Into the wild blue yonder . . .




Alarm went off at 4 am and we were off! My wonderful husband Joe drove me to the airport and dropped me off with a smile and so much encouragement - he really is an amazing cheerleader and I don't know how I'd be heading off to Greece without him.

Sitting here in the Denver airport, waiting for my connection to Munich and then to Athens, I can't help reflecting on all of the other people who have supported me in this dream endeavor. My daughters Liz and Sarah - all that they have already aspired to in their young lives - the risks they've taken and the amazing things they've achieved - they've truly helped me understand that my only limit is my capacity to try. 

My incredible colleagues have also been so, so encouraging. From our wonderful superintendent Tom Taylor, who proudly introduced my project to a beaming school board to our stalwart, incredible connected administrator Christy Voigt who allowed me to work with her to try to ensure our students and staff have what they need, to the incredible teachers and staff of Paradise High School who have given me so many kind words and bon voyage messages. I knew I was connected to this school and community, but I never felt how connected they were to me until I learned I'd be temporarily leaving.

And then, there's my students. Trust me, they were not entirely happy to hear I'd be leaving the classroom for the last 5 months of their senior year. But through the tears and grumpy moments, they told me how proud and excited they were for me and how much they looked forward to hearing about my adventures. I dearly hope that me taking this leap into the unknown shows them their endless possibilities. 

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