Expanding Horizons

Today is the first day of summer and I got to enjoy beautiful home area views like this as I drove home to my parents with Charlotte.

 

My summer online class is in the next to last week of running. July is right around the corner which is the month I hope to step away from doing schoolwork.....hope being the operative word as July is the only month I don't teach my regular teaching load but there are so many projects in the works at the moment....in a good way!

Yesterday, I received word that a paper was accepted to be presented in the Czech Republic and tomorrow I will be in Philadelphia for a morning workshop at a conference on instructional technology where I am excited to learn new things! Next week, a chapter I am writing for a monograph in Madrid, Spain is due and moving parts are coming together for an exciting research opportunity through a grant proposal that is due in a couple weeks.

Ever since stepping off the planes that brought us back to America from Austria exactly one month ago from today, we have been running around town getting our house and cars back in shape, Charlotte has been loving her time at a new activity center for children and families that opened in our town, I have been home at my parents' house three times, and we have had the unexpected pleasure of connecting with not one, not two, but five members of our Austrian family in Ohio!!  Actually, eight if you count the three students we met in Austria who are working in Ohio for the summer who have already been to our house for dinner!

We had three of the Sisters over for lunch last week. Two of them had been in Austria and it was so delightful to host them in our home! I was especially excited to serve Sr. Eliana coffee from our new coffee machine! She approved!

The day after lunch, while at work, I saw Fr. Jonathan! Again  it was incredible connecting with someone we had gotten close to in Europe here on US soil. Finally, on Wednesday, when teaching at the activity center, I was able to catch up with a dear sweet friend from Austria who is spending time here with her hubby's family. I had to laugh when Courtney said, "It feels like I just saw you!" as a greeting since I felt the same way and am sooooo thankful for these amazing friends we met due to our shared experiences in Austria!

Who would have thought that this one semester abroad would lead to such sweet friendships and afforded me the professional opportunities in not only Austria but also in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Spain, and beyond as well as locally in Ohio?!

In the next month, now that it is officially summer, I hope things slow down and I can reconnect with those I have not been able to see since fall semester!

Three nephews and one niece were awaiting our arrival at Mom and Dad's house. My niece snapped this photo. When I saw it, I was struck by the visual reminder to take the time to stop and try to sloooooow down in the next couple weeks now that summer is here. Hmm.... Maybe after VBS ends and we show Mason and Braden a good time during the annual summer visit of a niece and nephew! This will be Mason's fifth summer of visiting and Braden's first one...soooo excited!