The Perfect Break: Part Two

And we’re back! Let’s pick up where we left off, shall we? This post will cover both Saturday and Sunday, so just be sure to prepare yourselves in advance for the length of this one.

Saturday we let ourselves sleep in a little bit. With the time difference, I woke up fairly early, read a little bit, and then made myself fall back asleep. Though I got about five hours of actual sleep the night before, and then slept some on the plane, I still didn’t want to enter into a sleep deficit. We started moving around 9:15am, threw on some workout clothes, grabbed a quick breakfast at Starbucks, and went to pick up our rental bikes. My one request for this trip was that we biked across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, as that was one thing my mom and I did not do when we were here that had been recommended to me a couple of times over. Mary Ellen had actually never done that herself, so she went ahead and rented bikes for us to use. Which, by the way, is far superior to doing a bike tour. We paid for bike insurance, because flat tires and broken chains would be our fault, of course, dropped a few layers off at Mary Ellen’s apartment, and headed on our merry way. And let me just stop right here and say that the weather in San Francisco has got to be more bipolar than the weather in Houston. We would be freezing one second, and then shedding jackets the next. We also weren’t sure what the weather would be like crossing the bridge, and we decided we’d rather be safe than sorry. But one thing stayed consistent the entire weekend – sunshine. And for that, we were all especially thankful. Especially because we heard that the weather in Houston was not so ideal.

Anyway, we headed in the direction of the bridge, and this was no easy feat. We are all in relatively good shape, and I would consider all five of us to be athletic, but some of those hills definitely got the best of us. I was winded after just one hill, but thankfully we only hit a few more tough hills after that. And the hills getting to the bridge were more than worth it for the views we were afforded while crossing the bridge. Clear blue water, the San Francisco skyline, Alcatraz, and mountains that we certainly don’t see in Houston.

Once we got across the bridge, it was (mostly) downhill into Sausalito, which just might be the cutest little town I ever did see. When my mom and I were here a couple of years ago we stopped in Sausalito, and I fell in love with the place. It’s cute, quaint, and the views don’t get much better. We stopped for lunch at The Trident, only settling for a patio seat. We got what we wanted, and we truly could not have asked for a more perfect day. We laughed, enjoyed some delicious food, and even caught some rays. After much deliberation, I settled on a salmon sandwich with a side of greens, and that was easily one of the best meals I had all trip. But then again, everything I ate was pretty top notch.

Mary Ellen's prized picture

We enjoyed the view for a little while longer before checking out some of the cute shops around town. I love unique, one-of-a-kind boutiques, and that was just what Sausalito offered. We walked around for a little bit before getting in line to catch the ferry back to San Francisco. We entertained the idea of biking back across the bridge, but some of those steep down hills caused us to rethink that idea. We ended up boarding the ferry with no problems, minus the chaos that was removing our bikes, but I think it was definitely the better plan. From that point on, we referred to every hill with a, “Imagine if we had to bike up THIS hill.”

Once all five of us had our bikes, we biked to the other side of the city for some famous Philz Coffee. While I don’t like coffee, it sounded good to everyone else, so I went along for the ride. Though this bike ride tiptoed on the dangerous side, as we were riding through the city with no bike lane, the sports fan in me loved biking by the San Francisco Giant’s AT&T Park – Home of the 2014 World Series Champions.

After a coffee break, we returned the bikes, walked through the Marina District and did a little bit of shopping, picked up some famous Susie Cakes (literally the cutest bakery I think I’ve ever seen), quickly showered and ordered pizza (and a salad for lactose intolerant me), and speed-walked to the beach by Mary Ellen’s apartment so that we could picnic and watch the sun set over the Golden Gate Bridge. We didn’t talk much at first, because all of us were absolutely starving by this point – I think that was the cause of our speed walking – but I think that had to be one of the most enjoyable picnics I’ve ever had. We talked and laughed and maybe had a little bit too much wine (me – I’m a lightweight when it comes to alcohol), and it made me realize just how grateful I am for these girls. I think we were all feeling a little bit of that at that moment because we even vocalized it, agreeing that no friends are quite like the friends who saw you through high school. And the fact that each of our college experiences were so very different and we were able to pick up right where we all left off, is something worth noting. The sunset was of course, beautiful, but I think the low-key, laughter-filled night was the icing on the cake.

We were pretty wiped after that, but we took the long way home, walking by the Palace of Fine Arts so that we could see it at night, and it was just beautiful. You guys know I love Houston, but there’s no beauty like California beauty. Once we made it back to the apartment, we winded down pretty quick, wanting to make sure that we got a full night’s sleep before Sunday’s Napa Valley adventure. We had a car reserved for six hours, meaning we had time for three wineries. We started off at Artisa, which afforded us some of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. I didn’t even feel like I was still in America at this point. We had a personable waiter who shared his accents with us, and of course, tasted some delicious wine, while sitting on the deck on this gorgeous day.

White wine girls

The Chardonnay was my favorite at this winery, but some of the reds were quite tasty, too. We spent a little over an hour at this winery before packing up and heading to Gundlach Bundschu, a winery that had picnic tables and a lake view where we could eat lunch. Instead of tasting, we simply purchased two bottles of wine – one red and one white – and set up shop with sandwiches and meat and cheese and crackers and hummus and celery (that last one was my personal contribution).

What many of our attempts looked like

With full stomachs, we piled back into the car and made our way to Sonoma for our last, and probably overall favorite, winery of the day – Cline Cellars. This one actually let you taste five wines for free, so we grabbed our wine, and walked over to the vineyard and had our own little photo shoot. We were those girls, but with a GoPro, you don’t even have to inconvenience another person by asking him or her to take your picture, so we didn’t feel that bad. Besides, as long as we were happy and having fun, that’s all that matters, right? I really liked this place because it had a very family, country club feel, and the aesthetics were just very pleasing. Though, the aesthetics certainly weren’t lacking anywhere else.

Caught in action with the selfie stick

We wanted to be sure to give ourselves plenty of time to get back to San Francisco, especially because we feared there might be traffic, so we left Sonoma just before 3:00pm. We ended up making great time, and my friends, and our fearless driver, Sammy, allowed me to fulfill my childhood dream by vising the actual Full House House. Remember a couple of years ago when I visited the Painted Ladies? Well, this time I got to see the actual house used in the show. The door is no longer red, and the house has been repainted, but John Stamos was at this house just a couple of weeks ago, so I knew it was one and the same. We snapped a couple of quick pictures, jumped back in the car, and I was on cloud nine after that one.

The sun and wine had clearly taken it out of all of us, so we crashed for a little bit upon our return to the apartment, but soon after we shed our Napa clothes for workout clothes (of course) and walked around the Marina District a little bit before enjoying a light dinner at Blue Barn. This place reminded me of Salata, in that I built my own salad, but I regretted it a little bit when I saw the sandwich that Lindsay ordered. But that really didn’t stop me from eating almost all of my gigantic grilled chicken salad.

We made another stop at Susie Cakes for one last dessert, where I got my parents some H U G E chocolate chip cookies, before making our way back to the apartment one last time. We packed up and talked and laughed and it really was the most perfect weekend. A little escape from reality with some of the very best girls I have the pleasure of knowing. And though it was hard to say goodbye to one of my best friends, and we returned to rain and thunderstorms, I’m strangely excited and ready to go back to school tomorrow. Who would have guessed that I would miss my students as much as I did? But I think the best part of all is that I’m feeling relaxed and rejuvenated and I’m going back to the real world with the fullest of hearts. And on that note, I should probably start getting back in school mode again. Here’s to hoping I had competent substitutes!

The Perfect Break: Part One

Hello hello, my faithful followers! If you have been following me on any forms of social media, you’re probably sick of all things San Francisco. But it was a most perfect weekend in one of my favorite cities with some of the best girls that I know. And if you’re ready to brave this lengthy post, I’ll tell you all about it.

Our flight took off on Friday morning at 6am from Bush Intercontinental Airport, which meant arriving to the airport at about 4:30am. I woke up around 3:15am, giving myself about five hours of sleep, but I soon realized that my three travel companions really never went to sleep. Whoops, I guess I’m the lame one. But I managed to sleep most of what was a fairly uneventful flight, besides the turbulence at the beginning, and the UH student who had never been on an airplane before and was traveling to San Francisco for an interview. He was rather comical. But we made it to San Francisco right on time, claimed our baggage, ordered an Uber, picked up the key to Mary Ellen’s apartment, dropped Lindsay off at work – trooper – and made our way to Mary Ellen’s precious apartment in the trendy Marina district. Taylor, Amira, and I had a couple of hours to kill before we were scheduled to meet Mary Ellen at the Ferry Building for our Urban Hiking Tour, so we ate brunch at Squat andGobble, which reminded me very much of my breakfast at Honey Honey a couple of years back, before walking, yes, walking, to the Ferry Building from where we were. It was a solid three miles. And then we had a five-mile hike through the city. We actually ended up walking 14.3 miles on Friday, but let’s start from the beginning, shall we?

Squat and Gobble. Y’all. This place was just wonderful. It was precious, it was delicious, it was reasonably priced, and it absolutely hit the spot. We all went back and forth on what to order before finally deciding on something, but my NorCal omelet – egg whites with xxx was just wonderful. Paired with a side salad and whole wheat toast and jam, my stomach was more than satisfied. We all commented on just how good our food was, and maybe that was because we were out of our minds hungry, but Squat and Gobble is just one of those places that has it all. No matter how picky someone is, what dietary restrictions someone has, or if you’re in the mood for breakfast for dinner, you’ll find something that will please your pallet. A great start to what would be a most perfect trip.

We then decided to walk to the Ferry Building, and though it was a very lengthy walk (sorry, guys), we saw so much along the way. Shops and mini parks, and one-of-a-kind food establishments, and we were nearly late to meet Mary Ellen! We finally made our way to the Ferry Building, and man oh man, that place is a dream. Taylor and Amira stopped for coffee at the famous BlueBottle, while I pulled myself away from the roasted nuts and the plethora of ice cream shops.

Mary Ellen took a half day at work and met us for our UrbanHiking Tour that would take us to the top of Twin Peaks and everywhere in between. We took the Muni to Castro, and met two others at the Castro Theater. Quick side note – one of our fellow hikers, Emily – was also a high school freshmen reading and English teacher who loves to bake and has a dream of opening a bakery one day. Talk about a small world. Anyway, our hike took us through the Castro neighborhood, up and up and up to the top of Twin Peaks and Tank Hill, and we even got the opportunity to be kids again and slide down the Seward Street Slides. Another fun fact for you guys – San Francisco has 220 parks and mini parks, and I think that’s one of the things that I love about the city. So much green! We learned about the Eucalyptus trees planted by Adolph Sutro, and most of all, the views we were awarded were just incredible. Pictures don’t do it justice. And even though my calves were screaming at me as a result of those uphill climbs, I would absolutely recommend this hike to anyone visiting San Francisco, or to anyone who calls San Francisco home. It takes you places you probably wouldn’t discover on your own, and you will learn quite a bit of interesting history along the way. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and fun and made everything really come alive. For someone who disliked history classes most of all, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the history I got this weekend. Maybe it would have appealed to me more had I been in the place about which I was learning? So, yeah, Stratford, get on that one!

Tank Hill

Our feet were aching, and our backs were tired, so we felt as though we more than deserved two scoops of the famous Bi-Rite Ice Cream. We braved the outside-the-door line for some unique-flavored ice cream that reminded me of Austin’s Lick, and my friends humored me by saving at least one scoop for a GoPro photo in Dolores Park. More on the GoPro to come, but I’ll just go ahead and call that one of my best investments. Bold statement, but it made getting group photos so easy. Anyway, we devoured our ice cream – mine Vegan Coconut Chocolate and Orange Raspberry Sorbet topped with sprinkles – while enjoying the sunshine and people watching at Dolores Park.

Our legs were pretty much shot by this point, and we were miles away from where we needed to be, so we Ubered back to Mary Ellen’s apartment where we showered, lounged, and met Lindsay and her work friend Kerry for dinner at The Chubby Noodle. Lindsay was a trooper and ended up having to work last-minute all of Friday (and even Saturday morning!) at the Bank of America San Francisco office. At least she didn’t have to use any vacation days? Positive thinking! Anyway, we had 7:45pm dinner reservations and I’m sure glad that we did because this place was hoppin’! This restaurant is family-style, so we split the Spicy Garlic Noodles, the Tuna Poke (my first time trying raw fish!), and the Korean Pork Tacos (my favorite!). We entertained the idea of going out afterward, but our tired bodies convinced us otherwise. We trekked back to Mary Ellen’s apartment, set up the air mattress, talked for a little bit, and then fell asleep fairly quickly, and we didn’t wake up for quite some time the following morning. Except for our worker-bee, Lindsay, who left the apartment just after 5:00am so that she could get some work in before our bike adventure. She is a rock star, and now I’ve written enough already. Saturday and Sunday’s wrap up to come!

Have a great one!

Book Survey

Happy Sunday from San Francisco! While there hasn't been much time to blog, and I'm fully okay with that, I couldn't let a Sunday pass without a little survey action. You all know how much I like to read, so here's a look into my reading past, present, and future? I am obviously a firm believer in reading, and that belief has been even more solidified after teaching a reading class this year. So many of my students just never had that early exposure that I know I was so lucky to have, and I've realized that any reading is better than no reading. My kiddos absolutely L-O-V-E The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and while I know it's not quite 9th grade reading level, some of them have diligently read the entire series. Small victories!

Author you’ve read the most books from:

Wow, this is a tough question! I’m going to have go with Barbara Park, as she is the author of the Junie. B. Jones series. And man, I L-O-V-E-D those books as a kid. If we’re talking more recently, either J.K. Rowling or Jodi Picoult.

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Best Sequel Ever:

Does HarryPotter and the Prisoner of Azkaban count? It’s one of my absolute FAVORITES.

Currently Reading:

TheKind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson. It was recommended to me via GoodReads after rating TheGirl on the Train so highly.

Drink of Choice While Reading:

Water. Tea is such a curl-up-with-a-book drink, but I just don’t love it enough yet for that.

The right tea, though ...

E-reader or Physical Book?

I go back and forth on this one. I, of course, love actually holding an actual book in my hands, which is why I resisted the e-Reader trend for so long. However, I love how accessible books are on the e-Reader. It’s downright dangerous. But you can search for any book you can imagine, whereas it’s not a for sure thing that your local bookstore will have the one you want. You can borrow books free of charge, just like a library, and best of all, it makes traveling so easy. I finished somewhere around 10 books when I was in Europe a few summers ago. There’s no way I could have brought ten books onboard with me. I would have had to leave behind some pairs of shoes, and that just wasn’t happening.

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

I’ll admit that though I am most definitely on Team Gale, it’s Peeta who likely would have had my affection in high school.

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

TheHunger Games series. I was hesitant about the craze at first, which I don’t think is completely unreasonable, given the kids-killing-kids storyline, but I’m glad I read them when I did.

Hidden Gem Book:

I did an entire blog post over this one. I’m not entirely sure if it can be considered a hidden gem, but Adulting: How To Become a Grown-Up in 468(ish) Easy Steps is one of the best books I’ve read. It’s hilarious, practical, and probably something I should read through again. Whoops!

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Important Moment in your Reading Life:

I’m not entirely sure. I’ve always been a voracious reader, and I think a lot of that goes back to my parents and grandmother reading to me when I was little. I do also remember always being placed in the highest-level reading group, and I think being challenged, but not overly frustrated, by different books at an early age made a huge difference in my reading career.

Just Finished:

Life is_______, by Judah Smith. Five stars, for sure.

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

Science Fiction. I just can’t get into that world.

Longest Book You’ve Read:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, with 870 pages. According to GoodReads, anyway.

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Major book hangover because of:

Shoot, I don't know! A lot of books have affected me in very real ways. Many of my favorites, of course. I know, you're getting tired of hearing about Harry Potter around here, but after I finished rereading the series last summer, I took my time picking up a new book. J.K. Rowling is just bloody brilliant.

Number of Bookcases You Own:

I actually only own one bookshelf, but it is very tall. And I have a couple of bookcases saved up to use in my (fingers crossed!) classroom next year.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

Harry Potter, of course. The entire series. I think I’ve read the entire series at least four times over, but I’ve read the earlier books – Sorcerer’s Stone, Chamber of Secrets, and Prisoners of Azkaban­ – more times than I care to admit. Though when I was younger, I had a whole slew of books that I would read and reread. I kept them on a special shelf on the side of my desk, because they were my go-to on a rainy day.

Yes, I dressed up for both the movie AND book premieres

Preferred Place To Read:

I love being able to wake up, open up my book (or my Kindle), and read while lying in bed. There’s nothing better. I do also love reading in a hammock by the lake (okay, or by the pond, if we’re talking about Hermann Park).

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

“And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” – John Steinbeck, East of Eden

Reading Regret:

I regret not reading some of the books I was assigned in high school (okay, and college). To clarify that, I was a huge nerd in high school, and I did nearly all of my assigned work. Sometimes, however, I would run short on time and quickly skim through SparkNotes to make sure I got the gist of that particular part of the novel. Many of the books that I claimed to not like in high school, I feel as though I would truly enjoy if I were to read them now. I probably didn’t get as much out of the books that I read in high school, but how can you?

Series You Started And Need To Finish (all books are out in series):

A Series of Unfortunate Events. I’ve read every book in that series except for #13, the last one, and I even own it. If I don’t find out what VFD stands for … I also started reading the Pretty Little Liars series, and fell in love with it long before it became such a popular television show. I stopped reading after book five, but I would love to go back to it and find out if it’s as twisted as I’ve heard the television show to be.

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Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:

This is such a hard question. I’m going to go with Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, and Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I want to list about ten more, but I’ll stick to the requirements.

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

The summer before my senior year (of college, just to put myself totally out there), I read every single book in The Alice Series. It didn’t take me long, as I flew through each book, but what an accurate portrayal of what it truly looks like to go through those middle and high school years.

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Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

I guess I'm never really sure of book release days (unless, of course, it's Harry Potter), but I often get emails from Amazon telling me that a new book has been released, or that a new book is about to be released, based on books that I have purchased previously. So while I rarely anticipate a book's release, unless it's part of a series that I'm reading, I do learn of some new books through those occasional emails.

Worst Bookish Habit:

I have a bad habit of buying books that are “pretty,” and then not reading them. Case in point: I have beautiful copies of both Little Women and Les Miserables, and I have not read either. It might be that both of those books are an arm workout just lugging them around, but hey, at least it looks like I read the classics.

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

Ironically enough, it is One Day, All Children by Wendy Kopp, the founder of Teach for America. I went through a phase when I thought that’s what I wanted to do, but I have very mixed feelings about the organization, now. I’ve never actually read the book. Whoops!

Your latest book purchase:

Physical book? Or e-Book? The Kind Worth Killing is the last book I purchased on my Kindle, but the last physical book I purchased was Life is______, by Judah Smith.

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

The Girl on the Train. I could not stop reading this one, reading almost half of the book in one sitting (on a school day, too). I knew I was going to pay for it the next day, but I just had to know what would happen next.

And with that, we're off to the wine country. Hasta luego!

Things I'm Loving Friday XXIX + Product Review

Happy Friday from the Houston airport! I am just getting ready to board the plane that will take me to San Francisco, but I just couldn't neglect my blog today, because I certainly won't be posting anytime tomorrow.

Frank Body Scrub
I'm not one to impulse buy beauty products. I tend to stick with what I know and what I like and not stray much from them. That's why this Australia-made, coffee-based scrub was a purchase that was a little out of the ordinary for me. And though I just received it in the mail, and have only given it one try, I'm obsessed. I have this cute scar from a rollerblading incident, and I'm hoping that this scrub will do the trick. And hey, clear skin is never a bad perk. While it was a little different for an impatient person for myself to wait ten-ish minutes for it to dry, my skin felt smooth after just the one use. I'm feeling a long-term relationship with this one!

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Life Hacks
This was a total impulse buy a couple of weeks ago during an innocent visit to Paper Source. I am such a sucker for things like this. But this one wasn't such a bad buy. In fact, it offers simple, actually applicable solutions to everyday problems. Tired of banging your thumb while using a hammer? Use a clothespin to alleviate that issue. Want to ensure that you get the best carton of ice cream? Press on the top of the container. If it's solid, it's been properly stored. If it can be pushed down, it's been thawed and refrozen. With thousands of tips just like this one, this book is a fun, easy read that will likely teach you something along the way.

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Love and Sunshine 
I was at Bath and Body Works stocking up on a few of my favorite wallflower scents when I noticed a display at the center of the store that read "Love and Sunshine." A sucker for all things sunshine, I went to check it out. Upon spraying this scent, I knew I was going to be making an additional purchase. It's light and subtle, it's sweet (but not too sweet), and it smells just as you think love and sunshine would smell -  lemony and floral with a hint of strawberry. The perfect scent for these spring and summer months.

Strong and Smart
Texas has already been Strong, but now we're Smart, too. But we already knew that. But all kidding aside, Texas Basketball just hired themselves a new basketball coach - Shaka Smart, the former VCU Basketball coach. And though I'm not so sure about the way Rick Barnes was let go, I am absolutely thrilled about the future of Texas sports. If Charlie Strong can find us a quarterback, we're good to go on the football front. Our basketball team has more than enough talent, and I think Shaka Smart is ready to bring the team to its full potential. Now all we need to do is hire a baseball coach with the last name of Sexy. I promise I didn't make that one up.

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Dr. Praeger's Veggie Burgers
When xxx reached out to me about trying out these veggie burgers, I immediately said yes. I love a good veggie burger, though they're just not something I think to buy and cook up myself. I'm not sure why, as all you really have to do is turn on the oven. I was sent the Super Greens Veggie Burgers, which are both gluten-free and dairy-free, so they were right up my alley. But I didn't stop there. I found a recipe for cauliflower bread, so I whipped that up to use as the buns. Double the veggies, double the fun, right? But seriously, I absolutely recommend these burgers. It's all the healthy ingredients of your favorite salad - quinoa, kale, and collard greens, to name just a few of the trendy super foods found within - thrown together into something that may be a little more exciting to eat. The flavor was fresh, and while I topped my burger with mustard, I think a variety of sauces would work well with it. I've tried a couple of frozen veggie burger brands, and I'm going to have to give the nod to Dr. Praeger's on this one!

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Do You Believe in Magic?
We search high and low for hidden magic - Prince Charming, fairy dust, and a wand that can cast spells just like Harry Potter's. But what we often times forget is that there is beauty and magic all around us, all the time. And this article states this idea perfectly. It's short, sweet, and simple, but so very powerful. It can sometimes be hard to see the beauty in the common, everyday things and events, simply because that's what we see and do every day. Waking up. Catching the sunrise. A lone flower on the side of the road. Reality is just as magical as the imaginary, and every day may not be extraordinary, but there something extraordinary can be found in every day.

Fuller House
In the spirit of San Francisco, I revisited this reminiscent Painted Ladies picture, and not much later did I learn that Netflix is allegedly releasing a Full House reunion series, focusing on besties DJ Tanner and Kimmy Gibler. While I know these spin-offs aren't ever as good as the original, I have high hopes for this one. I've said before that I grew up with the Tanner family and the life lessons that Danny sent our way. Heck, I still watch Full House when I get the chance! Though I didn't jump on the Girl Meets World bandwagon, this reunion series seems to have a different feel. I have my fingers crossed that this announcement was no April Fool's joke, and here's to catching a glimpse of Uncle Jesse and the rest of the Tanner crew this time around!

And I'll see YOU guys from San Francisco! Ready or not, the golden girls are coming!

At First, But Now

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed a very family- and friend-filled Easter weekend. It was gloomy and overcast here both Sunday and yesterday, but the sun is trying to make its return today. Trying. Anyway, who stayed up far past their bedtime to watch the NCAA Championship last night? You know this girl did! Remember when I showed you guys my March Madness bracket? And I told you that, for whatever reason, I absolutely love Duke basketball, and every year I pick them to win the whole shebang. Because you can never count out Duke. And every once in a while, they humor me and actually win the whole shebang. (Sidenote: I'm headed to Vegas.) Prior to last year, the last time we saw Duke win a national championship was 2010, in Indianapolis. And where was this year's national championship game played? Indianapolis. Next time the Final Four takes place in Indy, I'm willing to bet that we'll see quite the increase in the number of people who pick Duke to win it all. Logos. Statistics. I'm just saying.

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Moving on. Though the game didn't start until close to 8:30pm Houston time (and that meant 9:30pm on the East Coast!!), I vowed to stay up and watch the entire game. And I started to lose faith when we were down by nine, and couldn't make a basket to save our lives. But Duke chipped away at the score, slowly but surely, certainly under the direction of the ever-so calm and cool Coach K. They were clutch when it counted, and though I genuinely liked Wisconsin's team and coach, I was thrilled to watch the Blue Devils bring another victory home to Durham, North Carolina. And who called it from the very beginning? This girl. This game simply reiterated that age-old advice to always go with your gut. Because eventually it will pay off. Even if the rest of your bracket is completely busted. So maybe I'll stay away from Vegas.

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At First, But Now

At the crawfish this boil this weekend, there were many friends and parents that I hadn't seen in a while.  Therefore, I became a pro at answering the following question: "How's teaching going?"

I could have given the long, drawn out, detailed answer, but to keep it short and sweet, here's the answer I gave to those who asked. I told them, "At first I didn't like it very much. It was new and it was overwhelming and I truly thought this wasn't the job for me. But now, I love it. I've gotten into my groove, I love Bellaire, and my students certainly keep me on my toes. I couldn't imagine doing anything else." At this point, I would usually launch into a story about one of them, proving that, yes, my students are both sweet and sassy.

And I've said it before, and I'll likely say it again. Teaching is hard. I was pretty miserable at first. I was up early and home late and always working and I felt lost and overwhelmed and in over my head and a little bit alone - surprising, in such a big school - but after a couple of months, I stopped hoping for traffic on the Westpark Tollway. I looked forward to pulling into that too-small parking lot, and I didn't absolutely dread some of my classes. Okay, that's a lie. I still dread my 7th period, but that one speaks for itself. I took the help that was offered me. I got to know my co-workers. I separated work from my personal life. I embraced the fact that some of these teachers are old enough (sorry) to be my parents. And in some cases, my grandparents. Seriously. That I'm constantly busy, and that there's always something to be done. That my students sometimes frustrate me to no end, but that the stories they sit down and tell me often make me want to give them all a big hug. That they want to be noticed and appreciated and shown love and attention. That they want to be heard, and to feel like more than a number in a school of close to 4,000. That, granted, maybe not all of them want to learn and discover the absolute joy of getting lost in a book, but they at least want to feel as though they aren't completely wasting their time. I've been told that I'm "too nice" and "too patient," and though I never realized those were negative qualities, maybe it's just that I think the kids should know they matter.

And maybe instead of counting down the days until summer, I should count down the days until I miss my students. Because I will miss (most of) them. Heck, I spend more time with them than I do my friends! As sad a realization as that is? Crazy how one little question can make you realize that much. At first, but now.

And on that note, I'm off to get in a swim. 80 degree temps means the pool is just calling my name!