Yes, I'm still alive

I know. I should be in big trouble with all of my friends due to the fact that I have not posted in over a year. Apparently I just don't find time to post on my blog when I am teaching full time and working on my masters in education. However, this term I am taking the required computer class for my degree, and tonight we are exploring blogs! Since I already have a blog up and running (kind-of) I am taking the time to post on my old blog. Actually, this is the perfect time to post because I was planning on getting my blog up and running anyway.
Let me catch you up a little on my life. I am in my second year as a Graduate student at Western Oregon. I am taking classes part time and am working on adding a Reading endorsement to my teaching license as well as a Bilingual endorsement as I get my Masters in Education. This year I was moved from kindergarten and ELL to teach our bilingual fourth grade. It has been a big learning curve to move to an intermediate grade. Lots of testing and grading and less fun projects, but it has been good to expand my academic Spanish vocabulary. I am also learning how to teach content through reading and writing instead of teaching reading and writing.
I have really been wondering what God has been up to lately. I have named this school year the "year of travel." Who knew that within the course of one year I would visit three countries outside of the United States. It all began with an invitation from some friends to visit their family in Ecuador over Christmas break. So, I took the opportunity to take my first South American trip and flew to Quito, Ecuador in December. I got to stay with Ecuadorian friends and explore Quito a little bit. I also got to visit 'la mitad del mundo' or center of the Earth. Who knew I would get to stand on the Equator?!
My next trip will be in just over a week. I have the opportunity to take some leave in order to go back down to Oaxaca and visit the children and friends I made two years ago! This is truly a gift from God! I will be traveling down by myself, but will be down there at the same time as my former roommate (and fellow deportee). I am hoping this week will be a chance to reconnect and find closure to my time in Oaxaca.
My final trip this year (as far as I know) will be this summer from the end of June to the middle of August. I will be traveling to Rosario, Argentina on a bilingual teacher exchange through my program at Western Oregon. It is a chance to earn credits towards my Masters degree, gain more fluency in Spanish, and travel to a new country. I am a little nervous and very excited to be immersed in Spanish again. It will be interesting to see if anyone understands me when I get back since I hear that Argentinian Spanish is very unique with an Italian influence.
Well, blog time is up in class so I better sign off for now. I do plan on posting on my blog while I am in Argentina so you can follow my travels once again. Ciao y Dios le bendiga!