I lived in the same apartment complex I was in last year. I lived in the exact apartment where I resided last year, and I love this fact. It was very thoughtful of my hosts, more than they will ever know. It was comforting to return home.

The apartment is small and efficient. It looks new. I had everything I needed. My hosts provided amenities and decorated with beautiful flowers. I was asked daily if I needed anything. These gestures were very thoughtful.

My apartment was within walking distance of everything in the community. Tom Demetrion and I enjoyed walking around the community every evening, and we met many community members that were very eager to chat. We would also see students from all three schools, and we would take this opportunity to talk to them and meet their families.

May seem silly to some, but two summers of having my own apartment, if even for just a month at a time, has been a life experience for me. I had never lived on my own before, and as much as I am blessed to be a wife and a mom, it allowed me the opportunity to take care of me, my own things, to cook only for myself if I chose, and to fully focus on my purpose for being in this community. I will be ecstatic to reunite with my family, but it was a time of renewal for me.

The cooperation between our schools is not a problem. Both schools have the capacity to successfully follow through with the project as it is planned. Callisburg E.S. has now formed a science committee to handle brainstorming and planning for this project. I learned last year that teaching 3rd grade all day long and trying to coordinate this project across an entire school was not a one-person job!

Last year Callisburg experienced some financial hurdles when it came to transporting students to destinations to complete project exploration. With the rising cost of fuel and the uncertainty of state funding, we had to be creative, but we accomplished our goals by using some activity money we earned at our Fall Festival and asking parents to pay some the field trip costs. We also held some activities on Saturday when parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other community members met us at activity sites, but many students could not be involved in some phases of the research due to these transportation limitations. I do not foresee any assistance necessary at this time, but will contact JFMF or TAMA University in the event any assistance becomes necessary.

Please enjoy some pictures of my time in Kesennuma!

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