Summer Heat

Really nothing special has happened in the last few weeks. I am up to my ears in prep work for the month after I leave. All of the lesson plans have to be made, homework and quizes written and copied, classroom decorations (song lyrics, letter sound signs etc...) and flashcards have to be made. This all has to be done at the same time that I do my regular prep work that already fills my time. Plus, the week before I leave we have open classes, so parents come in and watch a class. This is basically like putting on a play, and requires hours of practice and work in making special teaching materials so that the parents think that everything is really fancy. I got kicked out of school at night every day this week by the front desk guy who wanted to go home. In addition, I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row for my next job, my next apartment, and my 5 week vacation. I am exhausted.

It has been really hot here, which usually I would love. The only time I don't want the heat is when I go for my long runs. I have done a 14 mile run each of the last two weekends. This felt great last weekend. I had originally been registered to participate in a half marathon, but had pulled out when I re-sprained my foot when I was training. As it turns out, my foot was okay by the day of the race, so I just ran the distance on my own. Yesterday when I did my long run, the heat was aweful. I think that I was pretty dehydrated, because by the end of it I was just about dead. I wasn't sweating anymore, could barely breath, and actually was getting the chills and goosebumps.

As I am running along, dying in the heat I look around and this is what I see: All of the people (okay, most of them) around me are wearing long pants, jackets, hats, HUGE visors, and are carrying umbrellas. There are even arm covers that people wear (kind of like arm warmers) to cover any open skin on their arms. They have this intense fear of the sun here. Mostly, they don't want their skin to get darker. I don't know how they can stand it!

Okay, I have 14 work days left at my school, and 18 days until I leave for my vacation. Every time I talk to my mom I get more excited about being in Minnesota where there is fresh air, nice lawns, birds chirping, and lots of family!!!!