Love, Beauty, and Grace

I have felt so compelled lately to write about grace. To write about the love that I know. In the darkest moments of life, it could be so easy to let go of all hope... to not see a glimpse of brighter days.

It COULD be that easy. But, it doesn't have to be. Being honest, being humble, being real, and sometimes raw... this can make a difference.

Having people who love you and support you that are sitting in your cheerleading section-- well, there is a reason for this.

There is much that I know, much that I can speak eloquently on... yet, I will boldly admit... there is so much that I don't know. There is so much that is uncertain in this life we live.

If we could all have our way-- maybe we would have a paid off home and vehicle, a secure job, family and friends we adore... but, life doesn't necessarily work that way.

And, sometimes, we are fortunate enough to have moments in life where we are given an opportunity to see a glimpse of the greater things in life-- love, beauty, and grace.

My heart is sometimes so heavy for the things that I cannot change, but when I get through that... my heart is sometimes so full of love and compassion, and I am so enlightened by the wonders of a higher being. These are those treasured moments that I think, "Okay. THIS is why. THIS is what is real. THIS is what really matters." Those moments are like a new awakening-- refreshing, beautiful, and light.

I can only humble myself and just sit in awe. And, be totally and completely thankful for His grace.

There is so much I don't understand, and in these moments... I am 100% okay with that. It is my hope that you, too, have these moments. Undefinable, really... love, beauty, and grace.

Fall: Dancing in the Rain

Well, it has been awhile since my last post. And, life has changed a bit. Fall has arrived-- in fact, it was hailing here today. I absolutely love the feel of fall. Really, I love the feel, the look, the smell... this season makes me long for the day when I get to experience it from the states of New England. Someday...

I am on my fifth year of teaching here in Chevak, Alaska. I am so very fortunate in that I have looped with my students yet again (I've been with them since they were second graders), and fourth grade is very much in session. They are such a delightful group-- my little familia. It has been an amazing experience to loop. There is a richness in the learning and teaching that occurs when you know your students and families and they know you. Though, it is wild to think that in just a couple more years this group will be heading to middle school! In fact, my first group of VAK second graders will be heading there next year. Wow.

Life always seems to throw curve balls. The whole love thing didn't work out for me so well. It is a sad thing, really. I had forgotten how heart-breaking... really, how heart-ripping-- it is to go through a break-up. When I love, I love with my whole heart. I am all in. Well, when you go all in we know what that can lead to-- all out. "You have to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em." ;) Unfortunately, I didn't know when to fold 'em. Funny how sometimes you can see all the signs, and you remember thinking that things were a little off, yet you want love so bad or you want to believe that the love is strong enough... so, you keep giving. And keep compromising. And if you aren't careful, you lose yourself... slowly, and painfully. Ah, silly girl. That is all I can say to myself right now. Pick your chin up off the floor and find the beautiful things in life to smile about. Life goes on. It has to. We are the leading ladies (or men) in our lives, after all, right? The show must go on. Sigh... right. Working on that ;). Here is a teachery quote I found: "Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward."

Sometimes my life is a little quiet out here and I have a lot of time to think. Thankfully, I have my work and school to give my energy to. Teaching and taking courses bring me fulfillment. I thoroughly and completely enjoy being with my kiddos and having them in my life. Being back at work brings me focus and ignites my passion. I am reminded of my purpose. I am in my element. I am back in my professional world where I know that daily I have a duty to my kiddos.

Though I completed grad school in the spring, I decided to take courses in a Reading Endorsement program and am thoroughly enjoying it! Perhaps someday I will teach literacy courses or become a Reading Specialist... who knows. Right now, I am just taking it one course at a time. Taking classes that I enjoy brings me drive, motivation, purpose, and satisfaction. I also signed up for TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) courses... perhaps teaching abroad will be somewhere in my future. We shall see...

Right now, I am just regaining my footing... looking at the doors of possibilities. And, as I do, I have to remember, "Every day has its sunset, and every morning has its sunrise." There is beauty and sadness in both, depending on our lens. A friend recently wrote me and thanked me for being one of her "positive" friends. She said, "You and I... we dance in the rain." It made me smile, though I told her we all have our storms. Then she reminded me of a time a couple of years ago when we were in Hawaii together. We were at the beach and it suddenly started pouring rain. People were fleeing the beach, covering their heads, and finding shelter as quickly as possible. She said, "You-- you took out your video camera, laughing, and just filmed the craziness of it all." Lol That brought a big smile to my face. Friends do that. They remind us to dance in the rain.

Hopefully, I will get some photos to you all in the near future. The net has been shaky and my cable has been out, so my Kindle has been a dear friend of mine lately. If you have any recommendations, shoot them my way. Until next time, keep dancing.

Misty

Chicago

Costa Rica 2010 Reunion was in... Chicago 2012! A hot trip in the MidWest, but the Vitamin D and great company made it all a trip to remember. Pura vida, dolls!

The crew (minus ML)

"The Bean" :D

Water fun at Millennium Park

Beautiful, beautiful details in this building.

Architectural boat ride tour... fabulous.

Wild buildings! Those are living spaces on top, and parking lots below.

Navy Pier

Michelle, Isaac, and I.

A colleague and good friend who I road tripped with (Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan!).

Outdoor choral concert at Millennium Park.

Miss Mary Lou and I at the Botannical Gardens... both matching the flowers :).

Lunch at the famous Billy Goat Tavern! :P

Hit the spot!

You Better Belize It!

Beautiful, beautiful water.... paradise awaits...

The view from our porch... one of the three pools.

Where many of our meals were spent... one morning we saw dolphins just past the pier!

Cute little things :)

Placencia Village

So nice to take a bike ride to the village!

The beautiful view on our ride.

Another pool at the resort.

Mayan ruins tour... excellent history... very knowledgeable tour guide.

A little hike to a cave we swam in!

Entrance to the cave... bats, spiders, and more! By far one of my favorite activities on the trip!

Ranguana Caye... beautiful snorkeling! Picture perfect.

Elle est moi!

Grad BBQ-- Thank You, Mom and Rick!

Grandma and Uncle Jeff (Dad's family)

My sweetest little nephew

Me and the Bestie

Friends

Wow. I chose not to walk for my graduation this time around. However, I told my mom that I would just like to have a barbecue at the house with friends and family-- perfect decision. As family and friends trickled in, I was reminded of how blessed I am to have so many people that have loved, supported, and encouraged me over the years in many situations. It was great to have my Grandma and my Uncle from my Dad's side of the family there... I know Dad was smiling down. The weather was cruddy the day before and the day after, but it was hot and sunny just for the barbecue! We had wonderful food, thanks to an old family friend whom first entered my life when I was in the first grade (thanks, Gene!). My oldest sister called from New York and we were able to chat for a few minutes before the crowd rolled in. My childhood best friend came, my partner teacher was there, my absolute best friend came, a couple of friends from my student teaching days were there... it was great. It was just neat to look around and see so many people that I have been a part of my life in some way or another over the years and who have known me at different points along my journey. For awhile, I was just in the moment and that was a peaceful, warm, happy, and loving moment. I received so many wonderful cards... the messages were beautiful, inspiring, and strong. I actually don't want to discard them at all! And, one of my grad committee members sent me a program from graduation since I didn't attend-- thanks, Ray! It really was a perfect day and way to celebrate graduation. Thank you family and friends... time for the next chapter!

4.0 grad girl... Phi Kappa Phi!

Awesome surprise from the College of Ed!

Becoming

Graduation present from my AWESOME aide of four years, Priscilla! Quyana!

My oldest sister once gave me a journal and in it she wrote something along the lines of, "Remember to always write. It keeps you passionate and honest. The world is your oyster."

I noticed I haven't been writing as much lately, but each day that the sun has been out I have felt my journal and blog tugging at my heart. Aside from working with kiddos and traveling, public speaking and writing are other passions of mine. So, here I am... igniting my passion.

We are getting ready to close up another school year here in Chevak. The lake is beginning to thaw, faces are tanning, and the sun is waking us up and kissing us goodnight. Fall used to be my favorite season, but I believe living in Chevak has given me a new perspective. Spring seems to be such a sign of hope. With it comes longer days, warmer weather, playing out, Vitamin D, summer vacation, and the wrapping up of a work year. Spring just might be my new favorite season. I got so excited last weekend being in Bethel because I could see and walk on pavement! Oh, the simple joys of life! :)

Next year will mark my fifth year teaching in Chevak. There is a very good chance it will be my last year... at least for now. As I think about all the changes I have gone through in my time here, I think about all the growing I have experienced. I have also accomplished a great deal. In some regard, most of my twenties have been spent out here. 

I moved out of Anchorage for my very first time. I was newly divorced that first year. I paid off my car. I earned my master's degree. I lost twenty pounds. I learned a great deal about a new culture. I presented at a few conferences. I traveled to Thailand, Costa Rica, and this year I will travel to Belize. I spent some time in SE Alaska with my grandma and learned about my roots there. I grew as a teacher. I have grown as a person. I've made some lifelong friendships. I fell in love. I've met beautiful and wonderful people from all over the world. I've learned to appreciate the small and simple things in life.  I've had some crazy experiences. I've been able to experience things that I never thought I would (seal hunting, eating Eskimo foods, watching a beluga get dissected, and more). And, I've been able to experience things I'd dreamed of (skydiving, ziplining, scuba diving, and more). I've had my fair share of crying and hurting. During my time here, we also lost two matriarchs in our family. But, ultimately, through it all... I have grown. I have experienced. My life has been changed. And, I have lived. I came to Chevak as a fresh college graduate, 23 years old. And, when I leave, I will be nearing 29.  

There is a lot that excites me about the next chapter in my life. But, it will be quite nostalgic to close this one. I thought about taking a break from schoolwork, but this bookworm is leaning towards taking on a few classes next school year. In addition to growing professionally, I think this might be a good distraction from the bittersweet reality that my time in Chevak will be closing.

I am not certain what will come next, but I am confident that I will have more loving, living, and laughing in my future. After all, that is what makes everything worth it at the end of the day. So, Lord willing, here is to one more year of this blog and one more year of my life teaching in rural Alaska. From there, we shall see...

Blessings to you and yours,

Misty Dawn

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Graduation 2012!

Last night was the big project defense...

I am beyond thankful for my Graduate Advisory Committee and their involvement and willingness to walk with me through my graduate program journey. With their approval, I have been given the green light... on Mother's Day I will be graduating with a 4.0 from the MEd in Cross-Cultural Studies program from the University of Alaska Fairbanks!

Some quotes from my committee members:
"This was not over-romanticized. It is very compelling."
"Your willingness to step out of your comfort zone regarding the use of technology is to be commended. It is quite parallel to your project, actually."
"You have manifested. You have identified challenges and you are passing your learnings along."
"The challenges of living and teaching in rural Alaska were presented in a subtle and sophisticated way. I appreciate the portrayal."
"All rural Alaskan schools need this."

...music to my ears! Thank you my lovely, awesome GAC for your feedback and approval!


Thank you so much to all of my friends, family, and colleagues near and far! Your support, encouragement, and love has lifted me when I needed it most. Yesterday's 20 minute defense turned into an hour long presentation... me?... a talker? :D It was awesome to be able to defend what I have been so passionate about and to wrap up this project, which has really documented my four years in Chevak.

Even better, I was able to celebrate with my honey, while the sun shone down on us. Not much is comparable to having a strong and loving support network. It makes anything and everything a little more tolerable. This girl is BEYOND ecstatic, thankful, and appreciative. Maybe it's about time I take a little break from school...

Cheers! XO!

Misty Dawn

Taking On Challenges

I wasn't sure whether to title this blog "Taking On Challenges" or "Facing Your Fears"... but, both seem fitting.

As I sit here in my little Chevak apartment, jamming out to music... I am just being in the moment. It dawned on me that I have faced a few challenges this year, that involved facing some fears. It is SUCH a good feeling to look back and see that I have not settled for stagnation, which is what it felt like at times.

In February I presented for my fourth time at an early childhood conference. For the past two years, I spoke on the same topic using the same slides. This year, I felt challenged to step out of my comfort zone and switch it up a little. It was scary. It caused some anxiety. But, it was AWESOME! I had such a wonderful group and received some great feedback... I walked away being so thankful that I chose to take the risk!

This year I was also approached by an acquaintance to host an artist here in our school for a couple of weeks. I was delighted and thrilled to think that our kiddos could have a visitor and an extra-curricular activity different from what they are familiar with. However, this required grant writing... a new territory for me. As I went through the steps, I was nervous and there were a few hurdles...  at times I wanted to let it go and say, "Maybe next year." But, I didn't. We had a wonderful artist who was patient and so helpful... and, in the end, our kids got to experience some new and fun art in the classroom. I still have some post-paperwork to complete, but am so glad that I didn't give up.

And, most recently... I have completed my grad school project. I am so silly when I think about it. You see, I always deem myself as very tech-illiterate (I know, funny seeing as I am a blogger). For my grad project, rather than writing a thesis, I chose to create a video project. This was ALL about technology! Lol. In my proposal, I wrote about the possible technical difficulties I might encounter with my project and I was dreading this aspect... I could have changed my mind and gone with a paper (and, I almost did!), but I pushed through. I knew what my passion and vision were, and I tried to take it one step at a time. I still have a few steps left before I can say that I am finish with grad school, but I can CLEARLY see the finish line from here!

As it turns out, I took a leap in my love life, as well. I have a really great guy in my life who I get to love and who loves me a whole lot in return. I remember reading a quote that talked about how if you don't let go and put your whole heart into it, you just might miss out on something amazing. Well, I have decided that this love thing is well worth the risks. It might cause some hurts, you might only be with someone for a season, or you might find your life partner. In any case,  as the old adage goes, "It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all." I love loving and I love being loved. Super thankful that I have taken this risk...

I have such a sense of relief. And, I am taking this moment to just be in the moment. I am thankful.

Cheers to taking risks!
Misty Dawn

Happy Belated Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

"We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.” ~ Dr. Seuss

Travel Blog

http://tripandtravelblog.com/the-cheapest-travel-destinations-in-the-world/

Thailand. Cambodia. Philippines. Costa Rica. Belize.

I have been to two of the five listed above, and, hopefully, this summer I will be able to change that to three! I SO treasure my travels... Happy traveling, folks!

A Mother's Love

I received THE SWEETEST Valentine card in the mail today, from my mom:

"The very moment you came into my life, everything changed.

You gave me more beauty, happiness, and love than I could've ever imagined.

But what I couldn't have known is just how much you would change the world around you.

I'm so proud of you and everything you do and the lovely, intelligent woman you've become-- I love you very much. Happy Valentine's Day!"

Thank you, Mama! <3

Phi Kappa Phi Grad Gear!

I just ordered my medallion, stole, and honor cord from Phi Kappa Phi for my upcoming graduation... now, it's all becoming so much more real and so much more exciting!!! 

How Do You Say Hello?

Hello! Bonjour! Zdravstvuj! G'day! Guten tag! Hej! Zdravo! Jambo!

Bear with me, but I wanted to send a shout out to my current top viewing countries:
US, France, Russia, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Slovenia, Denmark, and Kenya!

Nearly each of these countries are on my list of places to visit... my heart gets so full just thinking about it! This summer might consist of a tropical destination, but a dream of mine is to do some volunteer work in an orphanage in Africa sometime in the next few years.

Also, Europe originally inspired my bug to travel. I took French for four years and had such an intelligent and passionate teacher... every time she spoke of her travels, it made me more certain that traveling abroad was in my future. I cannot wait to someday view the architecture and visit the museums of Europe!

Thank you for following my blog. Cross-cultural studies is my passion, and with so many countries represented in my viewers, that passion is ignited!

Find your passion and pursue it. Surround yourself with people, places, and things that make you thirsty for more and that feed your passions.

Thank You, AAEYC 2012 Participants!

Quyana, Donlin Gold!

Our morning group with their brand new dictionaries!

Excerpt taken from the Donlin Gold letter sent with the dictionaries:

"Donlin Gold is participating in The Dictionary Project (www.dictionaryproject.org), a national project to reach and provide every third grader in the United States with a dictionary. Donlin has sponsored the distribution of dictionaries to 744 third graders in the Yukon-Kuskokwim area. In the spirit of encouraging our youth to be life-long learners, Donlin Gold would like to present the 3rd grade level students at Chevak School with their own dictionary to keep. Using these dictionaries will enhance their reading and comprehension and, we hope, challenge students to seek answers from them. Donlin Gold would like this to be an annual event for years to come."

A beautiful picture of living in two worlds... she can have both! On the left is her poster of a Cup'ik Value: "Learn to do things on your own." On the right, her new dictionary! A beautiful blend!

The kids were all smiles!

Donlin Gold,

We are absolutely thankful for these treasured gifts! The students' excitement would have been worth recording! :) For now, the students are using the dictionaries during class and will be able to take them home by the end of the school year. They are having a fabulous time perusing through the "big book." They are finding our vocab words, new words, the longest word in the English dictionary, the alphabet in sign language, a year-long calendar, and so much more! Quyana cakneq for giving them another reason to love learning and love literacy. What a wonderful gift!

Warmest regards,
Miss Nelson