Teach in China CIEE promo video

Here is a video about the program I will be taking part of come August!
The ones about Chongqing are just travel videos - the one that says China with CIEE is the main one!

steps closer

i took this from a blog i regularly read about china. it is the shanghai skyline: the first shot was in the 1900s and the second shot is in the present. i found this amazing! shanghai is the largest center of commerce and finance in china and by this picture it shows! it looks like new york! i am so excited to be living in a big city. i have always wanted to and hope that once i get back from china and find a job that it is somewhere a little bigger then anderson (think indy, louisville, chicago, type places). 

today i go to see my family doctor to get all my medical work done in order to live in china. I have to have a physical, chest xray, EKG and a few blood tests. pretty intense, right?  im willing to go through all of that to get to china, and with NO health insurance might i add. i actually will be getting back on my mom's plan in july, but i HAVE to HAVE all my paperwork in by july 1, no exceptions. so... looks like it will be a pricey endeavor but i am prepared. like i said, i am willing to do what it takes to live and teach in this city. money is not gonna stop me :) 

i have had a nice few days off. i can't believe that it is already thursday. only 4 more days off till its back to the 5 days a week work plan. not that its really that much work. i love nannying. its really easy and fun! heading back to nannying (after they've been on vacation) means that june is half over. that means instead of 3 months till i leave, its a little under 2 1/2.

i'm getting readddyyy! even though, i still have tons toooo doooo!!


i forgot to mention - CIEE has posted the names of other participants that will be teaching in China with me at the same school :) There are 7 other girls and 1 guy. not gonna lie, i have tried looking them all up on facebook and just straight googling them. only luck finding two of them, who of course, are really great! :) i'm excited to see i will not be alone! obviously, i knew that already, but seeing names makes me feel better!
i am still waiting on my letters of intent from new jazz so i can start the visa application process. These next few weeks are going to be busy with china stuff (sending in all my medical forms, and hopefully my visa information as well as buying my ticket soon!) excitement doesn't EVEN cover it. :)

i'm (not) a PC.

hello mac world. jami has joined your team and is very happy with the switching of sides. it was a huge huge huugggeeee purchase for me but i am glad i did it & think of it as an awesome investment as well :) i just want to keep playing on it & yes, its 2:30 am.
now to... order a case & get all my files off my Dell onto here. I've heard the external hard drive is the way to go. seems pricey to me. hopefully i can find someone with one that will let me use it.

i love my mac!

 yep, thats her :) haha

10 days off.

I am officially having my only vacation of the summer, starting now. The family I nanny for left for Gulf Shores this morning and won't be back till the 14th! That leaves me with TEN. FULL. DAYS. OF. VACATION! no picking up shifts at old navy (i quit). no anything! :) I plan to take full advantage of this vacation. I want to have the perfect mix of relaxation and productivity. I have figured out that I can no longer sleep in past 9, which is okay until about noon and then I am so exhausted.
Plan for the day - take macey on a walk, clean and organize my room, big time!, budget out my summer spending so that I can afford to get my plane ticket to china, pay for supplies I will need and hopefully, buy a new computer sometime this week! maybe even tonight!
Plans for the next ten days - doctors appointments for china trip, west lafayette trip, camden's birthday party, helping emily with her fetal pig dissection for online nursing school :) ewwww (im such a good friend!) and whatever else comes my way.

china is about 79 days away. it'll be here before i know it i'm sure!

busy weekend

I can't believe that I am done at North Elementary!! I was there an entire school year from student teaching, to working with Title 1. It was definitely an emotional day there at the end. I will miss my K+ers so much! They were such a great group of kids, trying at times, but i absolutely loved them.

 I am excited though to see where life will take me next. First stop-- the adventures of nannying for two months. Next stop-- China! Buuuttt before any of this can happen, welcome to my crazy, exciting, i can't wait weekend! This is the perfect start to summer.

Today: 2 hour drive to bloomington for the beginning of Jacquelyn's wedding weekend!!! Bridal luncheon at 2, decorating and more prep, rehearsal at 5, rehearsal cookout at 6, sleep and get excited with her about the big day. Larry's setting out the cots. :) 

Saturday: Wake up and do whaaatteevvverrrr needs to be done, go with Jacq to get her hair done, get ready for the outdoor wedding at 5! Weather is looking good too! So excited. I love you Dusty and Jacquelyn! Recpetion after on site. Can you say beer and dancing all night? haha Suite at the Pointe with Lauren, Jeff and Jennifer. yaayyy!! 

Sunday: Wake up early and head home. Pack a new bag to head up to the lakes to see my Dad with Sarah! About a 2 1/2 hr drive. Relaxing all evening with them.

Monday: BOAT ALL DAY! sunshine. lake. probably a little drinking with the pops and sarah, haha. Head home that night sometime.

Tuesday morning: The nannying adventure begins..

whew. talk about an exhausting weekend. I nanny tuesday - thursday though then have off for TEN DAYS while the family is on vacation :) im so excited for that! 

like this and that

i cannot WAIT to walk down nanjing lu at night when everything is lit up like this.

see the french concession at the bund like this.

teach at my school like that.
 
teach children like these
.
walk in a park like that

find lanterns like these.

search fruit markets like this.

travel to towns like this. (yangshuo)

and see this again.

:) i just can't wait.

new beat jazz english institute

am i taking up a new music taste? noooo :) that is the name of the school i will be teaching for in SHANGHAI, CHINA in august :) i am so excited! i just found out my placement today! I will be working with children ages 4-6 teaching spoken english. it is a private school in shanghai (which is in east china). I will have an apartment near the main campus with a kitchen, tv, washing machine, refrigerator, a/c, bathroom with HOT WATER, furniture, telephone and internet access. :) an apartment with no roommates let me ad.. my very own place - for the first time - in a foreign country. haha great place to start my first time living on my own. i cannot believe i got my placement so early. i am in looooove with the age group i got. i could NOT be happier.
here is the website for my school... check it out!!!
http://www.anesl.com/schools/new/ShanghaiJazzEnglishTrainingInstitute.asp

i am so excited i cannot stop smiling. yyyeeeeaaahhh!!!!!!!!!