just when I thought I was at the end of my rope after an exhausting 10 hour day back at work with so much to do and so little time to do it all in...

I get this:

Ms. Huscher,

Hello Ms. Huscher, I liked you letter.  I did understand all of it.  You know me, but I will tell you more about me. 

I live here with two older brothers. My parents, my two sisters, and my other two brothers live in Guanajuato, Mexico.  I want to finish the high school, if I can’t do that, I want to learn speak English to work for two or three years, and then, I will go back to Mexico to see my family.  I don’t know what I will do later.

I want to improve my life.  I’m looking for a better life for me and my family.

Ms. I don’t know if all of this latter is correct, but I’m try to write much better.  I realize you are my best teacher, my friend, thank you for help me.  Now I’m really feel great.  I’m learning too much in your class, I like it because you look so happy every day when you come to class.  One more time, I need tell you “Grasias” because I think teach ESL is not easy, but I’m learning.

That's why I teach.   

chicago was a blast- i really couldn't think of a better way to spend my spring break.  it was great to see mike and hang out at the manor.  there were even some sporting events involved -- a blackhawks hockey game (executive seats at that) and a sox game.  both of which we lost, but both of which were a blast.  i'm not quite ready to begin school again but knowing that i have three weeks left is keeping me going.  i'm on the verge of graduating and being done with college, student teaching, - a huge chapter of my life is ending and i feel like i still have so many pages yet to fill...

the next three weeks are going to be insane. nothing i can't handle, but if you see me - just smile and wave because i might be too fried to form cohesive sentences.  

3 weeks... 3 weeks.

still no word on the summer teaching position - we'll see.  the more i think about it the more i want to - it would be loads better than the current job i have lines up. a job's a job though, right?

no other plans for the summer yet. that's how summers should be. 

there's a couple foreign language teaching jobs i'm turning down or at least not applying for... which might be really stupid but i can't make a teaching job a plan b - if they give you the job, you take it, you can't say "maybe" or "i'll let you know in a couple weeks." I'll panic if I don't get into spain.  but only then.

love you all

i finished my application for spain.

finally.

i find out may 1st whether or not i got placed and where i got placed.

for those of you who have no idea - i want to teach english is spain in a year before settling down in the states (or maybe instead of ever settling down in the states)

i just don't see myself as one of those weird foreign language teachers who doesn't really even speak spanish but has a ton of sweet posters in spanish or of spain. that's so not me... plus i don't really like america. haven't ever really been a huge america fan.  i want to live abroad - not sure about long term but for now it's so where my heart is.  (i guess i have my parents to thank for that)

this has been a rough week in a number of ways, but also one of the best weeks of my life. strange how that happens... extreme sorrow is often accompanied by extreme joy.  i am so grateful for the people that i have around me to support me and encourage me when i am lost and forget who i am.  

this next week is spring break - FINALLY! i didn't know that teachers looked forward to spring break even more than students do.  guero and i are headed to chicago to visit mike - this will be one of my favorite times so far this year.  pretty much any time i get to see family is great, but especially my super crazy brothers. jm lives too far away for me to drive so i'm going to wait until i become a super rich high school teacher to fly to see him in cali.  

i have three weeks of student teaching left which is in one way the most awesome thing ever but also so very very scary!!!  I have so much i need to do before graduating but at the same time i am finally getting the hang of teaching and just getting to know my kids and wanting to really pour myself into some really awesome stuff to teach them these next weeks.  things like putting together a portfolio and writing a teacher autobiography and finishing my honors thesis just don't seem that exciting right now.

this is long

and now i'm done.