them. They probably wouldn’t have noticed it that much except for the fact that I was gone on a Friday, then the following Monday because of the DC trip, then on the Thursday of that week for a teacher training thing, was at school for a week, then gone again for two days. When they ask me where am I going and why, I tell them. And not just the “purpose of the trip” why, but the how and why I got this opportunity. It’s a teachable moment.

I want all my students to realize that opportunities are everywhere. You choose everyday what to do, how to live, how to represent yourself, your school, your family, etc. whether you want to or not – no matter how old you are.

What brought me to DC? I teach at a summer program – sort of a science and math camp. I’ve done it for several summers now. I love it. LOVE IT. Well, love and respect it (and its mission). And the feeling is mutual. I do work for them in the spring as well. So, I was asked to do a demo of what my “class” does in the summer at the USA Science and Engineering Festival that was being held in DC. Between the Festival, a whirlwind tour of some sights and the time difference between the west coast and DC, I was TIRED. But it was totally worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat!



Then it was off to Chicago... where I had a board meeting. Another quick visit to a town. I headed right after school to the airport to catch my flight and arrived in Chicago just past midnight (local time). I pretty much spent the entire time in the hotel meeting room. But we (everyone on the board) went out to dinner. I got to ride in a stretch Hummer! When you have to transport around 18 people, it winds up being more cost effective to rent that to shuttle people around in one group. Who knew? I wish I had more time to spend there, but it was a meeting again the next day and then off to the airport right after the meeting was over.



From Chicago, I didn't even fly home. I went to LA for another board meeting and a formal dinner. It was a great event - talking with high school students from the summer program who were presenting their work and their parents, among others. I was, however, anxious to get home and be in my own bed... and just sit. It was a whirlwind few days...

Which ended with me going back to school on a Wednesday (which was a half day), then having Thursday off for a holiday, then actually having one full day of work on the Friday. Now, that's a work week! Did I get any writing done? Some.. on the plane... the multiple flights I had...