As I look back on 2010 I realize that life has been good to me. I made new friends, made memories, traveled, stayed up late, made bad choices, lost myself, later found myself, accomplished things, and finally graduated college. I started my new life as a tutoring coordinator and finished all of my applications to grad school. It is an entire year of transitions, but it definitely has been a continual learning experience.
I embark into 2011 with a new blog:
http://inadayofhappy.blogspot.com/
Please go there. Comment. Stay in touch. As for now, I am done pretending to update this particular page. Until next time,
Kristy
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
What I said on graduation day...
“People so seldom say I love you And then it's either too late or love goes. So when I tell you I love you, It doesn't mean I know you'll never go, Only that I wish you didn't have to.”
Sometimes you have to let go to see if there was anything worth holding on to. Still, that doesn’t make this any easier. I have put in time here and have come to find my closest friends and what can only be described as family… truly; Kato is not just some chapter in my life. It has been a legitimate home, and it has helped me grow into the woman I am today. For that, I am grateful. My three years have been some of the best and worst in my entire life.
The people that have come into my life in my time here have been lifechanging. Period.
The current flow of my day is mostly
“hey what are you up to?”
“wanna grab lunch in a few?”
“good running into you”
“come dt with me!”
“come over”
“where are you, I need a hug”
I really have taken those hugs for granted… And now, the only word I need to muster up is farewell. There will not be random 2 minute conversations in the hall, or chatting with roommates who walk through the living room, or seeing my favorite people as I grab my daily coffee. There will be that lasting bond though.
I’ve discovered my passion, faced my apathy, and have been blessed in many ways I can only begin to explain. I’ve learned lessons, stayed up late, made new friends and memories for a lifetime, lost myself, later found myself, and truly enjoyed myself. I am ready for this. It is said close one door and open another, and here I am staring the new one in the face (metaphorically speaking) and I am about to very willingly embrace it.
I have one foot in my past and one foot in the future… for the time being I just wanna live right here, right now. My mind is running a mile a minute about everything of the moment, and everything to come. I have been processing this transition for months and it continues to be difficult for me.
Things will be different. But what I’ve had here will never be forgotten. I’m just looking to my next adventure! I hope you’ll all be there to hear about it and enjoy it with me :)
With love,
Kristy
Sometimes you have to let go to see if there was anything worth holding on to. Still, that doesn’t make this any easier. I have put in time here and have come to find my closest friends and what can only be described as family… truly; Kato is not just some chapter in my life. It has been a legitimate home, and it has helped me grow into the woman I am today. For that, I am grateful. My three years have been some of the best and worst in my entire life.
The people that have come into my life in my time here have been lifechanging. Period.
The current flow of my day is mostly
“hey what are you up to?”
“wanna grab lunch in a few?”
“good running into you”
“come dt with me!”
“come over”
“where are you, I need a hug”
I really have taken those hugs for granted… And now, the only word I need to muster up is farewell. There will not be random 2 minute conversations in the hall, or chatting with roommates who walk through the living room, or seeing my favorite people as I grab my daily coffee. There will be that lasting bond though.
I’ve discovered my passion, faced my apathy, and have been blessed in many ways I can only begin to explain. I’ve learned lessons, stayed up late, made new friends and memories for a lifetime, lost myself, later found myself, and truly enjoyed myself. I am ready for this. It is said close one door and open another, and here I am staring the new one in the face (metaphorically speaking) and I am about to very willingly embrace it.
I have one foot in my past and one foot in the future… for the time being I just wanna live right here, right now. My mind is running a mile a minute about everything of the moment, and everything to come. I have been processing this transition for months and it continues to be difficult for me.
Things will be different. But what I’ve had here will never be forgotten. I’m just looking to my next adventure! I hope you’ll all be there to hear about it and enjoy it with me :)
With love,
Kristy
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Slap in the face.
It's a beautiful Saturday so I don't want to spend too much of my morning on the computer... but you deserve an update.
Colorado was spectacular, and I've got upwards of 300 pictures to prove it. We explored in the mountains, chilled out at mesa verde, walked around durango, and had a blast rafting. That's just the start of it. For my first authentic road trip, it was an awfully impressive success. I have seen it all! (In South Dakota at least!) And now it is all rushing in on me.
Lately I feel like all of my expendable energy has been spent worrying about my future. I graduate college in less than a year and the big question becomes: what next???? I don't think I even have an idea there. Part of me is dying to take a year off before I head to Grad School. Learn what the real world really is. Find myself. But there's a small part that is terrified. GREs and Recommendation letters and Personal Statements do not seem like something I am ready to conquer in the few months ahead of me. And thus, the world is collapsing. I assure you, I know that this is not the case! Then, why does it seem so hard? Decisions, decisions, decisions.
And I'm still getting nowhere.
I am back to work at the Grove. And I love it. On the side I am still teaching ESL and trying to put together that Lit review and reflection and all, on top of my Gilman Scholarship follow-up. In the last six months I have lost my spirit for hard work. How? Oh yeah, class three hours a day and no homework really does the trick. Free drinks with the professors Monday nights help. So does the whole theory of a test-a-month. And the beach in my spare time. And now, compositions seem the death of me. I WILL break this by the timw class starts this fall. I am not a slacker.
Opa is moving to a nursing home near you. How do you feel about that? I am too upset to put it to words. How can a wife abandon her husband when she's the only caretaker he has? How can my mother be forced to take on all of these responsibilities for an Alzheimered patient 6 months after her bankruptcy? How can noone else see this? These are questions I don't think will ever be answered.
But all in all, my life seems pretty much turned upside-down.
Help.
Colorado was spectacular, and I've got upwards of 300 pictures to prove it. We explored in the mountains, chilled out at mesa verde, walked around durango, and had a blast rafting. That's just the start of it. For my first authentic road trip, it was an awfully impressive success. I have seen it all! (In South Dakota at least!) And now it is all rushing in on me.
Lately I feel like all of my expendable energy has been spent worrying about my future. I graduate college in less than a year and the big question becomes: what next???? I don't think I even have an idea there. Part of me is dying to take a year off before I head to Grad School. Learn what the real world really is. Find myself. But there's a small part that is terrified. GREs and Recommendation letters and Personal Statements do not seem like something I am ready to conquer in the few months ahead of me. And thus, the world is collapsing. I assure you, I know that this is not the case! Then, why does it seem so hard? Decisions, decisions, decisions.
And I'm still getting nowhere.
I am back to work at the Grove. And I love it. On the side I am still teaching ESL and trying to put together that Lit review and reflection and all, on top of my Gilman Scholarship follow-up. In the last six months I have lost my spirit for hard work. How? Oh yeah, class three hours a day and no homework really does the trick. Free drinks with the professors Monday nights help. So does the whole theory of a test-a-month. And the beach in my spare time. And now, compositions seem the death of me. I WILL break this by the timw class starts this fall. I am not a slacker.
Opa is moving to a nursing home near you. How do you feel about that? I am too upset to put it to words. How can a wife abandon her husband when she's the only caretaker he has? How can my mother be forced to take on all of these responsibilities for an Alzheimered patient 6 months after her bankruptcy? How can noone else see this? These are questions I don't think will ever be answered.
But all in all, my life seems pretty much turned upside-down.
Help.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
What else have I been up to lately?
Children have an uncanny way of showing you new things about yourself. Like, for example, how much less you have learned in three times the education.
Today I experienced my first Spanish immersion program. They were in kindergarten, and almost more fluent than I am after spending months in Spain. It’s enlightening, and just my first example of how much easier it is to become bilingual in early development. At age 5 the children spent the morning doing simple math and reading, and this was entirely in Spanish. I was impressed.
We spend the first part reading and coloring a new educational book, like that of today, “¿De Donde Viene?” followed by our Morning Meeting. This part is my favorite, with classics like show and tell and a countdown to the end of school, and with the children telling what they did that weekend... all in their second language. I even had the chance to learn new songs. Then it’s onto their math section. Today they tried to represent a choice number in several different ways, summed equations, coins, tally marks, and others. They continue in Spanish and I am beginning to wonder when the English education becomes a part of their school day! I guess I will ask tomorrow, but for now I am content with the way this morning went, in the language that I love surrounded by a great group of children I have grown to adore in such a short time.
* * *
The songs we use in class are necessary to keep in my future!
Un elefante se balanceaba
sobre la tela de una araña,
como veía que resistía
fue a llamar a otro elefante…
Dos elefantes se balanceaban,
sobre la tela de una araña,
como veían que resistía
fueron a llamar a otro elefante…
Tres elefantes...
Cuatro elefantes...
Doña semana tiene siete hijos,
Unos son blancos, otros negritos,
Lunes, martes, miércoles y jueves,
Viernes, sábado, y domingo el fin,
Que nunca trabaja y es un bailarín.
I’m sure there are countless songs to help children learn, but these are just a few. It’s cute how they continue to have witticisms even when they are in different languages and for different age groups. The kids love them even more than I do, if that’s even possible.
* * *
Can I begin by saying this work makes me feel alive?
Thank you. Today we had a really great math lesson and taught the children to weave. It wasn’t anything extremely special. But it was great to watch them working so hard on something so simple. They enjoy their day and I can tell, and I have no idea how Sra. Casper Sanchez has been able to transform them from playful children to respectful, controlled students. She even addresses them with the formal version of the Spanish language. I am just awestruck at how quietly they sit in front of her, raising hands and using countless other manners among their maestra and classmates.
They do not speak Spanish better than an adult native speaker by any means. But they speak it just about as well as me. As compared to English speaking kindergarteners, they have generally the same range of vocabulary. And they have it in English too. This means St. Paul has successfully produced bilingual students by age 5. And I think it sticks in their head better than mine too, which is just not fair.
Today I experienced my first Spanish immersion program. They were in kindergarten, and almost more fluent than I am after spending months in Spain. It’s enlightening, and just my first example of how much easier it is to become bilingual in early development. At age 5 the children spent the morning doing simple math and reading, and this was entirely in Spanish. I was impressed.
We spend the first part reading and coloring a new educational book, like that of today, “¿De Donde Viene?” followed by our Morning Meeting. This part is my favorite, with classics like show and tell and a countdown to the end of school, and with the children telling what they did that weekend... all in their second language. I even had the chance to learn new songs. Then it’s onto their math section. Today they tried to represent a choice number in several different ways, summed equations, coins, tally marks, and others. They continue in Spanish and I am beginning to wonder when the English education becomes a part of their school day! I guess I will ask tomorrow, but for now I am content with the way this morning went, in the language that I love surrounded by a great group of children I have grown to adore in such a short time.
* * *
The songs we use in class are necessary to keep in my future!
Un elefante se balanceaba
sobre la tela de una araña,
como veía que resistía
fue a llamar a otro elefante…
Dos elefantes se balanceaban,
sobre la tela de una araña,
como veían que resistía
fueron a llamar a otro elefante…
Tres elefantes...
Cuatro elefantes...
Doña semana tiene siete hijos,
Unos son blancos, otros negritos,
Lunes, martes, miércoles y jueves,
Viernes, sábado, y domingo el fin,
Que nunca trabaja y es un bailarín.
I’m sure there are countless songs to help children learn, but these are just a few. It’s cute how they continue to have witticisms even when they are in different languages and for different age groups. The kids love them even more than I do, if that’s even possible.
* * *
Can I begin by saying this work makes me feel alive?
Thank you. Today we had a really great math lesson and taught the children to weave. It wasn’t anything extremely special. But it was great to watch them working so hard on something so simple. They enjoy their day and I can tell, and I have no idea how Sra. Casper Sanchez has been able to transform them from playful children to respectful, controlled students. She even addresses them with the formal version of the Spanish language. I am just awestruck at how quietly they sit in front of her, raising hands and using countless other manners among their maestra and classmates.
They do not speak Spanish better than an adult native speaker by any means. But they speak it just about as well as me. As compared to English speaking kindergarteners, they have generally the same range of vocabulary. And they have it in English too. This means St. Paul has successfully produced bilingual students by age 5. And I think it sticks in their head better than mine too, which is just not fair.
gravity wins, I'm back.
I'm sorry, you were not forgotten.
Since I left you I left Spain.
I went to Paris.
Venice. Florence. Rome. Naples. Pompeii...
I went to Greece, at last.
And here I am, at home, wishing I was back in Spain again. Some life.
Since I left you I left Spain.
I went to Paris.
Venice. Florence. Rome. Naples. Pompeii...
I went to Greece, at last.
And here I am, at home, wishing I was back in Spain again. Some life.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
A Picture a Week
My friend posted 50 pictures from her 50 weeks and I thought it was brilliant... They start at the end of my time, because I'd rather not finish off my time here just yet. I can't believe I have to say goodbye tomorrow already, the dream of my entire life coming to an end. Oy.
breakdown anyone?
This is the email I just sent my dad so he can call the bank and try to clear up this WHOPPING PILE OF SHIT for me while I sit helpless 3000 miles away:
Ok, I want you to have this for when you make the call to TCF, in case they have any questions you cannot answer. So I am going to make an attempt to tell the full story...
Yesterday between 12:40 and 1:20 I went to 4 banks and two other ATMs that were in the dept. store and in the bus station... I am out of money and wanted to withdraw 300 euro. They included ATMs from:
- Caja Madrid
- Telebanco, at Banco Gallego
- Caja Madrid in Corte Ingles---the dept. store
- Caixa Oberta, "La Caixa"
- Caja Espana
- CAM-Caja Mediterraneo---in the station
In that order. Every one of them either said Transaction Denied, Consult your Bank, or Sorry we cannot help you at this time. Discouraged and running out of time, Dave lent me the money to buy the bus ticket and I returned home. My host family the system may have been screwed up by the storm and recommended I try it again the next day. However, by mere chance I checked on my statement last night through Online Banking, where I had a pending transaction of 395$, which translates as 300 euro, as an ATM withdrawal!
---one thing that really boggles me is that they have no clue which ATM it went to, because if you look at the statement down through February they identify the bank and location in EVERY OTHER ATM WITHDRAWAL LISTING. For this reason I really believe the money is lost in transit and didn't actually go to any atm/bank I was at. Dave can testify that every screen turned me down and I retired for the day.
Well, couldn't do anything about it until today. This morning I got to school about a half hour early to ask the director to accompany me because I don't have the mental stability at the moment, nor am I confident enough in my vocabulary to discuss finances with a bank. She took me to each of them, down the line, but figured out it wasn't going to work.
The first bank couldn't tell me their ATM number, and told me most banks wouldn't know theirs either, so there is no way to look into where that number corresponds. The bank teller explained what he thought may have happened... that ATMs run on internet and after a certain time if they have not received a response from the home bank with the authorization they close the connection and deny the transaction. He thinks the timing was off and TCF authorized the 300 euros after I had already been denied them. This would explain the charge, and why no other banks would give me the funds either, because I have a daily maximum withdrawal of 300 euro.
The second bank I went to we talked to a very nice and very very knowledgeable gentleman and he insisted that that was not possible. He said his bank had already counted the ATM and didn't miss anything. This is when he pulled up tcfbank.com and I logged onto my online banking account one more time, to double check. The charge was gone. The money hadn't reappeared yet but he said it was probably still being processed and should be returned to me in no time. I thought it had taken care of itself. He had me try the ATM again and this time it worked. That is the final charge you see on the papers I faxed to you, from today. My card is not broken, the system was yesterday. TCF needs to figure this out, because it is not the banks here. I looked into it.
I hope that explains it all really well and you are informed enough to call them. Let me know if there is anything else I can help with, otherwise call me as soon as you can, and thank you so much for taking care of this for me. I really appreciate it beyond words, and am trying to handle it the best I can from my end as well.
Much love,
Kristy
Ok, I want you to have this for when you make the call to TCF, in case they have any questions you cannot answer. So I am going to make an attempt to tell the full story...
Yesterday between 12:40 and 1:20 I went to 4 banks and two other ATMs that were in the dept. store and in the bus station... I am out of money and wanted to withdraw 300 euro. They included ATMs from:
- Caja Madrid
- Telebanco, at Banco Gallego
- Caja Madrid in Corte Ingles---the dept. store
- Caixa Oberta, "La Caixa"
- Caja Espana
- CAM-Caja Mediterraneo---in the station
In that order. Every one of them either said Transaction Denied, Consult your Bank, or Sorry we cannot help you at this time. Discouraged and running out of time, Dave lent me the money to buy the bus ticket and I returned home. My host family the system may have been screwed up by the storm and recommended I try it again the next day. However, by mere chance I checked on my statement last night through Online Banking, where I had a pending transaction of 395$, which translates as 300 euro, as an ATM withdrawal!
---one thing that really boggles me is that they have no clue which ATM it went to, because if you look at the statement down through February they identify the bank and location in EVERY OTHER ATM WITHDRAWAL LISTING. For this reason I really believe the money is lost in transit and didn't actually go to any atm/bank I was at. Dave can testify that every screen turned me down and I retired for the day.
Well, couldn't do anything about it until today. This morning I got to school about a half hour early to ask the director to accompany me because I don't have the mental stability at the moment, nor am I confident enough in my vocabulary to discuss finances with a bank. She took me to each of them, down the line, but figured out it wasn't going to work.
The first bank couldn't tell me their ATM number, and told me most banks wouldn't know theirs either, so there is no way to look into where that number corresponds. The bank teller explained what he thought may have happened... that ATMs run on internet and after a certain time if they have not received a response from the home bank with the authorization they close the connection and deny the transaction. He thinks the timing was off and TCF authorized the 300 euros after I had already been denied them. This would explain the charge, and why no other banks would give me the funds either, because I have a daily maximum withdrawal of 300 euro.
The second bank I went to we talked to a very nice and very very knowledgeable gentleman and he insisted that that was not possible. He said his bank had already counted the ATM and didn't miss anything. This is when he pulled up tcfbank.com and I logged onto my online banking account one more time, to double check. The charge was gone. The money hadn't reappeared yet but he said it was probably still being processed and should be returned to me in no time. I thought it had taken care of itself. He had me try the ATM again and this time it worked. That is the final charge you see on the papers I faxed to you, from today. My card is not broken, the system was yesterday. TCF needs to figure this out, because it is not the banks here. I looked into it.
I hope that explains it all really well and you are informed enough to call them. Let me know if there is anything else I can help with, otherwise call me as soon as you can, and thank you so much for taking care of this for me. I really appreciate it beyond words, and am trying to handle it the best I can from my end as well.
Much love,
Kristy
Sunday, March 29, 2009
La Chica Culturada :)
Well, I have officially knocked off my tenth city in Spain and feel all too cultured:
-Madrid
-Alicante
-Segovia
-Avila
-Barcelona
-Toledo
-Valencia
-Altea
-Benidorm
-Granada
Are you proud? Four of them were in the last week... I am running out of things to say because I suck at keeping up with this blog, but rest assured I have seen plenty.
About a week and a half ago a friend of a friend arrived, which commenced one of the craziest weekends in Spain. We saw Palmeral and the beach and the castle and elsewhere with her, but the best explanation is that three nights in a row people got split up---staying in hostels in our own city, going to gay bars and free shots, getting a job and ripping pants, and of course just plain having fun. So much fun that Jackie and her didn't make it out of bed to hop the train to Valencia...
It's hard to believe that 30 years ago mamasita was studying here in Spain (in Valencia) and a week ago I was standing in her path, in the doorway to the University, and in the history she saw decades ago, the same history. It was a good trip, and it's hard to believe that we saw literally everything in Valencia and had time for a 3 course Paella lunch in our 6 hours there! But we're starting believe we are crummy tourists, hehe. In any case, possibly the most gorgeous city in all of Spain.
Altea and Benidorm were covered last week with Alvin before he left to return to London (I refuse to say any more about it or dwell). And This weekend was Granada. The best slogan to represent the trip: "All's Well that Ends Well"... Bad idea to jump the 2:30am bus to Granada, with Morrocans bothering us and keeping us from sleep. Bad start at the hostel too. But after all of that, we saw the Alhambra, the Cathedral and Chapel (and where Isabel/Fernando were buried, if you have any clue who they are and how amazingly famous they are in Spain!) I got my Granada Tapas and saw my Granada things, and we even got to see spectacles---after a LONG siesta we left to explore and ran smack dab into the middle of a procession for Semana Santa outside the door of the hostel! Very neat... as well as the authentic Flamenco, in it's birthplace as well---so believe me when I say I am cultured :)
I can't believe in 4 days my entire life's dream will be over. That is another thing I am not willing to talk about right now.
Tomorrow we are going to see a movie that was filmed here in Alicante!
That's it for the update, give me time. Sorry I'm a lame blogger.
-Madrid
-Alicante
-Segovia
-Avila
-Barcelona
-Toledo
-Valencia
-Altea
-Benidorm
-Granada
Are you proud? Four of them were in the last week... I am running out of things to say because I suck at keeping up with this blog, but rest assured I have seen plenty.
About a week and a half ago a friend of a friend arrived, which commenced one of the craziest weekends in Spain. We saw Palmeral and the beach and the castle and elsewhere with her, but the best explanation is that three nights in a row people got split up---staying in hostels in our own city, going to gay bars and free shots, getting a job and ripping pants, and of course just plain having fun. So much fun that Jackie and her didn't make it out of bed to hop the train to Valencia...
It's hard to believe that 30 years ago mamasita was studying here in Spain (in Valencia) and a week ago I was standing in her path, in the doorway to the University, and in the history she saw decades ago, the same history. It was a good trip, and it's hard to believe that we saw literally everything in Valencia and had time for a 3 course Paella lunch in our 6 hours there! But we're starting believe we are crummy tourists, hehe. In any case, possibly the most gorgeous city in all of Spain.
Altea and Benidorm were covered last week with Alvin before he left to return to London (I refuse to say any more about it or dwell). And This weekend was Granada. The best slogan to represent the trip: "All's Well that Ends Well"... Bad idea to jump the 2:30am bus to Granada, with Morrocans bothering us and keeping us from sleep. Bad start at the hostel too. But after all of that, we saw the Alhambra, the Cathedral and Chapel (and where Isabel/Fernando were buried, if you have any clue who they are and how amazingly famous they are in Spain!) I got my Granada Tapas and saw my Granada things, and we even got to see spectacles---after a LONG siesta we left to explore and ran smack dab into the middle of a procession for Semana Santa outside the door of the hostel! Very neat... as well as the authentic Flamenco, in it's birthplace as well---so believe me when I say I am cultured :)
I can't believe in 4 days my entire life's dream will be over. That is another thing I am not willing to talk about right now.
Tomorrow we are going to see a movie that was filmed here in Alicante!
That's it for the update, give me time. Sorry I'm a lame blogger.
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