So for the past week or so, I've been frantically trying to get a hold of people to try and sort out this visa deal. It's been pretty difficult since we're smack dab in the middle of summer and most people aren't checking their email as obsessively as I do. BUT I was finally able to get an email from the school in Garmisch which really put my mind (and my parents) at ease.
So with this new found ease, I was able to finally get my plane ticket!!! I just got it this morning! Now it's preeeetttty official... I'm going to Germany! In 36 days to be exact! I've said this for the past few months, but this past week or so I'm really feelin it.... I just want to get there! Especially since I officially turned my two weeks in to my work a couple days ago (I'm moving from Flagstaff in two weeks and back down to Phoenix for three weeks before I leave). But... back to my flight...I am leaving Phoenix to Munich Aug 22 and coming back Dec 23! Hopefully my mom is going to come out to Garmisch on the 17th (or around there, that's when I'd get out of school. but we've got to work around her finals schedule... how cute is she... she has finals!) and we'll play around Germany and fly back together! We did this with one of my cousins back when I was 15. We went out and met her for the last 10 of her study abroad program and all flew back together. I'm really excited for that part of the trip! Hopefully I'll be a Germany expert so I can show her around!
One of my friends from Praxis is going to be student teaching with DoDDS also but she'll be in Aviano, Italy (its about an hour North of Venice). She's going to be there for 4 months also (I originally thought it'd be two months) so I'm exited for that! Anyways, Kristi and I have been coordinating and we're taking the same flight from Phoenix to London. Yay! So happy to have someone I know at least on the same flight as me, if we don't end up sitting together that's fine... I just want to know someone!
-Linds
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Visum?
For the last couple weeks I've been 'nannying' for a couple girls up here in Flagstaff. Today we went down do Phoenix and went to Wet n Wild, and one of my good friends from high school came with us. I can't remember the last time I was at a water park! It was so much fun! Some of the slides took pictures like Disneyland does and like any smart [course I mean poor] college student, I took a picture of the picture :)
My internet at my house has not been working the past few days so the first thing I did when I got home was grab my computer and head to Barnes & Noble to study and rejoin the world on the free wifi. That's when I got some particularly annoying news from the DoDDS coordinator at NAU. It seems that the German immigration people have been having an issue with a student teacher living in Germany for more than 90 days on a tourist visa (tourist visas last only 90 days). Questions were raised with the previous student teacher and it is my understanding that the concerns were quelled quickly and she was granted permission to stay her full 120 days. So now having this rather important information it seems as though I have two and a half options.
My internet at my house has not been working the past few days so the first thing I did when I got home was grab my computer and head to Barnes & Noble to study and rejoin the world on the free wifi. That's when I got some particularly annoying news from the DoDDS coordinator at NAU. It seems that the German immigration people have been having an issue with a student teacher living in Germany for more than 90 days on a tourist visa (tourist visas last only 90 days). Questions were raised with the previous student teacher and it is my understanding that the concerns were quelled quickly and she was granted permission to stay her full 120 days. So now having this rather important information it seems as though I have two and a half options.
1. I can apply for a visa to be in Germany for my full 16 weeks (the first 8 weeks are in my general education class and the next are my special education class). This way I get as much time as I want/can in Germany. Problem is I don't know if I'd be able to get a visa only because I'm only a student teacher. Plus I don't know how long that whole process would take and if I'd have time before I left (t-minus 44 days).
2. Okay, option two. I can plan to go for the full 90 days that I'm allowed to and then come back to the the zona [arizona] and finish up my special ed. placement. And the problem with this is I want to do all of my special ed. placement in one classroom. And the more obvious issue with this option is ummm. . . I won't be in Germany as long.
2 1/2. Now my favorite option, but it's not very realistic and don't ever see my parents going along with this idea. BUT.... I could just go to Germany and plan on being there for 16 weeks sans visa. Course this would mean I may have to pay an arm and a leg if in fact questions were being raised by the immigration people and I had to change my plane ticket and leave Germany earlier than planned.
2. Okay, option two. I can plan to go for the full 90 days that I'm allowed to and then come back to the the zona [arizona] and finish up my special ed. placement. And the problem with this is I want to do all of my special ed. placement in one classroom. And the more obvious issue with this option is ummm. . . I won't be in Germany as long.
2 1/2. Now my favorite option, but it's not very realistic and don't ever see my parents going along with this idea. BUT.... I could just go to Germany and plan on being there for 16 weeks sans visa. Course this would mean I may have to pay an arm and a leg if in fact questions were being raised by the immigration people and I had to change my plane ticket and leave Germany earlier than planned.
Needless to say this wasn't the greatest news I could have gotten two days before I take two tests that determine my teacher qualification. But worrying won't help one bit! I know my momma's gonna help me straighten out this visa business asap :) love her!
-Linds
p.s. visum=visa in German :)
p.s. visum=visa in German :)
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Gettin there.....
So since about 10 seconds after I got the official news that I would be really going to Germany, I began to vigilantly begin the search for my plane tickets. What. a. headache. Every 'great deal' I find turns out to be a lie or 'no longer available'. But today I finally gave myself a cut off date in which I will have a plane ticket no matter what! I'm also trying to coordinate flying at least to London with one of my Praxis friends Kristi, who's going to be student teaching in Aviano, Italy. Having done that 12 hour flight a couple times, I know I would not want to do that all by myself, even though it looks like I may have to. But maybe that'll be just the beginning of doing this whole thing by myself.
Looking for these plane tickets has made it really sink in with me that I'm leaving for four months. It's weird to tell people where I'm going next semester. I had to cancel my gym membership today, when they asked me why I told them I was moving to Germany for four months, that was weird! But every time I say something like that, it gets me all excited to leave again. I talked to my Audra about it today and as soon as we got off the phone I immediately began google-ing everything for about the millionth time!
I've also talked to mannny people who know my cooperating teacher and they all say she is wonderful! From what little I've talked to her (over e-mail of course!) I completely agree. She's going to drive about an hour and a half from Garmisch to pick me up from the Munich airport! I was so happy to hear that I wouldn't have to immediately have to figure out the train system after being on a plane for sixteen hours and exhausted! I'm just so ready to get there. I've already sorta told my work that I'm student teaching in Germany,so its like now that they know, I don't want to be there anymore! I'm also debating with myself weather or not I want to spend the money to get an ipod touch before I leave... either I can be more entertained with that during my semester, or I could take another trip. Pretty sure I'd rather take another trip while I'm there though!
-Linds
ps. 'unofficaly' passed my special ed portion of my aepa (Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessment) :) One down, two more to go! I take them on Saturday, yay for 8 hours of testing!
Looking for these plane tickets has made it really sink in with me that I'm leaving for four months. It's weird to tell people where I'm going next semester. I had to cancel my gym membership today, when they asked me why I told them I was moving to Germany for four months, that was weird! But every time I say something like that, it gets me all excited to leave again. I talked to my Audra about it today and as soon as we got off the phone I immediately began google-ing everything for about the millionth time!
I've also talked to mannny people who know my cooperating teacher and they all say she is wonderful! From what little I've talked to her (over e-mail of course!) I completely agree. She's going to drive about an hour and a half from Garmisch to pick me up from the Munich airport! I was so happy to hear that I wouldn't have to immediately have to figure out the train system after being on a plane for sixteen hours and exhausted! I'm just so ready to get there. I've already sorta told my work that I'm student teaching in Germany,so its like now that they know, I don't want to be there anymore! I'm also debating with myself weather or not I want to spend the money to get an ipod touch before I leave... either I can be more entertained with that during my semester, or I could take another trip. Pretty sure I'd rather take another trip while I'm there though!
-Linds
ps. 'unofficaly' passed my special ed portion of my aepa (Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessment) :) One down, two more to go! I take them on Saturday, yay for 8 hours of testing!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Assignment!
So as you all probably know, I've been waiting since practically DECEMBER to get my student teaching placement with DoDDS (department of defense dependents schools). Last Saturday I finally got my placement! I am officially student teaching on the U.S. Army base in Garmisch Germany at Garmisch Elementary/Middle school! This base was made for R&R!
From what I know right now, I'm doing my first nine weeks in a first grade classroom (which is perfect because I want to teach first grade). All I know about my special ed. placement is that I have one, and right now that's all i need to know! Everyone is having trouble getting a special ed. placement even in Phoenix, so I'm thrilled to have one at all! Garmisch couldn't be a more beautiful place to be! The school is located near the base of the Bavarian alps! Here is a picture of the side of the school...
The coordinator of the DoDDS program at NAU told me that this particular school has a thing every Wednesday called Wonderful Wednesday. On these days, we only have a half day of school, then we do some sort of outdoor/outdoor education thing. Sometimes it's hiking and even snowboarding! I have a feeling Wonderful Wednesdays will be my favorite days! Well this is about all I know right now! I am just so excited that I finally know where I'll be for the next four months! This is all I know as of now, but I'll end this thing with a message I found helpful (while I've been waiting the past few months) I saw every day on my bathroom wall (compliments of Brianna) that said: Lord when I am anxious fill me with your spirit of peace and love.. So blessed to have a roommate who didn't even know she was helping me everyday with that!
-Linds
From what I know right now, I'm doing my first nine weeks in a first grade classroom (which is perfect because I want to teach first grade). All I know about my special ed. placement is that I have one, and right now that's all i need to know! Everyone is having trouble getting a special ed. placement even in Phoenix, so I'm thrilled to have one at all! Garmisch couldn't be a more beautiful place to be! The school is located near the base of the Bavarian alps! Here is a picture of the side of the school...
The coordinator of the DoDDS program at NAU told me that this particular school has a thing every Wednesday called Wonderful Wednesday. On these days, we only have a half day of school, then we do some sort of outdoor/outdoor education thing. Sometimes it's hiking and even snowboarding! I have a feeling Wonderful Wednesdays will be my favorite days! Well this is about all I know right now! I am just so excited that I finally know where I'll be for the next four months! This is all I know as of now, but I'll end this thing with a message I found helpful (while I've been waiting the past few months) I saw every day on my bathroom wall (compliments of Brianna) that said: Lord when I am anxious fill me with your spirit of peace and love.. So blessed to have a roommate who didn't even know she was helping me everyday with that!
-Linds
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