Bike!!

Hi Rachel!! This is my first post and I hope it actually goes through.  I was on VACATION (!) when I first got the blogger link in my email.  I spent a week in Maine having a wonderful time in Acadia National Park.  More details to come, but to summarize -- I spent a whole bunch of time outside in one of the most beautiful places hiking, strolling, biking, and hanging out with my family.

What was that?  Yes, you heard me right.  After about three years of neglect, I went biking again and I had such a good time!!  I used to bike all the time as a kid.  Seriously, all the time.  I could amuse myself biking in circles for hours.  I also biked all through college because that's how we got around campus.  However, after graduating undergrad I kind of let the interest go dormant.  I moved to Philly and although there is a serious biking community in Philly, I've always been a little scared of biking in traffic.

But my vacation made me brave.  I now have bike fever.  First, I'm getting a helmet.  I'm really into the Bern Lenox in turquoise.

 (cyclechic.co.uk)

I saw it in City Sports today, but they didn't have my size.  They do have it in one of their other branches and will send it to their Harvard Square store.  I should have it by Thursday!

Next, I'm going to get a day pass to Hubway, Boston's bike sharing program.  That way I can see if I'm comfortable biking on city streets.  (There is also a dedicated biking/walking path right next to the river that goes pretty much directly from my apartment to the hospital).

Finally, if that all goes well, I may buy my own bike.  I kind of want a grown up bike-- one that rides well, is sturdy but light, has convenient commuter things like fenders...  This is my dream bike at the moment.

 (bikereviews.com)

It's pricey, but if I could find something like it, I would be so happy!

p.s. Aren't you proud of how I included these pictures into my blog entry? I had to some research to figure out how to do so.

Better than Summer Vacay?

Is there much better than the first day of summer vacation for a beleaguered inner-city teacher? 


Yes! The answer is the first day of summer vacation blogging with one's best friend! Hi Sushila!


I'm really excited about this summer. It'll be my 10th at camp, and the first where I'm directing BOTH shows, one for the middle camp (ages 7-9) and one for the senior camp (ages 10-12). I'm also excited to start planning for my first year with 1st grade! I've been an 8th grade math teacher the past two years, and as much as I love teaching hormonal teenagers (...), I think I am truly an elementary school teacher at heart. 
Actually, I've been finding blogs and things all morning to get ideas for 1st grade. I know the school year is a whole summer away, but for the first time since I started teaching, I can actually plan for the year before it happens! (My first year I was hired three days into the school year, my second year I was laid off and rehired right before school started.) It's said good teachers borrow ideas from others, and the best teachers make ideas worth borrowing. I'm going to start off by being a "good" teacher, I think. Also, teachers are prone to share information with others, so there is a mound of information out there that I can "steal," as it were. 


Other summer plans include getting back into shape. My idea so far is to have a morning run, bike to camp, followed by a morning swim at least three times a week. Maybe more, if I can. I was hoping to do another triathlon in the future, so working on those three components is important. 


I also want to get into strength training. I've heard a couple of good things about Crossfit, so I might try to do some of those workouts, but I've always been a yoga fanatic. I also found a great website: Do Yoga With Me. FREE YOGA VIDEOS FOR EVERYTHING. I'm definitely going to be investing time in this website over the summer. Really, I'm about 10lbs overweight now, and probably about 20lbs from where I would like to be ideally. (A weight I haven't been since college, but hey, one can dream, right?)  Hopefully I can really commit this summer. But blogging with Sushila... that's something that should help me! :oD


I'm also planning on reading a lot this summer, thank you Kindle! Actually, as much as I love writing to you, I think I'm going to go dive into the fourth book in the series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, on which the amazing series Game of Thrones is based on. It's kind of addicting. Better addicted to reading than Facebook, amiright? 


I will keep updating to update you, blog, hopefully once a day! Go team!