I recently hail from Marion, Indiana where I worked this past year as a Bilingual Specialist in the local schools with K-8th graders. I had a blast working with 40 Mexican students, encouraging them in their heritage and helping them with English language development. Even though I was a teacher for a year, each of my kids taught ME more than I could ever have hoped to impart upon them. Their humor, resiliency, funky styles, and commitment to family left a huge impact on my heart and I miss each of them already.
Prior to doing the Spanish-English thing, I worked as an RD for two years at Indiana Wesleyan University. Living among one hundred first-year female students was invigorating, challenging, hilarious, and nonstop. I especially enjoyed my time with my various staffs, eating up our seasons of idea sharing, deep conversation, coffee dates, and mid-western adventures. One thing I miss most (other than my friends of course!) is the Splash House, Marion's own * "Water Park." This summer I was the 20th person to purchase my membership and I prided myself in having a corner lounge chair that I frequented almost daily.
Although I have spent many years on the east coast prior to moving to Indiana, my family and I have also spent some time abroad. In High School, we moved to Santiago, Chile where my dad pastored an International church. Two years later, we moved to another church outside of San Jose, Costa Rica and my family remained there while I began College at Messiah. I graduated from Messiah in 2004 with a B.A. in Spanish and ESL (studying abroad in Barcelona) and then went on to study Christian Counseling at Philadelphia Biblical University.
I love running before dinner, smoothies, watching movies on TV, decaf soy lattes, mexican food, great conversation, playing games, thrifting, making new things from old things, icicles on trees, cleaning, blankets, accessories, traveling to new places, the east coast, flat Indiana, hot baths, kids books, flowers, shoes, cooking, dreaming, organizing, planning, good earth tea, Spanish, sitting on the kitchen floor, sleeping with my sisters, mail, throwing parties, visiting friends, the beach, windy evenings in the summer, bike riding, and going out for breakfast.
*Dictionary definition of water park: Numerous rides (10+) and slides in a large area.
*Maron definition of a water park: 2 slides and a lazy river.
