A Goal Without a Plan is Just a Wish

Dear friends, I am sorry for the absence of blog posts in the last weekends. I have been quiet lackadaisical in my writing due to the distraction of a myriad obligations and daydreams. Plus, I haven’t been doing anything very exciting. I am working hard in the classroom, where I have undertaken a multi-dimensional unit on Anne Frank and the Holocaust, and have been working to fulfill my university requirements to secure teacher certification. Last weekend I ventured to Frankfurt, where I took my (8 hour long) teacher certification exams. I did very well on the tests, and am excited to be just weeks from gaining certification as a high school English teacher. Yay! I’m a little disappointed that I won’t be able to be at my graduation ceremony or celebrate with anyone I love, but a placement in Germany was a good trade-off for missing graduation.

The other source of my distractions and daydreams come from my plans to continue onto Southeast Asia when I finish my placement here at the end of May. I have made up my mind to backpack through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam for five weeks before settling down on the island of Phuket, Thailand for five weeks to complete my Cambridge certification to teach English as a foreign language (the CELTA cert). I am getting so excited to roam these beautiful tropical countries with few possessions and no itinerary—my daydreams involve a lot of beaches, hammocks, and piña coladas. I also want to ride elephants in the rainforest, gape at ancient temples, get lost in chaotic markets, and savor the delicious local cuisine. The CELTA certification portion of the trip will be intense, but I’ll get to work with real Thai students every day, and at the end of it I will be ready to teach English anywhere in the world, in the United States or abroad. I’ll see where the wind takes me, though I know South America has been calling my name for far too long.   

Concerning my Germany/Europe travels, I have a few goal destinations to reach in my last few weekends here. Realistically, between conservation of funds and the amount of work and planning I have to do, I am not too optimistic I will reach them all. The list is as follows:

1. The Black Forest. I have, for as long as I knew it existed, wanted to walk barefoot in the Black Forest. There is no reason for this, I just have a strong desire to do so. Preferably while wearing red lipstick and carrying a white flower.
2.  Ellich, Germany. This is a tiny village that carries my family name (mother’s maiden name). It is very probable that my Germany ancestors founded this town, so I would like to set foot there as well.
3.  Amsterdam. I want to see Anne Frank’s house in person, plus the tree-lined avenues and quaint canals are very appealing.  Also, whenever I tell anyone under the age of 30 that I have been to Europe numerous times they always ask about Amsterdam, and I’m tired of their disappointment when I say I haven’t been.
4. Poland. Again, I have no objective in visiting Poland, but why not? I think my lack of expectations for this country would leave me pleasantly surprised.

So my dear friends, this concludes the update of my mental meanderings and my near-future plans. But, as Mr. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry would say, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” I miss you all and will try to think of something very exciting to tell you in my next blog. Cn krathạ̀ng t̀x mā (until later in Thai).