Uh...Czech, Please!

And you thought you had escaped my very original Czech puns. Silly reader.

So long time no blog, huh? Sorry 'bout it. I've been slaving away in Webster Groves making sure old ladies' coffee isn't too cold/explaining the difference between burritos and enchiladas. It was depressing profitable, but I think I'm ready to try something else.

I last left you, dear reader, at the end of my teaching stint with IRD. I had settled down in Webster Groves to do two more weekends of teaching (college students this time) at SLU and save up money serving tables to finance moving abroad to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL). I guess some stuff happened, but the Internet is probably more interesting without blogposts about my serving woes.

Exhibit A

Anyway, moving on now.

I wrapped up my employment with La Cantina and Llywellyn's Pub and packed up non-essential belongings to bring back to Camdenton for storage. Somehow, I packed most of it into my PT Cruiser and made it home for Christmas. [Though not until after I met my Truman friends at the Ameristar Casino to take advantage of two huge free rooms, win a grand total of $7, and get mad at strangers for making out in our room. Shout out to Hannah, Josh, Jon, Aaron, Daniel, Jessica, Kristen, and DeAnna! That was a fun night.] Sadly, that was the last adventure of my faithful PT Cruiser. Rather than picking up car payments only for it to sit unused in Camdenton, my family decided to sell the Cruiser so I can start fresh with a car of my choice with my name on the car title when I come back to the States.

RIP Party Tank/PT Boozer/Patricia
April 2010-December 2013

Christmas at home was incredible. Our tradition of opening presents at my Baba and Papa's (maternal grandparents) was the perfect mixture of love, delicious food, and hilarity. It's amazing to me that we can all come together for a whole day and not be at each other's throats by the end of it. I'm very lucky to have such an accepting and supportive family that makes me look forward to the holidays rather than dreading them.

Christmas, however, came and went much too quickly. I had time to make a one-night trip to Springfield to see my friends Jordan, Sarah, and Christina. It was a perfect night out with friends, and I definitely did not feel hungover at all the next morning. Once I returned to Camdenton, we had a White Elephant party with the Martins where I won a fancy box of yogurt for infants. Although, the delectable French toast casserole, cheesy potatoes, and biscuits and gravy more than made up for my poorly selected gift.

I woke up feeling quite strange the next day. I wasn't sure when I would be back next. My head was so full of double- and triple-checking my packed bags that I forgot to eat my leftovers from Tres Hombres. I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself. But alas, my bags were packed, so Mom and Dad drove me back to St. Louis to await my departure date. It was a strange feeling, not knowing when I would see my family again, but it was mixed with the happiness of knowing there's a new adventure ahead of me and that my family would be cheering me on back home.

Parents are embarrassing.
(But seriously, I was overwhelmed by all of the sweet/encouraging comments. Thanks!)

So now here I am in St. Louis with my bags half-packed waiting for January 2nd. I am currently without a car, so I've taken to labeling objects around my house with the correct Czech word on post-it notes to pass the time. I'll look out the okna from my židle and watch Orange is the New Black on the televize. I've also taken to admiring my reflection in the zrcadlo when I'm cooking in the kuchyň.

New Year's is just around the corner, so I'm excited to have one last hurrah with my friends before leaving. Not exactly sure what the plan is, but I can't wait for 2014! It's looking like it will turn out to be a year to remember.

-Anthony

Czech Yo'self Before You Wreck Yo'self

Get used to lame Czech pun titles because I'm finally making this Prague thing happen! I am now officially accepted to the TEFL certification course.  All I have to do now is get payment sorted out. Easier typed than done.

The course starts on January 6th, 2014, which just so happens to be my birthday. For my 22nd, I was in New Orleans for a cruise to Mexico, and now I'll be in Prague. I should keep this going and have my birthday in a different city every year. It's convenient that my birthday comes shortly after Christmas and the New Year because it gives me an excuse to be on vacation for two whole weeks. Good planning, Mom and Dad.

I haven't had a post recently because I was trying to figure out what exactly was going on with my life. I had just wrapped up teaching for IRD and was trying to decide how to deal with my Kirksville furniture. I woke up in South Dakota that Monday morning, flew to St. Louis, stayed there Tuesday, drove to the Lake of the Ozarks Wednesday, took my mom's suburban to Kirksville Friday, stuffed it full of furniture and leftover winter clothes, took it back to the Lake Saturday afternoon, and drove back up to St. Louis on Sunday. That was a long and exhausting week, but it was nice to visit my homes.  

 Not that this is my home anymore. It's empty. Just like my heart.

I even saw a strapping young ginger of indeterminate gender moving in. Made me miss Daniel.

However, I am happy to call Stonehenge (our house nickname) in St. Louis my new home for the fall. It will be great living here full time instead of leaving every weekend to teach. I have gone back to serving tables full-time to save up money for Prague, but I have also been asked to teach for IRD again! In September, I'll be teaching college students speed reading, textbooks skills, journal articles, and some great works of fiction for two weekends. Because the curriculum is a bit different from the summer adult reading class, I have to have some more teacher training. I'll be doing that this week between serving shifts. I'm not too pumped about serving again, but it's going to pay for what I need, and I'll keep my eyes up for other opportunities. In any case, it's good to know I'll be Mr. Brownell again in a few weeks.

I'd love to hear from people in the comments section of my blog! I'm new to traveling internationally, so I would really appreciate tips on airfare, visas, banking, PayPal, etc. It's all going to be a lot of work, and I'm sure I'll be at wit's end often, but I love having this goal to work towards. And after the Prague course, Mr. Brownell will go international!

-Anthony

Summertime, and the Livin' is Kinda Hard Actually

Somehow, this summer ended up being both the longest and shortest summer of my life. It was my first summer not spent at the Lake of the Ozarks, so it didn't feel quite like summer. I mean, it was hot and all, but I spent my weekends traveling to teach, so there wasn't much opportunity for traditional summer fun. I'll be heading back to the Lake tomorrow, so maybe I can squeeze in some pool time before fall is upon us.

Now that my teaching job has officially come to an end, I have to move on to the next thing. This has been a struggle. With a total of 147 students over the summer, I barely had time for anything else, but I don't regret it for a minute. It's amazing to think that I had an impact on 147 different lives in just ten short weeks. I sometimes doubted my effectiveness as a teacher, but hearing all the positive feedback from both parents and students at the end of the program was extremely heartening. For the last 5 weeks, I had a 1st grade class in which parents stay for the first hour and learns how they should be assisting their children with reading. One student-parent pair did very well working quietly together, and it seemed like they weren't getting much out of the class. To my surprise and joy, the mother approached me on the last day and expressed how much my class had helped her and her daughter. The sincerity in her eyes told me how worried she had been about her daughter's future and how grateful she was to have found a way to foster her daughter's reading development in a fun and productive way. I was shocked to discover how much my class had really meant to them. It was moments like that that made the long weekends and ridiculous travel well worth the effort.

Yet, all good things must come to an end. As of now, I am currently unemployed and technically homeless. That is, I no longer have an official residence to which my name is attached. The lease on my Kirksville apartment finally ran out. I was under the impression that I would be able to retrieve my remaining furniture from that place just before this upcoming weekend, but I found out last minute that the owners need to repaint and clean the carpet starting this week. So here was my problem: the apartment needed to be empty by Monday, but I wouldn't get back from South Dakota until that Monday night. I left a sectional couch, an armchair, a mattress/boxspring set, a small desk, a small chest of drawers, and a few boxes of random dishes and whatnot. That is a lot of stuff to move from 761 miles away. I called everyone I knew who might be in Kirksville or be able to get to Kirksville to help me out. Luckily, an angel from heaven known as Caitlyn Davis was kind enough to move my stuff out on that Monday. My mother and I will be up there Friday to collect my things and thank Caitlyn on bended knee for being so awesome.

So, I've handled wrapping up my summer teaching job and have almost completed my move out of Kirksville. Now what?

My parents are all for me moving back home and getting a job as a substitute at my old school district. While I do miss the Lake somewhat, I would like to avoid moving back in with Mom and Dad, and I also wouldn't mind a break from teaching. I miss having a place to call my own for more than a few months at a time. I miss the comfort of having a long-term job or school to keep my weeks regular. (Is there some kind of Activia to keep my weeks regular, Jamie Lee Curtis?) I didn't really get a chance to feel like a full-time resident of St. Louis. Fridays-Mondays were spent out of town, so I never even got to experience a weekend living in the city. I applied for a serving job that is basically right across the street from the house I've been living in. Joey and his roommate, Eric, are being nice enough to let me stay for a few more months. I want to save up just a little more money before finally making my move to teach English abroad.

I think I've finally found the one--a program for teaching ESL. The Language House offers certification in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) in Prague, Czech Republic. At quite a low price, I would be living in the middle of Prague for about a month, get TEFL certification, have hands-on teacher training, learn survival Czech, meet other ESL teachers, and receive lifetime career assistance. This is exactly the kind of challenge I need. I want to push myself to learn a new language completely different from English, do something that will be professionally beneficial, travel to new cultures, and meet like-minded peers. The program is offered at several different times throughout the year, so the hardest decision will be when to go. For now, I'd like to save up a little bit more so I have plenty to pay for the program and be able to support other needs while abroad and for a couple of weeks after the program ends. It takes about one to three weeks to secure a job teaching ESL once certified depending on what country you would like to teach for.

Again, life seems just as uncertain as ever, but it is not dull by any means.

-Anthony

Chinese Buffet for One, Part III

I am currently blogging while waiting on a delayed flight in an airport. This feels oddly stereotypical for a twenty-something, and I think I like it.

I have just finished my first week of the second term of classes. My new schedule has me flying to Rapid City, South Dakota every Friday morning for five weeks and returning Sunday nights. This means I have Monday-Thursday completely off, so I can't complain. The start of the new teaching term has been quite exciting, but I want to back up for a minute and reflect on some other things that have happened since my last post.

There was the Fourth of July, and I had a great time going back home to the Lake of the Ozarks. I had a mild freakout about changing banks so I can be all set up for international travel soon, but I decided I would worry about it more when I had definite plans. If anyone has advice for handling finances abroad, I'd love to know about it. I'm thinking about switching to U.S. Bank. As usual, visiting home was an interesting mixture of stress and fun. The night of the 4th was amazing; nothing beats fireworks at the Lake. I was reunited with my friend Jordan at her place where we rode on the jet skis, went out on the yacht for fireworks, and enjoyed a responsible amount of adult beverages. 

There was, however, one unfortunate incident: I stood up on the yacht once only to have my phone slide out of my swimming suit pocket, bounce off the bow, and go for a swim in the lake. It was a peculiar feeling, losing my phone. My heart sank as my phone did the same, but after the initial shock wore off, it felt rather nice to be free of the distractions of a cell phone for one night at least. This had the added benefit of serving as a good story for my high school classes. When I introduce The Fellowship of the Ring, I stop for a discussion about Bilbo's struggle to leave the Ring behind before he leaves the Shire. He gives it up with "a look of relief and a laugh" even though he really struggled with giving it up at first. I like sharing my story about dropping my phone because my phone is obviously something I don't want to give up, but once I dropped it, I couldn't help feeling relieved and laughing about it. I also throw in a reference to Old Rose throwing the Heart of the Ocean into the sea for good measure. The students seem to enjoy my impression of Old Rose letting it go.

This past week, I became an expert on teaching the first high school class for this reading program. I subbed for another St. Louis teacher, so I taught two extra high school classes and two extra adult classes for the first week of the second term. That was fun, but I'm looking forward to enjoying my four days off from now on. 

Before starting my second term, I had to wrap up my first. I very much enjoyed concluding my time with each student; it was amazing to see the kids begin to open up and have fun with reading and our class activities. I also discovered that I feel really comfortable talking with parents and concluding things with them as well. They all seemed extremely grateful for my time. I even received the nicest "Thank You" card with a Barnes & Noble gift certificate from a family who had two students enrolled in my programs. It was so nice and unexpected that I had to take a minute after the last family had left to just look at it and let out some strong, manly tears. I'll be keeping that card forever.

Also, this is the door to the first classroom I ever taught in. 

As I mentioned before, I've started my second term in Rapid City, South Dakota. Out of all the places I could have been sent, it was strange that I was sent here. As cheesy as it is, I have loved and lost here. It's funny how life comes back at you like that. Being back in this area has been unsettling and painful to be honest, but I'm trying to make the best of it. It's probably the most beautiful part of the country I've ever seen, so that's nice. However, I been quite a few times before. I went on a mission trip right on the other side of the western border of South Dakota, I took a trip to Mt. Rushmore/Devil's Tower with my grandpa, and I visited two or three times in college. I was hoping for something new, but beggars can't be choosers. 

The travel I've had to do so far has been pretty ridiculous. I flew out early Friday and arrived around 1:00 PM, local time, and my first class was at 3:00, so time was being cut too close for my comfort. All my teaching materials (12 very heavy boxes) had been sent to my hotel motel. When I got to the motel, I was told I could not check in until 3:00. Well, I needed to get my boxes to my room to sort out what I needed to bring to the first class and be there early enough to make sure I had everything I needed at the teaching site. Luckily, they let me into a room early and helped me get my boxes to my room. There, I was able to find my high school materials, change, and get to the teaching site in time to start my class. I think the stress shaved a few years off my life.

After that class, as per tradition, I found the closest Chinese buffet and went to town on some General Tso's. I guess this is a thing now. It's nice to know that wherever I am in the country, I can find some shitty Chinese buffet and eat myself into a coma of shame and exhaustion.

So now I'm waiting on a delayed flight in the smallest airport I've ever been in. It's actually rather relaxing. I had felt crunched for time earlier. My last class today ended at 3:00, and my flight was at 5:00, so I was nervous about making it on time. I guess that's no longer a problem. I do have a pretty view of the badlands from my spot in the terminal, and I appreciate some time to sit back and relax. Hopefully, next weekend will go much more smoothly.

Looks like the plane is arriving soon, and there'll be a mad dash for connecting flights. Until next time.

-Anthony

Chinese Buffet for One, Part II

I'm alive--I promise. I realize I haven't blogged since just before I started teaching. This is a shame because a lot has been going on, but I'll try my best to summarize a month of life in one blog post. Here goes nothing.

I am now officially known to over 100 students and their parents as Mr. Brownell (or Mr. B as some prefer). My first day of class was on Monday, June 3rd in Cape Girardeau where I borrow a classroom at a Christian school. I started with a class of half-a-dozen 3rd graders, immediately followed by a class of 10 high schoolers. It was nerve-wracking, but I successfully taught my lesson plans and held parent meetings at the end of each class. Although it was weird to be at the front of the class telling everyone what to do, it was even more bizarre to see my students listen and follow through with my instructions.

You will respect the bow tie.

I returned to the Drury Lodge in Cape after that first day of classes exhausted, but very happy. It seemed like my life was completely different from what it had been just a few short weeks ago. The Lodge is very nice and has free dinner, but it's still hotel dinner (chicken strips, macaroni, hot dogs, meatballs, salad, nachos, etc.). I don't really know anyone in Cape, so I decided to find a quiet place to have dinner and read my book. Naturally, I gravitated towards a Chinese buffet. So not even a month after my sad one-man dinner at Kirksville's China Palace, I found myself requesting a Chinese buffet for one once more. I suppose not much has really changed.

My first week flew by in a whirl of student names, parent concerns, distributed materials, stories about fat cats, broken crayons, word structure analysis, and phonics lessons. On that Saturday, I drove to St. Louis University where I teach a class of 20 2nd graders, 20 4th/5th graders, and a class of three student-parent pairs of 1st graders. It was a bit exhausting to say the least, but the experience of teaching at a large university classroom is a lot more exhilarating than teaching in a small Christian school classroom in rural Missouri. However, I have grown to genuinely love my teaching days in Cape Girardeau; it can be quite beautiful there.

My walk to my SLU classes isn't so bad either though.

This program is set up in five week long courses in which the students attend one two-hour class with me each week and complete four sessions of home practice per week. Each age level has slightly different goals for reading development, so there is a lot of variety. By the fourth week, I give an individual book level recommendation for each individual student based on assessment during class, general observations, homework assignments, and conversations with parents. This means I get to learn a lot about each of my 101 students and his or her reading abilities. I thought I was going to be struggling with names for all five weeks, but I was surprised to find myself using names without referencing the seating chart by the end of my second week. It has truly been a joy to get to know these young people and see each of them grow in both skill and confidence as they tackle reading material that may have first seemed impossible to them.

A typical week for my first five weeks with IRD goes something like this:

• Saturday--Wake up around 8:30 to get to SLU by 9:30 for class at 10:15. Teach 2nd grade, 4th/5th grade, 1st grade. Leave by 5:30. Get home, enter student data, pack for three days of teaching in Cape Girardeau.
• Sunday--Wake up around 6:00AM to leave by 7:00 so I have plenty of time to make the two hour drive to Cape and be there early enough to start my first class at 10:00. Teach eight preschoolers with one parent each, four 1st graders with one parent each, and 20 4th/5th graders. Leave a little after 5:00 PM, check into the Drury Lodge, pass out from exhaustion.
• Monday--Wake up around 9:00AM for the continental breakfast, prep lessons by the outdoor pool for a couple hours, grab lunch, and get to the school by noon to teach 3rd grade at 1:00 and high school at 3:45. Leave around 6:30 and grab free dinner at the hotel. Pack to leave in the morning.
• Tuesday--Wake up around 7:00AM for breakfast, check out of the hotel, get to school by 8:15 to teach 2nd grade by 9:00 then middle school at 11:45. Finish and pack up my teaching materials around 2:30 and drive back to St. Louis. Get back to St. Louis by 5:00. Pass out from exhaustion.
• Wednesday--Day off! Mostly relaxing. Might run errands, get groceries, clean, etc. I think trivia night at a bar in the Loop might be a thing now.
• Thursday--Day off! Must be sure to enter in all student data online from the past week though. My friend from Truman, Jonathan, and I have started "Throne Thursdays" where we watch as many episodes of Game of Thrones as we can. A wise life decision.
• Friday--Day off, but must wake up before 9:00 for an hour long phone call with my supervisor to discuss how classes went and specific student concerns. Then I have to prep for a new week of teaching and start it all over again.

I can still manage a smiling selfie in the mornings though.

I must say, I've loved the crazy and varied schedule I've had this month. I feel so lucky to get to work with every age group and see how they all develop not only as readers, but also as young human beings. My only regret is that I only see them once a week for a couple of hours.

On second thought, maybe only two hours at a time of 20 full desks is plenty.

Schedules for the late summer session will be coming out soon. My supervisor recently called me with an exciting opportunity. Because teachers are people too, we get sick and need vacation days. This means that classes throughout the country will need substitutes who are trained in this material. IRD's solution to this is to schedule teachers as "reserves" who are on-call to go to different teaching locations as needed. If I were to do this, I would be paid for 11 classes each week even if I teach fewer than that. Furthermore, I would get paid for additional classes that I did teach. This would be a crazy schedule, but I think I would enjoy it. I would see different students and places every day. Plus, there is 1% of 1% of a chance that I could go sub in Hawaii. However, it's more likely that I'd be going to Nebraska. Being in St. Louis puts me in a position to be sent virtually anywhere though, and I wouldn't be paying for any travel expenses other than food. Maybe I was crazy for saying I was open to the possibility, but I don't know when I'll get a chance like this to travel so often and be paid for it. My sense of adventure is high these days, so I think I'm ready for the challenge. It also means a lot to me that this company thinks I'm well-equipped for this type of demanding schedule.

I should find out by the end of the week what my new schedule will be like and if I will be one of these "reserve" teachers. I'll try my best to blog some more. I also need to start planning my next move after my summer contract with IRD runs dry. It might be nice to take a month or two at the Lake to recollect myself and prepare for teaching English in other countries. Or maybe stay here in St. Louis for a bit. I feel like I have lots of options. The future still seems as uncertain as ever, but bright nonetheless.

-Anthony

There and Back Again

Wow, it's been a while since I've done this whole blogging thing. Shame on me. My excuse is that I've been busy. Sorry 'bout it.

I finally went back home to the Lake of the Ozarks. I had forgotten how beautiful it is there. As a teenager, I couldn't wait to leave, but I understand its appeal now. The fact that it is so isolated is simultaneously its biggest draw and its biggest drawback. I mean, it's within a reasonable distance to some bigger cities, but the nearest major airport is three hours away. In any case, it's a cool place, and I'm glad I have the excuse of visiting family to make regular trips there. Speaking of family, mine is awesome. They got a new kitty--a fluffy white boy named Gunther. We also had a fun Memorial Day Weekend get-together, although I hit a wall halfway through and had to take a nap during the beer tasting. I just can't party as hard as my parents. I did get my margarita on at Tres Hombres, a family favorite. I could bathe in their queso dip. I think I left a leftover cup full of it at my parents' house, and now I'm really regretting not taking it with me. It probably would have stunk up my car anyway. My mom and dad also took me shopping for teaching clothes. Shopping for clothes with my mother is usually a frustrating task for both of us, but we had a lot of fun and found some great things. We bought no fewer than six bow ties, so I'll be looking super fly on the first day of classes. I really like all the things we picked out, and I'm super appreciative that I have such amazing parents who help me out with that stuff.

Alas, all good things come to an end, so I packed up and headed back to St. Louis that Monday in my PT Cruiser with a fresh pair of new tires. I had three more days of teacher training left, and I couldn't wait to get it over with. I did that training from 8:00-5:30 Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and used the rest of the evenings to nest. Taking after my mother, I compulsively rearranged the furniture. The gay in me has had a burning desire to give this whole house an interior decorating makeover, but I'm making due with what's available to me. I'm finally starting to know my way around this part of St. Louis; I'm certainly glad I have my Cruiser back so I can zoom in and out of the traffic. That was not so feasible in the Suburban.

In work news, I finally have my class schedule for the next five weeks! On Saturday nights, I'll be driving to Cape Girardeau where IRD will pay for a hotel and my gas until I leave on Tuesday. I've never been to Cape Girardeau, and I only have a couple of acquaintances who I know will be there this summer, so it might not be that exciting. However, I'll probably be exhausted from teaching and traveling, so I will probably just relax in my hotel (hopefully it'll have a pool, or at least a gym). Once I get back to St. Louis, I'll have Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off, so that will be a nice break. On Saturdays, I'll be teaching two classes at St. Louis University starting after noon, so I should have plenty of time to rest. Work will be crazy, but very rewarding, so I'm excited to get started!

I suppose that's enough of an update for now. I'll try to get some new pictures posted. Right now, my kitchen is a sad, empty place, so I'm gonna go fix that.

-Anthony

Back from Atlanta

Traveling is hard.

I've been in Atlanta for the past five days. I just flew back into St. Louis yesterday afternoon, and now I finally have a minute to breathe. I have the next couple of days off, so I'm gonna take some time to relax and get used to living in St. Louis now that there are more people here I know. After these past few days, though, I'm pretty content to just lie on the couch and enjoy not doing anything.

I had a good time in Atlanta. I flew out on Wednesday, met up with three other teachers to share a rental car, and got set up in a two-bedroom hotel room to myself. I had in-person teacher training from 8:00-5:30 Thursday-Sunday and flew back Monday afternoon. The training was pretty intense, but I feel more confident about getting in front of a classroom full of students and being in charge for 2 hours at a time. I say that now, but I know I'll be terrified on Day One. I still have one more phase of training to complete at home, so there's still some preparation ahead.

Apart from training, Atlanta was tons of fun! All the other teachers were awesome people from all over the country. My car-mates were particularly fun people who I'll really miss, one of whom will be teaching in St. Louis as well this summer. Shout out to Nick, Anne, and Arielle! Training would have been impossible to get through without them to vent to. 

Atlanta itself wasn't crazy exciting. We were all exhausted by the end of each day, so we didn't have the time or energy to go out much. On the last night, we were able to go to this really cool bar with the largest beer selection I have ever seen and some amazing food. I believe it was called Porter's.

Teachers know how to party.

I was mostly excited about the prospect of seeing filming locations of The Walking Dead. I at least wanted to drive by the C.D.C., but we ran out of time. I definitely had zombies on my mind as we drove throughout the city. We did see a man shuffling along the side of the highway with a zombie-like gait. However, the scariest part of the trip was taking a shortcut through a graveyard at night after getting ice cream, which is obviously the start to a great idea. We were walking through and realized it came to a dead end (laugh at my pun!) when we noticed a dog sleeping at a grave. We thought it was a dog visiting its owner, so we thought it was super sweet at first. Nope. It and another large, black dog came out of the shadows and started growling aggressively at the four of us. I had never been scared of dogs until this moment. Luckily, the just seemed slightly territorial and let us walk away slowly. 

Anyway, I made it through training, so now I just have this last stretch of training before I'm ready to be Mr. Brownell. I'll be driving back to the Lake this weekend to trade my mom's suburban for my PT Cruiser. It's virtually impossible to drive that huge suburban through the traffic in St. Louis. I am excited to be back at the Lake though. I haven't had a chance to be there since spring break, so I'm looking forward to seeing my friends and family there. 

In other news, my final grades from Truman are finally official. Looks like I did indeed graduate, which is a relief. Once I receive my diploma in the mail, maybe I'll finally feel like a real adult. But that's a big maybe. 

-Anthony

...And A Beginning

We left off with me sobbing like a child as I drove away from the safety and comfort of my apartment, school, and friends. It was 9:00 in the evening, and I had a bit over a three hour drive ahead of me. I tried calling some friends and family to pass the time, but my cell was all "LOL NOPE! :)" I was headed for Webster Groves where I will be living for the summer. My high school friend, Joey, goes to the conservatory there and has a house with two roommates. One of said roommates will be gone all summer, so I get to take his place.

I arrived exactly at midnight. Joey had already left to see family in Florida, so I didn't get the comfort of a familiar face right away. The other roommate was there though, and he was nice enough to make me feel welcome and help move a few things in. I was beyond exhausted, and he had to catch a plane the next day, so we both just got to bed as quickly as possible. I didn't even have enough energy to think about how strange it was to be in a new place before slipping into my dreams.

The next morning, I still had training for the Institute of Reading Development (IRD). By the time I was done at 5:00, I could finished moving in. Moving in was a lot more fun than moving out. My room is much smaller in this new house than in the old apartment, but the house itself is really nice, so I won't spend much time in my room anyway. Also, there is this magical device in the kitchen that washes dishes for you. Crazy! Can I also bask in the glory of the washer and dryer in the basement? I'm sick of needing quarters to have clean socks.

The lawn also cuts itself, right?

Inside, my room is pretty small, but it meets my needs just fine, so I can't complain.

For sleeps.

It will definitely stay this organized all summer.

My favorite new setup is my "office" that I arranged. It's kinda in the middle of the dining room, but that just means I can multitask by having dinner and working at the same time.

This will also remain immaculately organized all summer.

I'm really excited to be in such a nice house. I've had it to myself for the past few days since the others were all gone for beginning of the summer trips, so I did some cleaning because what else do you do in a strange new city in a house all by yourself? I think I'm done with the nesting phase though, so we'll see how much my cleaning matters after a few weeks.

In work news, Phase 1 of my training is officially done! This means I've completed 6 days of guided study and conference calls, each lasting from 8:00-5:30. It also means I'm moving on to Phase 2, so this post is coming to you from Atlanta where I'm starting in-person training to work on teaching skills. I flew out of St. Louis this afternoon, and got to my hotel room just a couple of hours ago. I've met some really cool people already, and all expenses are being paid by the IRD, so I'm diggin' it so far. We start tomorrow bright and early. I'm nervous, but all the traveling has made me too tired to let it affect me too much.

And so my train keeps speeding on. I caught most of what was whizzing past me, but I wish I could have stopped to savor each of these moments just a little bit longer. Yet, I'm beginning to feel comfortable with the breakneck pace my train is chugging along at. I keep stealing glances at what's behind me, but more and more, I find myself looking at the tracks ahead and wondering what will come next.

-Anthony

...A Transition...

Waking up the morning after graduation has to be one of the weirdest feelings I have ever had. I did have job training to complete; I had got to discuss Fellowship of the Ring at 8:00 in the morning. This was fun, but I couldn't help resenting it a little bit for keeping me from staying out late with friends the night before. Apparently I missed a hot mess of tears and laughter and more hugging that lasted until 4:00 in the morning. I'm sure I would have lost it.

After I was done with training, Daniel and I started the long process of cleaning our apartment and packing up the last of our things. We had accumulated piles and piles of odd things. We had a table specifically for our "oddities" such as a dippy drink bird, a shirt signed by Tommy Wiseau himself ("Be good!"), a light saber, naked lady Vegas cards, a dead cactus pot, a gooey hourglass thing, and several other odds and ends complete with a bongo drum hanging over it all. Although we had a specific place set aside for this type of clutter, it still took ages to gather everything to move. Brittney helped us by taking our leftover food items and advising us on how to clean things because we're stupid boys. Eventually, I had cleared out my room except for a desk and bed that I will pick up in August.

This room contains 3 years' worth of memories. It was hard to take this picture.

Somehow, we finally got the last of our things packed and extra items stored in one room. We weren't done until around 9:00 that night.

We left the couch and chair to be picked up in August, but the place looks really empty to me.  :'(

I was dreading what came next. Everything was changing. Daniel and I had been living in that same tiny apartment for three years, and we had hung out all of freshmen year. We were Danthony, but it was time to go our separate ways. I thought about how much he's been there for me the past four years. We had decided to live together on a whim. It was only a few months into freshmen year that we awkwardly agreed to find an apartment, but it couldn't have worked out better. Daniel knows how to make things happen and enjoy every moment of life, even when you're stuck in Kirksville. He called me out when I was bullshitting and tolerated a lot more than he needed to. If it weren't for him, I doubt I would have enjoyed my college experience at all. After grueling classes and frustrating minimum wage jobs, I could always count on him to be there to remind me of what's important. We always visited one another over the summer, and I know I'll see him for many years to come. Yet, closing the door to #5 felt very final. After that, it was a pretty much wordless goodbye. We knew how we felt, and we knew this wasn't the end. It was a beginning.

I kept my composure as I pulled away from Pierce Street and took one last drive by Truman's campus. I made note of how much things have changed since I first stepped into that small corner room on the top floor of Centennial Hall four years ago. And I drove on. It wasn't until the lights of Kirksville were in my rearview mirror that I started to cry.

To be continued...

An End...

I'm on a train with no breaks. It's moving so fast that everything I pass is barely recognizable before being left in the distance. I stick my head out to get one last look, but it has already faded away. I have to turn forward to see what's ahead so I don't fly off the tracks and crash. It's scary, but it comes with a rush of excitement. Let me see if I can remember what's sped past me these past few days.

There was that whole graduation thing. I woke up really confused about what was going on. My parents and brother, Henry, came in the late morning to help me pack up some of my bigger possessions, and then we headed to Pagliai's for Ronzas (Come at me, copyright lawyers) because my parents are obsessed with those things. They bought me a cooler for Christmas one year for the sole purpose of bringing back Ronzas in it. Merry Christmas to me indeed. But I digress...

I jumped into my cap and gown and rushed to campus with Daniel where we were forced to wait awkwardly in a dark auditorium. Then, we were shuffled out into the dazing sunlight to slowly snake our way to the stadium. It felt rather like being led to the gallows, but Daniel, our friend Cait, and I (the Oxford comma is the best) got through with some dry humor that you just wouldn't understand and tassel 'coptering because ADULTS. We watched the valedictorians do some culty head-bow to the Joseph Baldwin statue in the middle of the Quad. Nerds. 

I'm totally not jealous.

Losing a few caps to the unseasonably nippy wind along the way, we finally made it to the stadium. It was unsettling being in there for longer than 45 minutes before losing interest and leaving. Well, I still lost interest in 45 minutes, but I couldn't exactly walk out of my own graduation, so I sat very attentively and didn't make jokes or anything. I didn't even laugh when half a dozen graduation caps blew off nearby graduates' heads and Chinese-throwing-starred Cait in the throat during the most glacially paced speech in the history of the spoken word. The guttural "OUUUHH" that was punched out of her throat was a much needed distraction, and probably the highlight of that entire experience. Also, shout out to Molly "Beebee"--you are a treasure. I did the whole walking thing and received my "diploma" with a big "LOL JK, WE CAN STILL FAIL YOU" inside. 

The ceremony was long, but it really was nice. My paternal grandfather and his mother (my great grandmother) were able to come, and it was nice to know they cared enough to drive all the way up to Kirksville just to see me so briefly. I saw them and took some pictures, then headed to Greenwood Elementary where I started kindergarten. Mom didn't seem phased until this point, and I must admit, it was a struggle to keep my composure as well. I remember being so excited to start school there. We would walk the few short blocks to the simple brick schoolhouse where I was introduced to the Letter People (never ever kick a man). The Letter People might actually be what sparked my interest in linguistics now that I think about it. I sure did love those damned songs. Anyway, it started getting emotional, but this was only the beginning.

Our little group of friends and their families had a nice picnic-style dinner at a park before we college grads ran off to have one last hurrah. I do believe this was the textbook definition of a hot, hot mess. By the end of the night, the bars were full of sobbing group hugs. I was so exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally at that point, so I said my goodbyes/see-you-laters and went to bed. The next day would be much harder...

To be continued...

I Think It's Contagious

Who put all the calendars on fast-forward? No, seriously. Stop that.

Things are moving at a breakneck pace with no sign of slowing down anytime soon. And to top it all off, I think I've caught some sort of disease. For the past few weeks, I've been getting an odd feeling in my stomach, then my throat constricts, and my chest starts to feel like it's going to explode. I explained the symptoms to a friend. Apparently they're called "emotions", and there is no known cure. They might be contagious, so I understand if you avoid me for a while.

Not photoshopped.

It's like some sort of prepartum depression circulating among graduating seniors and their friends. People are tossing around the word "last" like cheap beer on spring break. Last class on a Tuesday, last time studying in Pickler, last AYCD (that stands for all you can discuss, Mom), last Sodexo meal, etc. There's a big "last" cloud hanging over everything I do, and it's making me feel things.

In all seriousness though, the idea of graduating is making me feel somber. High school graduation was not at all like this. I had spent too many awkward years in Camdenton, and I was ready to move on to the next thing. There were tons of people to be missed, but I knew for sure that I was prepared for that next stage in life. Now, I can't help wanting to hold on to college culture for as long as I can before making that next big leap. True, I know it is definitely time to move on. I've been in school for 18 years, so I am eager to see things from the other side of the desk. Plus, three years is a long time to live in the same small apartment in Kirksville. A very long time. Then again, this place has been the first I've been able to call my own. I paid for it with my own sweat and blood, and I do...did...think of it as my home. I'll be sad to leave it.

Perhaps I seem more concerned with leaving things/places rather than people. There is some truth to this, but for a very good reason. The people I've taken the time to get to know here at Truman are some of the greatest people I have ever met. So I know that the 11th won't really be good-bye. It sure won't be the same, but I'm looking forward to meeting up with my friends over the years and enjoying the changes in each of our lives. I am extremely lucky to have met such genuine people whom I can expect to see for many years to come. So for now, I'll just deal with my good-byes to Truman, my apartment, and the college lifestyle. I think that's all my disease emotions can handle anyway.

-Anthony

Chinese Buffet for One, Please

A fortune cookie told me to share my news, so I guess I'll follow through with this whole blog thing.

Sorry, loved ones. You'll have to settle for blogging at a distance.

I and my roommate, Daniel, have a literally unhealthy obsession with a barely-average Chinese buffet in downtown Kirksville. We go so often that I have a frequent diner punchcard which gives me a free tenth meal. I have earned this free tenth meal far more than I would care to admit, but suffice it to say that any extra college weight I've put on can be traced back to this place's crab rangoon. Anyway, since I only have five days left until graduation (Does anyone know how to freeze time yet? Is that a thing? That should be a thing.), I had to make sure I get one last free meal from them. However, I only had 8 out of 10 lunches stamped, so I needed one more to get the next one free. Everyone else is too busy with finals, so I had to go to a Chinese buffet alone for the sole purpose of securing that last free meal. As I sat alone at a buffet eating General Tso's chicken that looks more like General Tso's rabbit turds, I couldn't help feeling slightly disgusted. But I know in a couple days I'll eagerly speed to this buffet and proudly display my punchcard and pat myself on the back for saving $5.65. God bless America.

Anyway, I'm mostly just wasting time writing about my unhealthy college eating habits to avoid cleaning my apartment, packing up my belongings, studying for finals, preparing for my job, or basically anything else considered mildly productive. I woke up from a nap today to find the heaviest box I've ever lifted had been delivered to me. It was full of teaching materials I'll be using this summer.

Apparently, I can expect 17 more of these in late May. 

At this point, I'm just trying not to panic. But hey, at least I don't have to make pizzas for minimum wage anymore.

-Anthony

Introduction to Blogging: The ACBs

Welcome to Easy As ACB!

I'm creating this blog in an effort to build a more meaningful representation of my life and ideas outside of popular social media. Here, I can clearly develop my thoughts, talk about what's happening in my life, and share what is truly important to me without taking up space on Facebook and Twitter feeds. Of course, I'll still use those, but I want this to become a place where those who are interested can find out the details of my life voluntarily. It will also be a great way to journal and reflect on my experiences. I hope you enjoy it!

First, let me explain a little bit about myself. I am from a town called Camdenton near the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. Other than my first few years before entering grade school, I spent my entire childhood there. In 2009, I graduated from Camdenton High School and left to pursue my undergraduate degree. I have spent the past four years at Truman State University in the small (but charming?) town of Kirksville in northern Missouri. Being passionate about helping people, the sciences, and the mechanics of language, I found myself studying speech, language, and hearing disorders with a minor in linguistics. I have also maintained my love for vocal music by singing in Truman's top choir for three years and focusing on voice disorders within my major.

Eventually, I want to go to graduate school to earn my certification as a speech-language pathologist with emphasis in the diagnosis and treatment of voice disorders. Until then, I am interested in traveling through teaching English as a second language (ESL). There is a high international demand for native English speakers to pass on English skills, so I would like to take advantage of that before I am tied down by a grueling graduate program or a family of my own. Furthermore, I have missed out on the opportunity to become fully immersed in a foreign language, so teaching ESL would be a great way to do that. This, however, is a work in progress, and I understand I can't plan out everything perfectly. I will do my best to make this happen, but I am flexible and open to other opportunities that may cross my path.

Currently, I'm preparing to make the huge leap from college student to "real-life" adult. It is both terrifying and exhilarating! I am less than a week away from graduation and already in the process of training for my first job as a teacher. This summer, I will be teaching for the Institute of Reading Development (IRD) throughout the St. Louis area. In just over a week, I will move into a house in the Webster Groves region of St. Louis. From there, I will be flown to Atlanta, Georgia to participate in a three-day training conference with the IRD. Classes will start on June 3rd and continue to early August. I get to work with a wide range of students from entering kindergarteners to current college students and adults wishing to improve their reading skills (plus every age in between!). I'll teach in several different cities throughout St. Louis, so lots of driving will be involved (read: buy me audiobooks!). For now, I have 6 days of online orientation to complete, 4 of which will occur during finals week. I can't say I'm looking forward to juggling job training and finals, but the extra work will be worth it.

That feels like enough of an update for now. I'm sure I'll have some parting thoughts on graduation, my Truman experience in general, my upcoming divorce from my roommate of 3 years, and all the frustrations that are bound to pop up during these next few weeks. Hopefully I'll have less serious posts so I can talk about my unending quest to become the ultimate Pokémon master or that one time my mom hosted a wedding ceremony for two pigs. 

-Anthony