Secondly...
While I share Jack Kerouac's love of traveling, the last lines of The Lorax by Dr. Seuss have always stuck with me. It takes a lot of caring people to make the world a better place and I’m just trying to do my small part. I wanted to volunteer for Peace Corps as soon as I graduated from Penn State but decided it would be too hard to be away from family on the other side of the world for two years. Instead of moving across the globe, I accepted a teaching job in Florida. Yet, before moving from PA to FL, I followed Jack Kerouac’s advice and hit the road. Over the course of thirty-three days one of my best friends and I drove 8,177 miles across America the Beautiful! We camped and hiked in our nation’s breathtaking national parks. A few favorites were the Badlands, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon.
After teaching for a few years, it was time for a new travel adventure so I ventured abroad for the first time during the summer of 2008. I backpacked from London through Eastern Europe and loved the history of Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Hungary. It was hard to pick just one picture from all the historic sites I saw in five countries but Stonehenge truly stands on its own.
The summer after I traveled to Europe, I was the one sitting in classrooms earning my Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Stetson University.
Last summer, I was busy teaching summer school to help pay those grad school loans. I also increased my running training as I began coaching the girls’ high school cross country team while training for my fifth marathon. Similarly to how I relate my travels when teaching, my joy of running is integrated in my classroom.
To come full circle, the “WHY” is never a simple answer but following your heart is simple. It’s always been a dream of mine to help children in Africa and I’m making that dream happen. I’m combining two of my passions. As Kerouac said, "There's nowhere to go but everywhere." There’s a whole world out there I haven’t seen yet and lots of children to be cared for. So this summer, I'm looking to really make a difference by being a volunteer with Cross Cultural Solutions and help those in Africa who are not as fortunate as those of us in America. I’m setting out to put my heart into this volunteer trip!
Hey Ms.Barr! I think it was cool that your brother made you that DVD of when you drove across the country. Thanks for showing it to us and describing all of the cool places! I really enjoyed watching your pictures! My favorite picture was you standing inside the colossal tree in Redwoods National Park in CA! I hope to go there someday!
ReplyDeleteI also hope to hear a lot about your trip to Afica!
Favorite pictures from Ms. Barr's math class:
ReplyDeleteEmilio- the hotel shaped like a triangular prism
James- Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota
Madison- the koala in the San Diego Zoo
Felix- the Grand Canyon at sunset
Christopher- the panda bear in the San Diego Zoo
Teishley- the birds in the San Diego Zoo
Natalia- seeing the pictures of Old Faithful erupting in Yellowstone and the curvy road in San Francisco
Tyvan- the glistening rainbow over the waterfall in Yosemite
Leo- seeing the vast empty Badlands- cool!
Omar-the elephant cut out of bushes in front of the zoo
Emma- the wolf, buffalo, and black bear in Yellowstone
Jackie- the prairie dogs in the Badlands
Ashley R- enormous trees in Redwoods
i think that is so sweet that you are spending yor summer in africa. have a great trip good luck.
ReplyDeletehey having a great summer and you.i ran my track field twice and i didnt even walk!thank you for believing in me at school.:D
ReplyDelete@Nanny- I definitely am fortunate to have an amazing brother!
ReplyDelete@Delila- Thank you for the well wishes!
@Sarah- I am so proud of you! Keep up the running/walking and the more you run the easier it will be!