Meet the Teacher Monday!! 10 Fun Things About Me!

I am so excited to be a part of my first Teacher Week '13!!! Since I just joined the blogging world this past year (really got into this spring), I have had many firsts and exciting milestones!!! I don't know how I didn't know about this amazingly awesome teacher community before!!! Was I living under a rock?!? Who knows! hah So here are 10 fun things about me!! I really should be sleeping right now, but I had to join in so there may not be very many pictures! :)

1. I absolutely LOVE to sing and play my guitar for people anyone who will listen including my dog! Although, I'm not sure if she's listening! hah Anyway, I tried out for American Idol the year Carrie Underwood won after my Asst. Principal at the time came to my room and said, "Are you going? I'll get you a good sub?" That was all I needed to hear!!! I was performing for the office one day, and I didn't know he put the intercom system on so other teachers were coming to the office wondering if it was the radio!! hah I must say I was completely thrilled they thought this; however, I obviously didn't become the American Idol so I guess I need to stick to performing locally! I did just go to the NKOTB Package Tour which any concert always brings that performing bug out of me! So what do I do? Perform for and with my students!! I have a guitar in my room at all times! :)

I'm the 2nd from the right. :)

2. To go along with singing, I've sang at 8 or 9 weddings now! I just love it! I think it's fulfilling that dream of being a professional singer! It's so fun even if my hands shake and sweat, and I can't eat for hours before! hah :) 

3. I LOVE to travel!!! It all started when I went to NYC for NYE in 2001! After that, I worked at Sandy Hill Camp in North East, MD for 2 summers as a Sports/Ropes Counselor which was absolutely amazing!! I met soooo many good friends, and I actually got to hangout with one as she was at IU getting her doctorate! 

At a Pacer's game in the nose bleed section entertaining each other! hah

I've been to Costa Rica, Spain, and England by myself! Since I'm single, I've always said that I'm not going to sit around waiting for my Prince Charming to knock on my door to LIVE! So since no one else could or wanted to go with, I went by myself! I stayed with a family in Costa Rica to practice my Spanish and did the same in Spain! I did get to visit a sorority sister in London while I was in Spain which was AMAZING!!!! 

Barcelona!!

4. I taught 6th/7th grade Spanish my first year of teaching while coaching basketball and volleyball to get my foot in the door. I love Spanish so it was a no brainer to take the job; however, I quickly transferred (with the help of my amazing asst. principal at the time) to my 2nd grade spot at my school now which is in the same district. 

5. Just this summer was my 10 year college reunion!! I cannot believe I've been teaching that long already! I didn't get to go back to DePauw University for it, but WOW how time flies! 

I did make it back in the spring to visit an old college roommate and HAD to get Marv's!!!! If you don't know, you are MISSING OUT!!! Garlic Chicken Cheeseburgers (GCCB) and Garlic Cheeseburgers (GCB) equal UNBELIEVABLE!!! They ship them now! :)

6. I love the number 10 for several reasons including my bday!!! However, this past year meant even more for being my 10th year!! I was chosen as my school's Teacher of the Year, I got to teach in China for 2 weeks the summer leading up to last year, I won a grant for 3 iPad minis for my classroom, ran my 6th 1/2 marathon making a PR of 1:58 (under 2 was my goal), and I started on TPT and my blogging journey!! There were so many other things that happened that were amazing, and I just feel so blessed to be a part of this profession!! It's funny how people always say, "Things will fall into place." Well, that's EXACTLY what happened to me, and it gives me chills!! Everything fell into place like a puzzle!! I even won big at the Indiana State Fair! :) (of course it was on a basketball shot!)

7. I met President Jimmy Carter while I was in a little cafe where Pablo Picasso frequented in Barcelona with my roommate! It was crazy because all of a sudden all of these good-looking professional looking guys walked by and the waiter said in Spanish, "¡Es el ex-presidente de los Estado Unidos, Jimmy Carter!" I was sooooo excited so I told my waiter I was an American visiting here, and he went on to tell one of the secret service guys. One of the guys came over and said that I could ask him for a picture so what did I do..."President Carter, I'm from the United States...Can I get a picture? I'm a teacher!" hahah So here are the pictures! (not my best picture but who cares when I got to meet a former President!!)

 Look at the nice secret service guys in the background!! :)

8. I'm 1/2 Croatian with my mom being 100% which I absolutely love!! How many people nowadays can say they are 1/2 of something?!? I just love culture so my grandparents started me on my love for languages when they would teach me some Croatian! I can still recite the Hail Mary and several other phrases!! I knew it always tickled my grandma and grandpa when I would say something or ask them a word so of course I loved learning it! 

9. I am completely OCD when it comes to creating materials, locking my doors, checking that everything is unplugged, etc.!! One time, I was walking out of my bedroom, and my bag moved my blanket a little. I even said aloud to myself, "Just walk away!" What did I do? I went and fixed it! I'm one of those people that have a hard time moving on from something until I figure it out! This can be both a blessing and a curse! I'm a complete perfectionist! 

10. Finally, I've been told I'm a little bit of a Jack of All Trades. hah I absolutely love sports, working out, and running. I'll be running the Disney Wine and Dine 1/2 Marathon with my sister (who's also my roommate and a 6th grade teacher) in November!!

Santa Hustle: She had a PR for a 5K. and I had a PR for the 1/2 marathon!! I'm on the right again. :) My sister always gets asked if she's the older one....she's 4 years younger than me! Who got carded on her 21st bday...me! hah

My parents with my dog on the left, my grandma's dog in the middle, and my parents dog on the right! Can you believe they all looked at the camera at the same time?!?

 I love doing destination races (I ran the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon in 2010). It makes me feel like I have an excuse to go! I also played basketball, volleyball, softball, played piano, was in a singing and dancing group in 3rd grade. We are all competitive in my family which makes playing board games difficult! I don't usually make it through a whole game of Monopoly before throwing in the towel!  I am totally into techie things and gadgets hence my addiction with Apple!! I worked for Apple part-time for about a year and a half till this past October when I just couldn't fit it in anymore. I've done a little video taping and photography for a friend's wedding which I still need to finish editing!! I can wiggle my ears without moving them, and my toes are known to be called another set of fingers! hahah Don't think those fit into the Jack of All Trades, but I love to dabble in a bit of everything!! :)

The Color Run with some of my awesome friends!!! 

So I need to stop or I'll just keep going!! haha Thanks for stopping by and getting to know me!! :)