The past few days, well, if I'm being honest weeks and months, have been, shall we say, overwhelming. Finishing chemo, a party, the PET scan, the results, graduation, prom, end of school, friends leaving. It's simply been a lot. Needless to say, as much as I am going to miss my friends who are off … Continue reading My Old World with a New Appreciation
USA
Mom Returns and Nico Gets a Second Birthday
Mom returned to Montevideo with 143 pounds of luggage. Some of the stuff was for me, some of the stuff was for her comforts for the next few months, and some stuff was for Nicolás. His hobby is restoring old cars and right now he is working on a Chevy Impala 1962. When Mom offered … Continue reading Mom Returns and Nico Gets a Second Birthday
Mom Leaves for the States
Mom left Monday at the crack of dawn for the states. She will be gone 10 days. It is a recharge trip to get new clothes and more supplies. But it is also an opportunity for her to see my dad and the dog. I know this has been hard on her. She has probably … Continue reading Mom Leaves for the States
Carmen and Karen Send a Package
I received the sweetest package from my old teaching buddies. Karen was my mentor teacher when I was a student teacher. We then taught next to each other for six years. And Carmen was my school person. We got each other through our first years together. We laughed together, went to NCTE together, cried together, … Continue reading Carmen and Karen Send a Package
Robert’s Package Arrives!
When your best friend spends $69 to send you a package and it takes over a month to reach you, you make sure to let him know that you got it and love it! And then you guilt him into sending himself the next time. Thanks, Love! You brightened my day as always. Now, get … Continue reading Robert’s Package Arrives!
Uruguayan/American Conversations
What happens when three intelligent people (one from Uruguay and two from the United States) are interested in learning about cultural, societal, and political differences between the two countries? Nicolas, my Mom, and I had a fascinating conversation (half in Spanish and half in English) comparing the cost of living for a family of two … Continue reading Uruguayan/American Conversations
Love from the States
Mail in Uruguay is spotty at the best of times. Send a package regular mail from the states for Christmas...expect it to arrive for Valentine's day. And with the arrival of summer, you never know when you are going to get mail. There was a huge mail strike not too long ago, and the mail … Continue reading Love from the States
US Soil Again
Let’s backtrack a bit. I stepped back onto US soil on June 26th. After 14 hours in the air and 5.5 hours in airports, I made it to JFK airport at 11:53pm. I was tired, smelly and sore which equates to grumpy gills. Not even going to lie, one of the greatest pleasures is stepping … Continue reading US Soil Again