Hey Y'all

I thought I would take a break from writing about specific things that happen here in American Samoa to generally talk about the experience so far.

Thanksgiving break is almost upon us. I cannot believe it. We are just a few three short weeks away from our Christmas break. At that point, we will be at our midway point of our time here in American Samoa.



I think I've learned so much about myself and what I want to do next but sometimes it is hard to put into words. I can say for sure that I want to work in the field of Education. But I don't want to be a regular teacher. I want to be different. Partly because I think I am different. I would really love to continue teaching in foreign places to help educate those who don't have access to education and to be able to offer them whatever I can.

But part of me doesn't think that I would be okay with that lifestyle. I like to establish roots. I like to build a community. And frankly, I want to be in love. All of those things would be hard to have, if I kept moving from place to place teaching the children of the world.



So what does that mean? Am I done traveling? Probably not, my latest vision has me going to a country in South America and teaching Spanish speakers the English language. Something about that excites me. The idea of teaching someone a language that they want to learn. Teaching a class where the students want to be there seems like a foreign concept but I know it exists.

That was one of my favorite things from my volunteer experience in New Jersey before I left. These adults from all over the world who now reside in Jersey City, New Jersey came to this ESL class because they WANTED to learn the language to improve their lives in the States.



Going off on a little tangent here, but I was recently asked if I miss the theatre. Of course I do. Theatre will always be in my blood. But I will continue to say that it doesn't mean that I have to work in the industry. I recently started working with my students on our version of a Theatre Festival. Last Friday, I was working with a girl on a monologue from Fences. (You should see/hear this Samoan girl give it her all on an August Wilson piece. It's kinda awesome.) It felt really good to work with her on the monologue but as I was working with her, I realized that that was the part of theatre that I missed the most. And honestly when you break it down, it was because I was teaching her.

I like teaching. I like standing in front of 25 students. Who would have thought?