Paris

In February, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Paris for 5 days, all expenses paid!  This summer, I along with Danny and Kimberly and Steven Reese (Kimberly is the Art teacher at my school) will be leading a group of 37 high schoolers and parents through Spain with a company called EF Tours (www.eftours.com).  As part of the preparation for such a big endeavor, EF sends its first-time group leaders on a training weekend to Paris to experience life "on tour," as well as ask lots of questions and get plenty of valuable information from other veteran teachers who have been doing this for years.

 The real Moulin Rouge

 The Sacred Heart

Naturally, I ate a Crepe

With some of my new amigas in the Louvre

The whole deal was just way too good to turn down, so in February I packed up, missed just three days of school, and had a phenomenal time in the City of Lights.  I met lots of really fun teachers who, like me, are leading groups for the first time this year all over the world, and made instant friends with many of them.  We did nearly everything one ought to do when in Paris, but all packed into a long weekend!  I was exhausted by the end, but learned so much about leading a successful tour.  I cannot imagine trying to lead our trip this summer without this experience.

 Outside Versailles

 Gardens at Versailles

 Notre Dame

 The Latin Quarter.. soaked, freezing, but happy!

And now, I am even MORE excited to leave for our trip to Spain!  We don't depart until June 14, but it will be here before we know it.  We'll be gone for 11 days, hitting all the major cities and sites of Spain, and the group we are taking could not be better.  While I know it'll be really stressful and a very great responsibility to have so many little lives depending on us, I can't wait to share the country that I love with my students.  Many of them love Spanish and Spain too already (because I've beat them over the head with it), but haven't even set foot out of the USA.  Getting to experience all the wonders of España for the "first time" through their eyes is something I really look forward to, and I can hardly contain myself about how excited I'll be to share all the sites, sounds, and TASTES that I love so much!!

¡Vamos ya!