Ms. Chapman here! In just a few short hours, we’ll be on our way to the Land of the Rising Sun!
If you have taken English with me, you know that Everything is About the Odyssey, and I’m sure this journey will prove the rule. It’s only eight short days, but we won’t be entirely the same people when we return, as our experiences will have changed us and our challenges will have proven us worthy.
Over the course of our trip, students will take turns sharing their reflections on what we’re seeing and doing, and I hope you’ll follow along to participate in our adventure vicariously.
On a personal note, this trip feels very special to me because thirteen years ago I left the United States for the first time to spend the summer attending school in Japan. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but that experience shaped my identity as a traveler. In the years since, I’ve studied in Mexico, Canada, Germany, the Czech Republic, and India, I’ve taught in Spain, France, and Vietnam, and I’ve vacationed in various other exciting locales. Traveling has not only been a deep source of satisfaction for me, but also changed me into a better person – I think I’m more curious and open-minded, as well as kinder as a result of my experiences meeting people internationally. Now I hope that this trip might be a similar point of departure for my own students!
Cardinals Take Flight! 