Personal Narrative: My Journey To Rio Calaveras

I was starting my first day at a new school. My palms were sweaty, my heart was thumping, and I had butterflies in my stomach. I took a deep breath and walked towards the grey doors. I thought about what the new school would be like; how the teachers were and how the students were. I missed my friends from my old school. I walked through those big grey doors to a whole new place.

How everything back in the U.S? Right now I'm in Panama visiting its different places and people. Over here is Panama it can get sunny and hot. Panama is a really fascinating country but I think the two things I have enjoyed over here was visiting the Panama Canal and learning about the Kuna Indians. Did you know the Panama Canal connects both the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean? The canal is huge! Its 50 miles long and stenches deep in land! The canal according to what I remember was finished in April 1907 by Colonel George W. Goethals. To cross the entire canal took around 8-10 hours !! Though it was nice to see the land around the canal when the ride took off.

The apples is for when I was 5, and I started kindergarten at John Clarke Elementary School in the small town of Rockville, MN. I did not attend pre-school, so this was the first experience that I had will the school system. I was very excited and nervous to attend school, I loved being the only kid at home/daycare all day while all of my older siblings were in school. By this time, I had also grown a bit more shy, I was nervous about not having or being able to make friends, being as we lived in the country, and I wouldn’t really know anyone, where all the other kids all lived in the same neighborhoods, and attended preschool together already. Lucky for me kindergarten was only a half day long, and it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be to make

This question drove me back to high school. I attended a military school back from my home country, Ecuador, we only where surrounded by males. It was not difficult for me to cope, because I was in my comfort zone. However, I moved to New York City 10 years ago and I am still in the process of adaptation. I am still seeking to develop coping skills to adapt to my new environments, work, school, friends. Similar, I wanted to fit in and I seek for people that look, think and come from my same backgrounds. But, I did not give myself the opportunity to look for other friends. I even isolated myself. Once I started to give the chance to other people I got in trouble, because they want to use you, people want to take advantage of you one way or another,

What an amazing experience! Although I have traveled all over the United States and cruised to Mexico and Bahamas, there is nothing like traveling overseas. It was really interesting to see how other people live. From the beginning to the end of the trip, practically everything that I experienced was new to me. The plane ride, the hotel stay, lack of traffic and the food. Even the towels at the hotel was different.

I just dropped my best girlfriend at the airport. Along with all her necessary belongings and a one-way ticket to Panama, she is leaving a place she called home for the past 11 years, and taking the plunge to start a new chapter with the love of her life.

On our vacation to the Dominican Republic we had a goal to go scuba diving,when we noticed that there was a scuba diving hut we went to sign up right away. When we arrived at the front desk, we were filled for excitement. We asked the people working there the cost and details about the process of earning a certificate, but what we did not ask was about the cost. Later when we paid the expensive cost we actualized that the schedule was 2 day longer than we were staying in the Dominican Republic. We ran straight to the scuba hut only with a devastating answer, we could not get our money back.

A couple of weeks ago we went up to Lake Itasca or the headwaters of the Mississippi. It was a fun trip we went on. The water was warm and my sister and I went swimming and my parents were on the shore of Lake Itasca. The next day we were off to Minnesota's Largest Candy Store. In the store there was pop, pop rocks almost anything.

It all happened last year when I went to Brazil, my little cousin Lia had learned how to knit I so how she did it and I really wanted to learn how to do it. I thought it would be impossible, but I said Lia can you teach me how to knit? She responded yes. Later that day we picked the soft, dusty wool and she teaches me how to knit. It was so difficult I couldn’t do it I felt like my hands where moored and there where to sticks in there it was so thigh. Later my grandma comes to the room and said what are you trying to do? We respond Lia is teaching me to knit but it so difficult. My grandma says why you didn’t tell me I can teach you how to do it, she picks a better wool that was thicker, older and it smelled dustier then she said first you do this, then that, after that you do this. It was already time for diner when I had a little piece of nothing, with that I did a mini white unicorn.

I stepped off the bus eager to see what my ten day trip would entail, but I quickly wondered what I had gotten myself into as broken glass lined the perimeter of the hotel. Once the sun rose, the streets of Ecuador looked a little less intimidating than the night before. Now I found myself nervous to see if my three years of Spanish education would have prepared me for this experience. Throughout my trip, I was able to learn more than I ever thought I could about the language and culture of Ecuador, and I also gained a new perspective. I never expected a Spanish trip to have such an impact on my life.

The trip consisted of two flights on the way to Costa Rica and we had a short tour of San Jose on our way to the first hotel. The first hotel was hot and the rooms were tight. The second day we went on a walking tour of San Jose and stop at different landmarks and talked Costa Rican history. Later that afternoon we went to a coffee plant and learned more about the Britt coffee plant and history of when it started. That night we went out in San Jose and bought our own dinner, mine was nasty. After dinner, we went to get crepes. Day three, we left San Jose and we were on our way to La Fortuna. On the way there, we stopped in an ox cart museum and listened to to history of ox cart wheels. After the ox Cart museum, we went to the gift shop to

Once I became four I was about to go to preschool and was excited. The first preschool I went to ended up not being the best school. The teachers weren’t good and I didn’t like the atmosphere there and didn’t really make any friends at my time there. My parents eventually moved me to a different preschool. The school I moved to my mom knew the owners previously from her childhood so she was comfortable leaving me there. The first day there I had so much fun and when it was time to go I didn’t

I just arrived in Juan Santamana International, San Jose, Costa Rica. My flight was long. The airline I flew in was American Airlines. During the flight, I had one stop in Miami, Florida for an hour. I had the window seat but barely looked out the window because I watched a movie. The flight attendant gave me a small bag of pretzels and a cup of diet coke. Now, I am writing you this letter after my eight hours flight to Costa Rica. If you think I am jet legged, wait till I come back home. When I come home I will have two stops. I have one stop in Dallas and another in Chicago. The whole duration comes to about 14 hours. Finally, you probably are wondering what the cost is; well I got my round-trip ticket for about $743.15 off of Expedia.

It started with my first job application. Started with me walking into a job opportunity feeling comfortable because I was prepared for this. I was made for this. Started with me writing “Ms. Miller” on that chalkboard for the first time. Started with that first hand raised, asking that first question. When I look back on these past 10 years, I see accomplishments that might not mean much to someone else. Might not be the money making or fame striking story that my fellow classmates could share. I see accomplishments that don’t have dollar signs next to them, but they remain worth the most to me. Everyday of every year with my students is an accomplishment to me. Being apart of them become individuals, watching them question things and ask bigger and braver questions. Watching their eyes grow bigger as that math equation finally makes sense. Watching them understand words and how powerful they can be. Watching them go on to their next year with open hearts and minds, that is an accomplishment to me. In my own little way, with these little students of mine, I feel like we are together changing the world. I’ve only been a hired teacher for 9 years now, but I believe I have been a teacher in training my whole life. Inspired by so many wonderful teachers I’ve had myself, I knew I wanted to be that to someone, too. In a day of age where good teachers, truly good teachers seem to be few, I am honored

Fun fact from the trip: The least expensive fuel was $2.70 per gallon in Panama City, Panama.