The Greatest City in the World

I returned last week from an 8-day trip to New York, which is still the greatest city in the world as far I am concerned. It was hard to return to Virginia, but I had to get back and catch up on responsibilities here. My plants were suffering most.

While in NYC, I stayed with my brother, who was for the first time in my life, like a friend. I wasn't sure how long I'd be able to stay with our eccentric past, but it was awesome! Chris and I got along so well, and I got to see and do everything I wanted to. Well there wasn’t much I wanted to see other than people, but it worked out perfectly.

My good friend, Heather, from Peace Corps came into the city for a few days and stayed at my brother’s place. Chris took us on my first sailing trip – his boat is awesome. He bought a Beneteau. I went sailing with Chris twice. I learned how to jibe and tack and some of the mathematics involved in sailing. I am fascinated by the fun sport.

When I was in town, I was also able to catch up with several old friends, who unfortunately I rarely get to see. Let’s see… I wasn’t there to sight see, but I did visit Coney Island for my first time. Chad and I rode the famous Cyclone in Astroland Amusement Park and Wonder Wheel in Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. I would have to say that the amusement parks are pretty run down, but it’s also a must see. A fun and entertaining day was spent there. After walking down the boardwalk, sipping some wine, and riding some of the old, rusty thrill rides, Chad and I went to the NY Aquarium.

Heather and I had some awesome mojitos at a Peruvian restaurant. And then we went to Ethiopian food for Chad’s belated birthday dinner, and then after eating went out to a few bars. We ended the night at one of my favorite NYC hotspots, Lucky Cheng's, which is the drag queen capital. We, of course, were there for karaoke.

I also went to dinner one night with Beth and Chris, a friend from Knox I hadn’t seen since graduation almost 6 years ago. Ok, I feel old, but he’s gorgeous! I always love getting together with Beth. She’s so dynamic. Esther took me to a Freestyle Love Supreme show at the Ars Nova theatre. The show was an improv comedy fusing comedy, freestyle rap, jazz, and hip-hop using audience suggestions. I was quite impressed.

I'm back!

I realize that it has been quite some time since I last posted an entry. Most of July was spent teaching summer school. I enjoyed the program, though it was hard to wake up so early knowing that I should be on vacation. I am not sure if I will teach it again, but I'll have to admit it sure was nice to get an extra paycheck. Who knows... maybe I will teach it again next summer.

Saturday night I organized an evening of noraebang, which is Korean-style private room karaoke, in Annandale. There were about 18 people who ended up coming. I had a blast! I am still hanging out with bachelor #6, who I will call EM. He invited a bunch of his friends, too. I think everyone enjoyed themselves.

I went rock climbing a couple of weeks ago with my friend, Laura, at SportRock. It was a lot of fun, but I don't think my arms have ever had such a workout! I would like to try and start going once or twice a month.

I also went to Great Falls with Rachel, Jason, and EM. We attended a Vietnamese BBQ that Rachel found on the Washington Meetup groups. I brought some salmon burgers from Trader Joe's. Everyone was really nice. After lunch EM and I went hiking around the area a bit. The trails were pretty flat, and it was getting hot, so the day was cut short there.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Show me another sunny day... I've officially been on summer vacation 6 days, and it's been storming for the last 5 days. We might see some sunshine this weekend, with thunderstorms forecasted for all next week. The roads are flooded, metro service has been interrupted, and even federal offices have closed through the week.

I had bachelor #6 over for dinner last night. I made red snapper, which turned out really well... quite a bit better than things have ended with bachelor #6. We've been hanging out a lot lately, and it's probably been too much. I saw him three times last week. And I started to feel more pressure and feel that I am not ready to jump into anything serious. He even invited me to a wedding with him in a few weeks. After a fun night last night, I sent an e-mail suggesting another night out Friday. After two calls today from him inviting me to go out with him and his friend tonight, I felt suffocated. I am still not over Simon and feel that I really need to sort out my feelings with that disappointment before jumping into anything with someone new. It's too bad because I felt like bachelor #6 was funny, fun to be around, and really nice. Maybe that wasn't enough... or maybe I am not ready. Well I had to come clean to him so he'd lay off the phone calls and pressure to constantly be together, and we came to the mutal agreement that we are in different places. So that was that, and now there are none. I think I am okay with it though. I really am not upset either way. While he's a great guy, if I'm not ready, I'm not. And I have to be selfish.

7 Days Left of School

It's hard to believe there are only 7 days left of the regular school year. I have mixed feelings about the change. Summer vacation will certainly be welcomed, but I will definitely miss my kiddos! Friday is the 5th grade promotion ceremony, kind of like a graduation. I know I will be crying... Next year my students will move on to middle school.

Today Rachel, Jason, and I ran the Survivor Harbor 7 race around the Inner Harbor of Baltimore. We had a gorgeous day. It was in the low 70s, plenty of sunshine, and the ran through some of the most beautiful parts of Baltimore - around Fort McHenry, which inspired Francis Scott Key to write our "Star Spangled Banner;" the Inner Harbor of the Chesapeake, and through parts of Fell's Point. It was my longest distance ever - 7 miles! No pool this weekend; it's actually been too cold for the pool!

I have been trying to catch up on sleep all week. Tuesday my students with the 4th grade GT class performed Fire of Vesuvius, a 5 act musical play I co-directed with my mentor teacher. We'd been working on it for months, and it was nice to see the kids finally pull off the performance. The administration gave us all flowers at the end:) I invited some friends to come, but I didn't end up getting home until almost 10:00 PM, so it was almost a 15-hour day!

The week at school was insanely busy as they always seem to be this time of the year. There's just a lot going on. Thursday was Career Day at school, where students in 3rd-5th grade rotated through 9 different guest speakers of different careers. It was really cool. There was a really cute EMT/ Ambulance Driver/ Fire Fighter, but the teacher who recruited him told me that he's already taken. Oh well... I went out for a happy hour with my friend, Katie, from school/ work on Friday night. I needed a drink after Field Day on Friday.

Yesterday I met up briefly with my uncle and cousins who were in town from the Midwest. My youngest cousin will be doing an internship through Georgetown University for the summer, so my uncle and cousin drove him out. It was nice to see them. And this was their first time to the area, so that was fun, too! I'll have to check in on him later in the week. I think he was feeling a bit overwhelmed yesterday.

The other big news of the week is that my good friend from high school, Meghan, had a daughter on June 2, 2006. Congratulations to Meghan and Brandon! I see so many friends/ cousins getting married and having kids. It's a strange feeling.

You know where you can find me...

I spent the better part of the weekend at the pool, which opened Saturday. Actually Saturday I went with Rachel and Jason to the outlet mall and went on a shopping spree where I splurged on some new clothes for the season. It was fun. I'll have to admit I am not a big shopper, but it's nice when you can get a lot of stuff all at once. And there were some great deals for Memorial Day weekend.

Friday night I went to the baseball game with the only surviving bachelor, Bachelor #6 I think, from the Match.com virtual experience. And he's not far from the path to elimination. Maybe my expectations are too high. Maybe I am too picky. I don't know. I seem to find fault in everyone I meet. I think I still do too much comparing to Simon. Damn him! At least he'll be moving to Ohio soon and maybe it will be easier to get over him. He just sucks though... I wish things could have worked out. The Nationals played a really great game against the L.A. Dodgers. Too bad I'm not a Nationals fan.

No skydiving this weekend. It's probably good I was able to cross that off my list of things to do in life because there were a couple of accidents this past weekend. In Kentucky, one 33 year old man died after two skydivers collided and the parachutes deflated. Also a 44 year old first time skydiver slipped from her harness and fell to her death on Saturday in Ohio.

Yesterday we got up for our long run around 6:00 AM and were already running before 6:45 AM. It was HOT! I could only make it running (and at a very slow pace) about 2 miles and ended up walking the better part of the last 4 miles. My vision fogged with the sunscreen dripping into the eyes as sweat rolled down my face. We're going to have to start getting up earlier... maybe 5:30 AM this weekend. Especially if we are really going to run the Survivor Harbor 7 race in Baltimore in only a couple weekends, which is 7 miles. It's been in the high 80's and even 90's the past few days. There's only one place to be...

Sunday and Monday were spent at the pool. I've never lived anywhere with a pool, so I am really excited for the summer season! Growing up, my family had a membership to one of the private swimming pools called Sundowners. We'd always beg my mom or a babysitter to drive us there and spend all day in the sun. We'd also annoy the teens working the concession stand all afternoon long. Haha! Unfortunately the pool doesn't have a concession stand or anyone serving fruity drinks under palm umbrellas, but it's only a short walk down the breeze way. And that is good enough for me! So now you'll know where to find me this summer season...

No wonder I am exhausted...

I felt like skydiving at Skydive Virginia needed its own post, but actually the entire past week and a half has been insanely busy. Last week I had four dates in 5 days. Last Monday I went bowling with Bachelor #4, which was a lot of fun. I am happy if I break 100, and I bowled two good games. The first game I bowled a 108 and the second a 137! Woo hoo!

Wednesday I met a new guy for coffee, Bachelor #5, but there won't be a second date with him. I had Indian food for dinner with Bachelor #6 Thursday night... a very nice lad who I wouldn't mind meeting again. And Friday night I hosted a BBQ at our apartment complex with Rachel and Jason. We made kabobs, and I honestly never knew how much work it is to have a BBQ! Lots of preparation, and unfortunately the pits along the fitness trail were kind of far away, so we ended up making two car trips to drive everything over. Jason manned the grill. There was a good turn out: 9 people in all, including Bachelor #1, who I had invited. Also a good friend from Peace Corps was in town from Minnesota with his wife, who I met for the first time.

And yesterday I ran the Capitol Hill Classic, my first 10k (6.2 mile) race with Rachel and Jason. We ran through a good chunk of Washington, DC, running along the perimeter of RFK Stadium and ending up near the Capitol. It was the farthest I have ever run, so I was very proud of myself. My legs are really sore today, though!

I went down to the lobby yesterday to pick up a DHL package that had arrived Saturday. I was so exhausted by the time I returned from skydiving, I just figured I would pick it up on Sunday. I assumed it was the last delivery of my Wine of the Month subscription I got for Christmas from my dad. So after the race, I went down only to discover that I had received flowers. I was puzzled... who would be sending me flowers?! After opening the box and tearing open the card, I saw that they are from Bachelor #1. They were very beautiful: iris and yellow roses. It was a very nice gesture, but I find the card and flowers a bit intimidating. The card read: "[My Name], Today marks exactly one month to the day that I first laid eyes upon you. Happy one month anniversary. I hoped that there are many many more that awaits us. [Bachelor #1's Name]" Okay, that really freaked me out. I had not been keeping track of the date I first met any of the Match.com people, and I would certainly not consider us a couple. I need to send him an e-mail explaining that I am not looking for anything too serious.

My First Tandem Jump

Do you know what adrenaline is? The dictionary defines the word as a hormone that the body produces in response to extreme physical or mental stress, as from fear or injury. But I want to know – do you know what it really is?! It was May 20, 2006. I woke up at 5:00 AM. I couldn’t get back to sleep. After driving almost two hours to our destination for the day, I arrived with mixed emotions: excitement, fear, and anxiety. Within minutes I was filling out a waiver, or, in reality, signing my life away.

I sat in anticipation almost 20 minutes waiting for the others to arrive. There were 10 of us who had made the bold decision to go skydiving. The adventure was underway. We began with a brief introduction to the tiny aircraft that would soon be lifting us off the ground and soaring to 10,500 feet, which is about 2 miles! Next the instructor gave us a quick lesson in some of the important body positions crucial to a safe jump and successful landing. I nervously practiced arching my back and stretching my arms. We then saw some of the gear needed to jump, including the jumpsuits, sky caps, goggles, and straps. Some of the parachutes were being rolled right in front of us!

Several others had jumped without any major complications before I suited up. I climbed into the straps that would be the only chords attaching me to the instructor and the parachute. I also tried on the sky cap and goggles. Before long, my instructor called me over, and we walked toward the runway. Only 4 people, packed like sardines, and the pilot fit into the miniature plane. The only seat in the plane held the pilot. The switches and cables were exposed, and during our morning briefing, we were instructed not to touch anything. I sat next to the tiny flap door, which hadn’t completely closed when we lifted off of the ground. A seat belt from the floor held me in place.

“What have I gotten myself into?!” I thought. Within a few feet from the ground, the door was closed, and we had lifted off. The Cessna 182 - N7105E had a rocky climb to the first 1000 feet. The plane wobbled and shook, and the noise from the wind made it extremely difficult to hear the few other jumpers inside, seated less than a few feet away from me. As I peered out the window, the altimeter’s measurement rose, and the distance between the ground and us widened.

My smile continued throughout our ascent, but it was no secret that I was terrified, petrified, and scared to death! At about 9000 feet, I had to unfasten my seat belt and climb onto my knees. My instructor was ready to fasten himself onto my back. This jump would be tandem, which is a term to describe “one behind the other.” Once we were attached, the door flew open, and before I knew it, I was trying to climb out onto the step just above the wheel of the plane. My heart was pounding, and my face filled with fear and trepidation. I gripped the door frame as the high winds blew at my feet.

Before I had much more time to think about what was actually happening or about to happen, the instructor pushed us out into thin air, and we fell into the wind. My head was pulled back, and I arched my belly and hips as I looked out into the horizon. Within three to five seconds, our bodies accelerated from 0-120 mph. It was like nothing else I have ever experienced. We fell past the clouds; I continued checking the altimeter a few times. And when it read 6000 feet, I knew what I had to do. I’d been instructed to pull the parachute cord, only… I couldn't find it! I frantically felt around my right leg in a few moments of panic. It was hard to breathe falling at such a high speed, and I certainly didn’t want the goggles to fly off my face.

Within a few seconds, my instructor successfully pulled the cord, and the parachute shot out of the backpack strapped behind us. I felt my legs spring almost 180 degrees and my feet fall toward the ground. Once the chute was completely opened, we slowed down considerably, and the view was incredible. It was exceptionally beautiful, like nothing else I have seen or felt before. It was as if we were floating through the atmosphere, and the world was ours. My instructor told me we’d slowed down from about 120 mph to about 10 mph. It was a serene ride as the wind carried us toward the drop zone.

After a 20 to 25-minute ascent, and a mere 8-9 minute descent, our feet and bodies touched down, and we were back on the ground. Gravity had done its job and brought us home. A van picked us up and carried us back near the runway. My body was still oozing with adrenaline as I shouted in excitement to my friends anxiously awaiting their turns to jump. I wonder what they’ll think…

Eagle Mania

It's been a busy week and a half since I have last posted. Let's see... last Saturday was the Eagle Mania fun fair at school. I could tell that the kids had a blast, and I even had my first blueberry shaved ice sno-cone in years. I didn't make it into the dunk tank this year, which I know was slightly disappointing to my students. Maybe next year! I volunteered at a prize booth called "Eagle's Nest." It had hundreds of suckers standing upright in an upside-down box. Some of the suckers had a colored marking on the bottom, and the color determined the prize. And there were some cool prizes: temporary tattoos, stationary/ stickers, key chains, puzzles, and the grand prize of a giant stuffed animal. Sometimes I miss being a kid! They eat this stuff up :)

After Eagle Mania, I had lunch with a co-worker at Thaiphoon. I really love Thai food... and with that said, Vietnamese and Japanese food, too! Sunday I ate Thai food again in Washington, DC with some friends after attending Emily's belly dancing recital, the Fourth Annual "Under a Desert Moon" Sahara Dance Student Gala. Unfortunately the friend who was picking me up was running late, and by the time we arrived at the theatre, we'd missed Emily's dance. You win some; you lose some, right?! We watched the rest of the recital, and I saw Emily in the finale.

May is the busiest month at school with all of the Virginia state tests, Standards of Learning, or more commonly referred to as the "SOLs"... all part of the No Child Gets Ahead legislation. Fifth grade has four tests: Writing, a two-part test - English grammar and a writing prompt, Reading, Science, and Math. The two-part Writing SOL was taken in March, so we have the other three this month, one each week. One down and two to go! I am really not that worried about my gifted and talented students passing the exam, but the high stress comes knowing that they need to pass advance to carry our school's test scores so we don't lose funding!

I didn't have any new dates this week, and I didn't renew my Match.com subscription. I didn't want to pay, and I've met several people. I am going to see how things work out for now. Simon came down this past week to drop off my stuff and pick up his. It was really hard, and I feel that I somewhat regressed this week in all of my feelings and emotions. I do have a date tonight, which I am really looking forward to. It's date #3 with Bachelor #1, and we're going out dancing. He's really a great guy. I was very impressed the first time we met, and he gave me a gift - a travel guide to Vietnam, knowing I am going to Ho Chi Minh City next summer. He's also Vietnamese, which I discovered only after our first date. He's a software engineer and truly a fascinating person... also a SCUBA diver, well-traveled, and very adventurous. He's run 5 marathons and gone sky-diving, too! And he was a volunteer fire fighter and ambulance driver for several years.

Back on the Dating Scene and Living the Good Life

I am really enjoying Washington, DC. The city has so much to offer: great restaurants, so many parks, museums, and monuments. It is expensive, though. I took the Foreign Service Written Exam last month, but I did a lot of guessing, so I don’t know what to expect. I guess I will have to wait and see…

I am going to teach summer school the month of July. Lately I have been attending some trainings and trying to get together the supplies. I will be responsible for teaching the 3rd-5th grade Young Scholars summer school program. “Young Scholars” is a term used to describe students who show academic potential and motivation, but they lack the home support, language, or resources. The YS program aims at giving these students an opportunity to enrich and challenge their minds. I am really looking forward to it! We will be learning about archeology and how to interpret artifacts. I am going to try and get back to St. Louis for a weekend this summer.

I still really love my job. The kids are absolutely fantastic, and the people I work with are also really great. The population is so diverse. My students are from Korea, China, Vietnam, Lebanon, El Salvador, Honduras, Pakistan, Bolivia, Philippines, the USA, and even a full-blooded Native American. And our school has students from over 100 countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, and North Korea. It really is a special place.

There's a pool in my apartment complex, and I can’t wait for it to open Memorial Day weekend! I just dropped off the form to get my pool pass... hooray! The weather is getting much nicer… still the crazy weather of spring, but we’ve had several days where the temperature has reached the 80s.

Things had been on the rocks with Simon for a while, and we finally decided to come to a mutual agreement to see other people. I know it's the best in the long run, but it is very hard now. This is definitely not where I thought I would be at 29. But, I am trying to jump back into the dating scene... and I put my profile on Match.com. It’s been fun. If nothing else, it’s nice to get out and experience more of Washington, DC. I have had a few dates, and so far I have found at least one guy I really like. Bachelor #1 has been a lot of fun. Bachelor #2 didn't work out. Tomorrow I will meet Bachelor #3 for a first date.

I recently started running and have been running for the last 3-4 weeks… nothing too major. I have a slow pace, but I have been building up endurance. I try to run 2-4 times a week. On weekdays, I run about 2 miles through Arlington, and on weekends I run with Rachel and Jason. We have been running from Pentagon City to the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC, which is about 3 miles. Last Sunday we ran 5 miles!



Sunday April 23, 2006, I ran my first race, a 5k – the George Washington Parkway Classic. Proceeds benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of greater Washington. My only two goals were 1. to finish, and 2. to try and pace myself to run the entire race, rather than a sprint-walk-run-walk. It was a huge success, and I really felt good afterwards. I am trying to now train for the Capitol Hill Classic, a 10k race in support of the Capitol Hill Cluster School. We'll run through Washington, DC on May 21st. This area has a lot of runners!

And… I just signed up to go sky diving in a couple of weeks with Rachel and some of the other diplomats in training. I am getting a little nervous but excited!