Thinking ahead - a summer sojourn

[Spectre]

:)Ah yes....summer....I had a high school teacher tell me that the three best things about teaching were june, july, and august.
Not sure I agree with him now, particularly since half of June and half of august are taken up by school or by work days.

Ah well, I do digress....

Last summer I took a trip to Alaska to participate in a GLOBE workshop at the University of Anchorage. It was strange seeing daylight at 1130 PM!!! I also realized a career long dream of going to Teacher Space Camp. The Alaska trip was fully funded, except for air fare, but most of that was covered by a $500 reimbursement for travel. Space camp was on my dime. Ah well...

I am applying, this year, to take part in a north carolina science teacher trip to Belize. I see that one as a long shot, but that was how I viewed it when I applied for the trip to Alaska. On a whim I also applied to Honeywell to return to space camp, but really doubt anything will come of that.

My extreme fantasy has always been to strike out (not like in baseball now!) on a journey west, one that would last for weeks, maybe even a month. I teach science but am very much into history. I know I would very much like to stop at Roswell, NM, skirt Area 51, then visit the Custer Battlefield on the way back.

I don't know if I will get to take this trek this summer, but if not, then the next one.

Any ideas or suggestions?:D

[mopar]

Plan where you want to go and people who would want to go with you and go. I love to take week long road trips to see places and do things that I've never experienced before. Summer is a great time for this because they can be rather long.

[Chef Dave]

Any ideas or suggestions?:D

When traveling abroad, leave a copy of your passport, driver's license, and social security card with a trusted relative, friend, or neighbor. In the unfortunate event that you misplace your passport or are robbed, you can have this information sent to the local U.S. Consulate to expedite an emergency reissue of your passport.

Wear a money belt under your clothing. Keep a minimum amount of money in your wallet.

[mopar]

Those are good precautions. Don't let the thought of being robbed stop you from taking your journey.
Figure out where you want to go and head in that direction. You don't need to plan out every detail. As their are visitor centers to stop at and you can always ask about hotels and the such when you get there.
Chef Dave, it seems that you have a knack for locating negatives in situations.

[Chef Dave]

Chef Dave, it seems that you have a knack for locating negatives in situations.

I have spent 17 years living abroad. I was in El Salvador between revolutions. I was in Guatemala during Hurricane Fifi and in Hong Kong during a monsoon. I was in Saudi Arabia during the First Gulf War when we had incoming scud missiles slamming into Dhahran. I have survived anti-American riots in Beirut, Lebanon. I was also in Beirut when the Israeli Air Force bombed the city back in 1999. I have evacuated off a Gulf Air 767 that made an emergency landing with just one engine at the International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand.

During the Gulf War, most U.S. civilians kept evacuation bags in the hall closet so that we could evac with just a few minutes notice.

As a corporate employee, I was also trained in basic desert survival techniques and kept an emergency survival kit in my Jeep Cherokee.

After the bombing of Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, the U.S. State Department sent out a counter terrorist team to conduct a series of workshops with the U.S. civilian community on "How to Survive in a Terrorist Environment."

I was taught basic counter surveillance techniques which I used to good effect to avoid being mugged in London and being mugged by Dutch skinheads in Amsterdam.

My life experiences have taught me to always be aware of my surroundings and to have worst case contingency plans available as needed.

The world is not a warm fuzzy place.

[Spectre]

Take a decision as you like. But ask other people whether the decision is right or wrong. Whatever may be your decision, you will be aware of surroundings.

What????????????????????:confused:

[Chef Dave]

What????????????????????:confused:

Aarathi's profile says that he is in Ernakulam. This is a district in Kerala, India. Aarathi's fluency may be limited.

I think this person is reiterating something I said. Always be aware of your surroundings.

[Spectre]

I get it now. thanks

[busbus]

(Thinking ahead - a summer sojourn)

Spectre,

Online now! Look on the NEH site for summer workshops for teachers if you are interested in history. Also, for history, you might want to look on the Gilder Lehrman site.

How did you find the Alaska workshop? Sounds interesting.

[upnorthteacher]

There are also fellowships to study at Colonial Williamsburg during the summer.