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“Let your curiosity be greater than your fear”. -Pema Chodron

 I’ve made it to the last week of my service.  Over the last few weeks, I’ve had people in different spaces asking me for my words of wisdom, one piece of advice, lessons learned, etc.  In all honesty, I feel like I need time away from here to process and get to a point where I can better articulate any substantive insights.  That said, this quote from Pema Chodron has been dancing around in my brain for some time.  I am so grateful that I took this journey—even with all of its struggles and challenges.  There were many times when I could have given in to fear—of the unknown, of a new place, of a new culture, of my ability to deal with what was in front of me—but I let curiosity guide me rather than the fear.  I stand now on the other side filled with thanks, some relief, joy, and excitement. Let me share some of what’s been happening lately in this era of transition… In May, my entire cohort from across the Eastern Caribbean came back together for our...
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"School is a building which has four walls with tomorrow inside" -Lon Watters

After nearly 2 years, we've finally arrived at the moment of the big reveal for the library  project!  In honesty, there were definitely times when I didn't think it was going to get finished.  But it did, and I am incredibly  proud.  It was a bumpy ride, but I  ho pe that the s pace hel ps students see their tomorrow and I am so glad that I was able to bring it to completion.   Click here to see the DCS Library Reno!

“Arriving at one goal is the starting place to another” -John Dewey

 Last week, I asked folks on FB to for any questions that they had for me as I near my departure date.   I just realized that I posted the video with the last installment of “Ask Amie” directly to FB and forgot to put it here for those of you not on FB.  đź¤¦đźŹ»‍♀️

“The most valuable thing we can do for the psyche, occasionally, is to let it rest, wander, live in the changing light of room, not try to be or do anything whatever.” ― May Sarton

 I’m writing this on the last day of our spring break.  We had two weeks off, and for reasons that are a whole story in and of themselves, I couldn’t travel off island.  So here I’ve been—all too aware of the last time I had so much time off of work and how I ended up in a not-so-awesome mental space.  But this time was different—I made a very deliberate choice to engage in “conscious escapism”.  Usually, escapism is a mechanism to avoid dealing with reality and the feelings associated with reality.  Conscious escapism, in contrast, recognizes the feelings and emotions followed by temporary solace in your activities of choice.   For me, that has meant that every day I’m still practicing mindfulness and meditation, but then I just sort of “checked out” for the majority of the day by watching telly or reading.  I did spend some time working on projects for my return to PLU because I’ve missed that work and it nourishes me in a way that nothing here ...

"Remember this, that very little is needed to make a happy life" -Marcus Aurelius

 This u pdate will feature some brief vingnettes from the  past few weeks.  Logos Hope is the  " world's largest floating bookfair" and was docked in the southern  part of the island for about two weeks in February.  I got the chance to visit with the grade 5 students and I'm so glad for the chance to see it.  The entire o peration is run by volunteers from around the world.  Our students were convinced that I was related to all of the white  peo ple that worked on the boat, LOL.   Galentine's Day Lunch  with Alexis was a real treat.  We traveled to the north of the island where all the  posh things are, LOL.  The  photo is our view of the marina during lunch.  As I was on the bus home, I was very thankful for the time with my friend, the conversation, the food.  But in all honesty, I also started thinking about how nice it will be when I return home and meeting a friend for lunch won't involve a ...

"The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it." Thich Nhat Hanh

 Since my return from the states, I'm finding that my skills as a mindfullness practitioner have really been put to the test.  There's the usual "stuff" from school, of course.  My home has been like my sanctuary away from school, but has definitely been feeling less so over the past month.  I've been innundated by loud music so much more than usual--I've been having to spend a lot of time just wearing noise cancelling headphones to exist in my space.  I also have to wear them to bed to have any chance at sleeping.  This isn't unique to me; lots of volunteers have had to purchase noise cancelling headphones to sleep.  I also went more days in January without water than with it, which starts to take its toll.  I remain thankful for all my experience backpacking, but let's be honest--the overall level of "freshness" you want when camping isn't quite the same as what you want when you have to wear professional clothes and work with others.  ...

"allow it to end with grace and an open mind for a new day" -Brendon Burchard

 Full quote:  It's official--my close of service (COS) date is July 5, 2025, which means I have less than 6 months left!  I know that a lot of volunteers talk about how hard it is to think about leaving and returning home.  I am definitely not one of these volunteers.  Don't misunderstand me--I am deeply thankful for this experience and I remain glad that I did this.  I have learned so much about so many things, including myself.   But simultaneously, I am feeling very, very ready to be done.  There are a multitude of reasons, most of which are best left unsaid in this forum.   I remain deeply commited to being present and finishing my projects.  There are still roadblocks beyond my control holding up a big part of the library project.  While I really want to see these pieces come to fruition, I've also made peace with the fact that they might not get done before I leave.  It's the reality of the situation and I've do...