Spring

There are 4.5 school days left in the school year. And, even though last week felt super long, this year really has zipped by. Here's my last few months...

February
Ita and I got to take the fourth-graders to the soup kitchen again! That might be one of my favorite field trips of all time because it's a different experience for them.

We also had ski break! I went to Amsterdam to catch up with Rorey for a few days. I miss working with her a lot. We had a great time catching up, exploring the museums, and eating delicious foods!

Dennis also came down to visit for a day and took me to the zoo, because he knows me so well! On Tuesday, I left Amsterdam and headed up to Den Helder. I was able to see the base and Dennis' ship. How he lives on that for weeks is still unknown to me!

We hopped a ferry to Texel for the night and spent the next day exploring more of the island before heading back to Assen for the rest of the week.

March
We had a full month of work in March. We started our government unit which is one I really miss/am hoping I get to teach at my new school.  The students made their own table governments and played president/king/dictator for a day. Of course, they loved that! I also started my final graduate class in March!

April
Spring Break started with good Friday. Dennis flew into Riga on Saturday, we had a lovely Easter brunch and then took a bus down to Vilnius.
 I went to Vilnius a few years ago and it rained all weekend. When we arrived in Vilnius, it was raining again. I was beginning to think it was a gray and rainy city, but the next day the sun came out and my impression of Vilnius was changed. We enjoyed lots of cake while practicing Dutch, learned more about Lithuania's history, and relaxed in a park until a bird pooped on us. haha. After three days there, we were happy to return to Riga. It was Dennis' last trip to Riga, which made saying goodbye even harder.

At school, the student council kids decided to run a Penny War fundraiser in connection with the Children's Hospital fundraiser event. Ita and I were thinking we could make 200 euros, maybe 500 at most. Instead, the elementary kids got super into it! We raised just under 1,000 euros!

We were thrilled about all the money, but by Friday afternoon we were ready to not count pennies anymore! We had over 10 euros in .01 coins alone. Latvia also has some fun rules about turning in coins. So, we could only go to ONE branch of one bank to exchange the coins, and we could only bring 1,000 coins at a time. We had to make several trips to the bank (9 visits I believe) but eventually, we had no more pennies!

And, the best part of April, and potentially the entire year, I FINISHED GRAD SCHOOL! No more essays, no more discussion boards, no more powerpoints. At least for a bit. :)

May
The first week of May was a bit odd as we had Tuesday and Friday off school. I used the long weekend to go visit Dennis in the Netherlands. As the tulips were in full bloom, we went to tulip country to take it all in! Visiting Keukenhof was awesome and we enjoyed all the beautiful flowers just as much as we enjoyed watching everyone play instagram model!
We also celebrated Liberation Day by visiting a local town's festival and flea market. We explored Leiden, Delft, and the Hague. It was sunny and beautiful all weekend long! It felt more like mid-summer than early May and we took full advantage of that! And, of course, we rode bikes. Because Dennis wouldn't have it any other way!

I returned to Riga on Monday, did my laundry, and packed again for the volleyball tournament. This year it was back to Sofia with 8 middle school girls and the other coach, Diaga. While the flights all went well, we had super long layovers in Vienna. We spent 6 hours lounging in the airport on the way there and had 10 hours, which turned into 11, on the way back. There is a direct train from the airport to city centre, so at least we spent that day relaxing in a park instead of in a crowded airport terminal.
The tournament itself went well. I love the school in Sofia and it was fun to be back there again. The girls showed tons of growth over the weekend and started to be a bit nicer to each other out on the court. A bit. We took 7th, out of 8 and won a sportsmanship award. Because, of course they did.
We arrived back in Riga around 11:3opm. I was in bed by 12:01.

The following Tuesday, I left school early to meet the movers at my apartment. They had my stuff boxed and out the door in 45 minutes. It helps to not have a lot of stuff. Now, I am living in a basically empty apartment, with five days of school left, and less than two weeks remaining in my life in Riga.

I thought the last few months went fast. How has it been four years already!?

job. hunt. over.

Three years and some odd months ago I moved to Lativa. I have had my fair share of ups and downs here, but overall, I am happy to call Riga home. However, the time has come to move along.

I technically began the job hunt process in the summer of 2017. MORE than a full year before I would begin a new job. I filled in a profile online and slowly began to see jobs becoming available for the 2018 school year. In October/November, I had to inform my current school I would not be returning next year. And by the end of December, I was informed they had hired my replacement. Not exactly the most comforting of events for someone who likes to know what to expect and how things will work out. But, such is the way for international teaching. 

The company that managed the online profile also hosts a few job fairs around the world, including one in London near the end of January. I had never attended a job fair before, but I had heard terrible things about them. However, knowing this fair was likely my best chance at a job, I signed up. 

One of my main goals in job hunting was to get as close to Dennis, while also finding a school I really liked, as possible. Most of the potential opportunities seemed to be in Germany. Prior to the fair, I interviewed with one school that was even smaller than my current. It seemed like a great place with good plans for the future, but it didn't feel right for me. 

Days before the fair I was beginning to feel a bit more discouraged as I had heard very little back from the schools I wanted. But then I received three emails from three different schools all in one day! Each email offering to meet up for an interview at the fair! That certainly provided the confidence boost I needed. 

I arrived in London Thursday morning, headed to my hotel, got changed, and headed over to check in for the fair and do my first interview. I stayed across the street from where the fair was being held, and I feel that was a wise choice. The fair had taken over the entire hotel it seemed! There were even tables in the lobby bar where schools were set up and conducting meetings and even interviews! Most interviews were held in various hotel rooms, including all of mine. 

I found several of my current coworkers and chatted with them as we all prepared for the days ahead. Then went upstairs for my first interview. I was pleasantly surprised to find how at ease I felt throughout the interview. Very quickly they began to share all the great things about their school - including all the things I was so praying to hear!  I left the interview feeling excited to talk to them again. Prior to the interview, I was more excited about the second school I would be meeting as that school is closer to Dennis. But, after the interview, I was reconsidering that order and rationalizing a few extra hours on a train. 

Later, I was again in the lobby with a friend. I was still in awe of the fact that interviews were occurring all around me, but also loving it! Confession: I am a shameless eavesdropper! hehe! I was listening to a conversation between two administrators and a man they seemed eager to hire as a math teacher. They were only a coffee table away, it would have been harder to not listen! hehe! My friend sitting next to me asked what school they were from and I zeroed in on their name badge only to find it was a school in Casablanca! Without thinking I enthusiastically blurted out "Casablanca!" Of course, one of the administrators looked over and I sheepishly explained that I used to live there. He went back to his conversation/interview which ended about four minutes later. When he glanced over again I apologized for interrupting (but not for listening in, because again, of course, I was listening!). We began to talk about schools and life in Casa and my friend joined in asking about positions they were seeking to fill. Her ears perked when he mentioned a position in administration- not the exact role she wanted but something to gain experience from. She took the conversation from there and scheduled a more formal interview, away from the lobby and shameless eavesdroppers, with them. The next day, she accepted an offer from that school! So my eavesdropping paid off ;) 

The next day, I was interviewing with the school that is closer to Dennis. I arrived a bit early for the interview but another school had some information packets in the hallway so I began to flip through them. Another teacher candidate came up who was planning to interview with the info-packet school. She and I discussed the school and how beautiful its campus was. She seemed really excited about the school and the position. Then, the door opened and the woman said to her, "Hello, thanks for coming up here, but I've just offered the position to another candidate and I don't feel it's fair to waste either of our time. Thank you again for coming up and for understanding." And just like that, the door closed. We both looked at each other in a complete loss for words. That was a conversation I did not need to overhear. The woman seemed bummed, but shrugged and said that was the way things went. I was beginning to see the 'terrible things about job fairs' for myself. 

Finally, my door opened, only for the interviewer to tell me she needed five more minutes. Candidates sign-up for 30-minute slots and for many schools their schedules are packed, meaning you have to make the most of those 30 minutes. And, my time was being spent reading about some school elsewhere. When the interview did begin, they had great pedagogical and curriculum questions to ask. They had good things to say about the school, and in the back of my mind, I kept telling myself it was that much closer to Dennis. But I didn't feel the same sense of comfort and peace as I had with the first school. I left thinking if they offered the job, I would probably say yes. Not exactly the excitement I had felt the day before. 

Shortly after that interview, I received an offer from the first school I interviewed with. I called Dennis to share the news and we talked about if this was a good thing or a really good thing. I shared with him how I was more excited about this school and felt like I would enjoy it there. I believe part of Dennis was secretly hoping I would not get a job simply because the backup plan had started to sound even better than the me-getting-a-new-job plan, but he encouraged me to do what felt right. He is great. 

So, I happily accepted an upper elementary teaching position with a school in Frankfurt, Germany. Thus, ending my months long, stress and worry filled job hunt. :D

New Years.. Dutch style

Dennis and I left Michigan on the 28th to spend a few days and New Years with his family.  I am really thankful he agreed to spend Christmas in the states with my family and I was equally excited to spend my first New Years in the Netherlands celebrating with him.

We shared a whole bunch of American goodies with his family and Dennis was sure to keep plenty for himself as well. When asking them about what to expect for my first New Years there, I always received the same answer: lots of fireworks.

And they were not lying. I think we heard the first few pops and cracks already on the 30th and on the morning of the 31st, the sounds became even more regular.

Our first stop was Dennis' brother's girlfriend's neighbor's house for a party. It wasn't cold and snowy like Michigan, but it was very wet and chilly so everyone was crowded into the garage- which for American standards was really more like a garden shed. But, it was fabulously decorated and cozy inside.
I got to try my first oliebol - which is like a fried dough ball. Imagine an elephant ear but in ball form.  It was delicious. Dennis and his brother were also quite excited to get started with some fireworks despite the fact it was only 3 or 4 in the afternoon. They did a small presentation since the really good stuff was for later, and then Dennis and I were on our way.

Our next stop was his parents' house. We joined them for a dinner of assorted fried snack foods- french fries, fried cheese, frikandel, etc. After our fill of fried foods, it was back to the cabin for dessert. When we were stocking up on the celebratory goods earlier Dennis had also grabbed tompouce - a pastry / cake-like treat. It is tricky to eat, but delicious!

The cabin we stay in is outside of the city and it didn't appear that anyone was staying in the nearby cabins either. So the rest of our night was board games and music.

It was pretty quiet until about 11:45. Then we started to hear the first few pops and bangs. Then at 11:59 we started to hear even more. By 12:03 it sounded like we were in the middle of a war zone. We ventured out to light off a few sparklers and it smelled of gunpowder outside! We were able to see a few fireworks the houses down the road were shooting off. For the next 45 minutes, there were consistent sounds of fireworks being shot off. Again, they were not lying!

The next day, Dennis rode down to the airport with me and two days later I was back at school. 2018 had gotten off to a great and quick start, with a lot of bang!

Christmas

I have never been as excited about a winter break as I was this past year. Not only was it a few days off school, but it also marked the end of both graduate classes I had been taking as well as the end of the first semester and report card writing. Also, I was taking Dennis home with me!

I met him at the airport in Amsterdam and then we headed to Michigan together. I had been to Dennis' hometown twice at this point and had spent maybe three or four hours total with his family. Dennis and I landed in Detroit and so began a full week with my family! Starting with two hours in the car with my parents and then pizza dinner with everyone!

The next day we picked up a rental car and toured the area. That night we had Christmas at my grandma's house and I was able to show Dennis one of my most favorite places! I love the coziness of her house, especially around Christmas!

The next few days were full of family gatherings and Christmas celebrations. Lots of playtime with Dylan and Charlotte! My first escape room experience. And, of course, lots of chances for everyone to get to know Dennis. Not that they needed a week-- they liked him right away :)

A big snowstorm hit on Christmas Eve, so we had a wonderful white Christmas. Dennis even got to help shovel all the snow out of the driveway :p

As per usual Christmas tradition, Dylan and Charlotte had some nerf guns in their stockings and Dennis and I helped to break them in.  They weren't quite strong enough to work the toys but they did recognize quite quickly that they had a better chance on Dennis' team.

After all the Christmas celebrations, Dennis and I did a bit more exploring the town and enjoying a visit to the states. We sampled a ton of donuts, went out to Cugino's with Dana and Matt, and did a lot of shopping. I don't think I've spent that much time in a grocery store since ... ever. But it was worth it because he was super excited! ha

Our last night there, Dennis made dinner for everyone. He brought all kinds of goodies from the Netherlands to share and I pretended to help in the kitchen. hehe. Just in case my family didn't already like him (which they of course did!) his delicious dinner won them over!
 
We had a fantastic time in Michigan! Being with my family for the holidays is always amazing, but getting to share it with Dennis too was even better than I imagined it would be!!

My first Sinterklaas... kind of

On my first date with Dennis, he told me about Sinterklaas. A few weeks later, he sent me a box filled with fun and adorable Sinterklaas gifts and a letter from "Sinterklaas" himself. So, this year, it was decided early on I would visit for Sinterklaas. I think I booked the ticket over the summer when Airbaltic was running a sale.

Of course, over the summer, I would have no idea that the first weekend of December would be so very chaotic. Balancing two grad classes, the end of the first semester and unit, plus all the holiday stuff going on at the school, the idea of a weekend away from it all sounded great. The idea of not having my weekend to maintain the balance was also a bit stressful.

The night before I was supposed to leave, Dennis messaged and mentioned that he still wasn't feeling too well and had gone to the doctor only to find out his tonsils were infected! He was given a handful of pills and did his best to assure me he was healthy enough for me to visit. I was already ignoring the stomach bug floating through the school and didn't want to take any chances. But I also really missed him. So, I finished packing and checked-in for the flight!

Between his tonsils/pocketful of pills and me finally stepping out of work mode, we had a very quiet and unambitious weekend. We eventually braved the cold, rainy weather and drove over to his parents' house. From there we biked into town. Because even on a cold, rainy day with infected tonsils he is totally fine to ride around on a bike. I struggled along behind :p


Dennis showed me all the Sinterklaas decorations and Christmas-time shops around Assen. The museum was also hosting an American Dream exhibit and the whole town was covered in American flags. We sampled a few pepernoten, checked around the HEMA, and cruised back to the house. The rain had mostly let up so we took Bobby for a little walk and then headed back to the cottage for Dennis' next pocketful of pills and of course a nap.

That night we went out to dinner with his whole family. I was finally able to meet his sister and spend a bit of time with everyone. The conversation was split between Dutch and English, and maybe drifted into mostly Dutch by the end. Obviously, I didn't understand everything but happiness and fun can easily be understood in any language. One of the things I have always missed most living overseas is family dinners and gatherings. It wasn't quite the same as being with my own family, but it wasn't that different either. I loved getting to know them!

I think I was asleep in the car before we even got back to the cottage-- Dennis is learning of my super ability to fall asleep nearly anywhere! I did wake up to find that Sinterklaas had visited! He left more pepernoten and other delicious chocolates and cute stickers! Then it was a lazy breakfast, a quick stop at his parent's house to say hello to grandma, and then it was off to the airport for me and Belgium for Dennis. 

It was a very quick weekend which between sickness, stress, and winter weather wasn't very eventful. I don't expect this to be the best Sinterklaas I will have, but it certainly wasn't a bad one either.