Spartan Blues
Trip Start
Jun 17, 2005
1
15
21
Trip End
May 15, 2006
Dalian,
China
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Looking back at the school I have left behind, Sierramont Middle School, I am quite saddened to realize that I will not be returning for what I know would have been another fruitful year filled with laughter and learning. The relationships and connections I made there were enriching, unforgettable, and very much a part of who I am today. The student body, with its rich diversity of children from across the globe, is something you cannot find in China. Sierramont is a special place like many of the major cities in America. It is home to a variety of ethnicities and cultures that live together peacefully, learning from one another.
I will miss the "hi's" and "hello's" as I walk to my classroom. I will miss seeing the sixth graders I left behind grow up into 7th graders. I will miss connecting with students and learning about their lives. I will miss passing along what I have learned to a group of kids that have inspired me in more ways than they will ever know.
Yet it only seems like yesterday that I was telling you my story and how I planned to leave behind my friends, my family, and my career in order to embark on a journey that seemed somewhat surreal and unimaginable. Yet the seed that was planted last summer during my visit to China has come to fruition and is realizing its potential this very day. So much has been learned that I would like to share with you. However, the pictures and stories that I have shared with you will never be able to recreate what I have experienced. That being said, I hope that my experience will make you want to go out and see the world for yourself, and maybe someday I will be reading a letter from you about how you ventured through the Amazon or trekked through the Sahara Desert.
