It's that time of year...

Believe or not, this is the first full Christmas Matt and I are spending in our own home since we met back in 2006. That first Christmas we had just begun dating and Matt was heading back to the UK to see his family and meet our niece, Livvy, for the first time. The next year we went on our first trip together over the UK where I met Matt's family for the first time. In 2008, we headed over to the UK on Christmas Day and then in 2009 after our wedding we went over to Europe first for our honeymoon in Italy and then to the UK for another wedding celebration with extended family in Yorkshire and Christmas with the Coates clan. This year though, we have our own tree for the first time and our house full of all the joys of the holiday season. I even got Matt to go shopping for a centerpiece, wrapping paper and ornaments!

We are also going to be hosting my immediate family for the first time on Christmas Day. We always go to my Uncle Mark's on Christmas Eve and usually just laid low on Christmas Day, but Matt and I are going to try and bring a little Blighty charm to the Duggan Christmas. We are not really doing a traditional dinner - my family always made filet mignon as we are deprived of meat products the night before for our Polish Wigilia (a very light version of the tradition albeit). We are going to do red cabbage and we ordered mince pies, Quality Street candy, Christmas pudding, brandy butter and Christmas crackers (the kind with the toy and crown inside) from the UK. It should be a very fun and new way to spend Christmas together as a family.

We will miss all of our family in the UK though... It will be hard not sharing Buck's Fizz with Toby, Fei, David, Sue and Charley and not seeing Livvy open her gifts on Christmas Day. We are headed there in April though and then we will be able to meet the newest addition to the family who is due at the end of January. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder and for this year we are going to make the holidays merry, state side.

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends on both sides of the pond! xx

Proud of Mrs Coates

It's a funny thing, watching your spouse at work. I've often wanted to sit, like a fly on the wall, in her classroom. I want to listen to her teach, seeing the things Corinne is passionate about and the things she has dedicated so much effort towards.
Well, this week I got a small glimpse to the very impressive adaptability of Mrs Coates. The kids show that she has put together at Old Rochester Regional Junior High was terrific and Mrs Coates was a dynamo, working the lights, the sound, the mics and the music, not to mention coordinating all the wee'uns to the right place at the right time. Her efforts were well recognised even by the kiddiwinkies who all wanted to hug her and tell her how much they enjoyed it.
To be quite frank, what I saw was nothing short of miraculous. Coordinating kids is hard enough, inspiring them to turn up each day, learn their lines, contribute to many different aspects of a show and then pull off a pretty dandy performance is heroic.

I wish I had some photos to post up here.....next time.

Into the Woods Jr.

The big day is almost here. We are officially two weeks away from the opening of ORRJHS Drama Club's production of "Into the Woods Jr.". It has been a great experience directing my first production and getting to know this really amazing group of students. Rather than feeling like I was just stepping into my first year of teaching, I feel like this added experience has made my dive right in. I know more students, more ins and outs of the school, more staff and I feel like I have joined into a really positive and successful tradition within the school community. These whirlwind 8 weeks has really taught me alot about myself and pushed me to really discover what I am capable of, what kind of experiences I can have and what kind of mark I can make at ORRJHS. I was nervous in the beginning about how I was going to cope with teaching this course, being the full-time teacher of record for the first and directing and organizing so many of the logistics of the show. Fully seeing this success come to fruition is yet to come, but I am trying to stay focused on the tasks still at hand and think positively. I am sure that I will have a detail report on the final outcome in a few weeks time... So, to all involved - Let's break a leg!

Full Swing

They say, Spring has sprung, Summer's Here, feel the Winter chill... Is fall into "Fall" too much? Perhaps Autumn adjustment? Perhaps, no to both... I am open to suggestions though. Alas, whatever seasonal transition phrase one chooses, we are undoubtedly moving into the more brisk time of year and it seems like only yesterday I was writing about this most scorching of summers...

The time this year has most definitely flown by and what a difference this year has been to the last. Both have many of their own merits, but it is hard to beat world travels, engagements, career transitions and getting married. Now we are in the year of full swing career and lifestyle moves though our restless spirits always taunt us. What adventure should we plan next, how will we continue to make the most of our new life together?

I feel amazingly blessed to have found a position in a school which is so welcoming and so full of wonderful people. We also have been blessed to find a place we really love to call home and to have begun forming new friendships. All seems to be falling into a rather comfortable, pleasant and rewarding life. But there is that fly swarming around our heads again... Pleasant is grand, but adventure is glorious. We are hoping to quench some of that adventuresome thirst next summer, 2011. Our current plan is to take in some of the sights and sounds of Southeast Asia before spending some time in St. Project, France with the paternal and maternal figures. It seems like an appropriate remedy for our need to have both the comforts of home and the thrills of globe trotting. We shall see how effective the remedy is and what exactly we concoct that remedy to be.

Bittersweet

The past couple of weeks have been quite the whirlwind. My sister-in-law, Charley, visited from Sydney, Australia. She has been living there for the past 5 years and loves Oz to bits. She had not yet been to Boston and had not yet seen Matt's life in the US. It was great having her come visit and also taking on her first trips to Boston, the Cape, Martha's Vineyard and NYC. She is quite the city girl so NYC was definitely a highlight, but places which made it into "Jaws" were up on the list as well. Her friend Steph joined us for the first week here and for NY, but then it was just us three for the last week. She departed yesterday and it got me thinking about this new globe trotting era we are now in.

Charley is unquestionably content in her life in Sydney and I know that we all are very happy she has found a place she loves so much. Matt has chosen to live and spend the last 4 years in Massachusetts and now will always have a connection here because of our marriage. Matt's father and stepmother split their time between the UK and southern France. Their ambitions and their willingness to make life and family work no matter where they end up has really been eye opening and in many ways, inspiring to me. I think between the Coates traveling genes and the Duggan/Michalowski closeness, our life as a couple and a family will be filled with both adventure and lots of family fun.

Growing up in Boston with such a large family in such close proximity I never really thought about what it would be like to cope with loving and missing someone who is so far away. I understood the distance between states and miles, but countries and oceans was a totally new concept that I only really understood when Matt and I first went over to the UK for Christmas back in 2007. Never before did I appreciate what many families now deal with and that is the joys and heartaches that come from having a family who live on a global scale. As a part of any family you always want to be supportive of the dreams, desires and goals of each family member. I was definitely taught that in my own family, but the Coates family brought the scale of those dreams and support to much broader level.


In closing, it has become much more apparent to me through becoming more and more intertwined in my life as a Coates, the varying levels of goodbye that exist in being part of a family that, albeit small compared to Duggan standards, stretches over 3 continents. In the UK I find that people use the expression, "See you" alot when departing from a friend or loved one. I am liking this way of saying goodbye more and more. It's open ended. It doesn't require you to insert one of the, what can be very painful descriptive words that usually tacks onto the end of the phrase when leaving one you love. So for now Charley, "See you..." We love you.

First Week

After a full week of being in our new place, we have to say we are really happy. It is a very different environment to our last apartment for the obvious geographical reasons, but more than that, the whole place evokes a very different feeling and has already proven to be really positive for us. Between the surroundings, the view, the quiet, we are just must more apt to finding positive ways of spending our time and just spending time together. With having a yard and full house it feels like we are really getting a feel for the kind of home we eventually want to buy and our dynamic together in our own house. We are both looking forward to seeing what more this place brings to us in the months ahead and becoming more acquainted with our new location and lifestyle.

We are going to have a great opportunity to explore those options over the next two weeks as Charley, Matt's sister, arrives tomorrow evening. She is bringing a friend for the first week and we are going to have a chance to share our home with some of our first house guests and show them around our new area. We also are going to have a proper house warming, at least for friends this month. The last place was nice and it was special because it was our first real place, but this cottage actually has a feeling of being our first real home and we are looking forward to having many friends and family over to enjoy this home we have begun creating.

Enjoy the view...

Metropolitan

It is our last full day and night at good ol' 165 Metro and packing everything and getting ready to leave has been a bit bittersweet. Though Matt and I lived together in Southie, this was our first real place together and the place we came home to after so many happy moments - getting engaged, the marathon, getting married... It will be hard to shut the door here for the last time for both of us I think as this place was where we went from being a couple to becoming a family. Though parts of the place are funky and the noise of street bikes and kids running around downstairs were sometimes too audible - it has been a really great place to begin our lives. Moreover, Boston itself is a big part of who were are, myself especially for reasons too obvious for those who know me. Going from city kids to shore rats will be different and I am guessing at times, a little hard, but it is also very exciting to transition into a new environment together. Here goes it then... Wareham, we're coming! (insert Beverly Hillbillies theme music)

Summertime

Well, well, well, it's summer people. If you couldn't tell by the calendar, you can sure tell by this weather. Hottest spring in over one hundred years (thanks for the stat, Liz) and now we seem to be continuing the trend in this season. Despite the heat, the summer roles on and we are rolling with the punches. I have started work back at Indian Hill Music in Littleton, MA choreographing the youth musical theatre camp's production of "Annie". The show was cast today and the rehearsal process begins this week. It will be another 4 week long whirlwind of the crazy world of children's theatre and yet another phase of my life in which the notes of "Tomorrow", "Never Fully Dressed" and "Maybe" will fill my days and dreams. Oh "Annie" you make 1933 feel like just a day away.

While I rack my brain on how to animate the cast of "Annie", Matt has been traveling all over this land of the brave. He has be dazzling clients from "sea to shining sea" (sorry, I had to) and then will be taking a break so that we can get serious about moving and so we can welcome a very special guest, one Miss Charley Coates! That's right folks, the one and only sister to us both is coming to visit all the way from the land down under for 2 weeks in August. Matt and I are both very excited to see her and show her our Boston home and our new Wareham digs. In addition, we also are going to be taking her to the Big Apple for Charley's very first visit to the Empire state. I am sure there will be many a memorable occasion over those 2 weeks and the pictures will be worth far more than just a thousand words, perhaps things like our dignities and careers in politics are more like it.

Stay tuned!

Make yourself feel good

I write this from the Copeland Restaurant and Bar in, of all places, New Jursey. I've just polished off a Man vs Food portion of Kobe Beef sandwiched between two toasted brioche buns. It is one of my favourite fares and something that the United States of America has perfected along with ice cream and potholes. In fact I did see a particularly attractive looking crater with a (w)hole family of missing asphalt on the drive down. A reason for another car no less. The hotel isn't bad, I usually end up in the Renaissance Marriot somewhere in Whippany but as I kinda winged it on my way down, the GPS said go to the Westin. What it didn't tell me was that despite the lovely surroundings, easy access and super grub, the room would be lacking in the floor space to practice my perfect pushups, so toes on bed I wedge myself between the upturned chair and the lamp, facing the television at a rather obscure angle. I can't say I am too focused though, failing to completely subscribe to the Joe Bartell effort of a work out every advert - the reason why, also being the reason for my post - Americans, and I include myself as one of their surrogates for the purposed of this post - work too many hours and are generally ineffective with their time.

Take this week for instance, it is expected, through no fault of my own, for me to reach all my objectives, whatever the cost. The trouble is that for that objective to be fulfilled, the cost is arriving back from the West Coast midday on a Saturday and leaving again midday on Sunday, racking up my salaried 40 hours before I have even reached Tuesday morning. If I was some hyper paid surgeon or Porsche shifting banker perhaps it would be fathomable, but I'm not, I'm just another Joe on a salary that when calculated as an hourly rate makes me wonder why. Don't take this as a grumble, we each make and lie in our own beds, but more as an observation on how the average American worker is a slave the day they begin to pay tax, not to the IRS, but to the buggers who always demand more for their buck. When was the last time anyone ever said, you know what, i think you work too hard, cut back on your hours.

This leads me to a day of reckoning, sometime around 11am Wednesday I suspect. My boss is going to be sitting in on a delivery to a client. It's the first, and I won't be surprised if the last, time that anyone from my company has come to see me with a client (the irony of rewarding performance). Now, I wouldn't mind one bit if there was some big build up, a period of preparation before the inquisition commences and the scrutiny falls but in the case above, I'll have grabbed another couple of hours of sleep, probably in some lay-by at the side of I-84, before plugging my 12v travel iron into the cigarette outlet of my car and attempting to make myself presentable before attempting to deliver a 9 hour non-stop oratory masterpiece on the virtues of Innovation and the software platform hoping to deliver on a salespersons promise, all before 15 accomplished pharma scientists and my aforementioned boss. The thing is, I'm not even bothered about it. I know I'll do a good job, my clients enjoy me. I make them successful, but, it reminds me of my Oxbridge finals, everything being pinned on one day, one delivery. I expect a tirade and I'm prepared for a pink slip....which as Corinne and I have discussed, probably wouldn't be a bad thing - a world tour would be rather pleasant at the moment.....though perhaps not the loop she needs to be thrown through ;-) eh darling.

Anyway, this brings my onto the topic of my post, being good to yourself. As an observer of American Culture we spend money hard, likely as a result of flogging ourselves half to death to get it in the first place. We think that whimsical but frantic vacation, the dinner, the trip out and away to be a "feel good", but in reality it's a respite, it breaks up the day, the week, the year. it gives us something else to talk about with friends, but nothing to feel great about ourselves. It makes us feel good, without ever allowing us to feel fulfilled. It has been a while since I felt fulfilled, gazing into Corinne's eyes on our wedding day is the last clear episode though I don't doubt there have been a few more since, but the point is there have been few - Frankie and Bil's aside.

So, here's to realising that I've joined the rodent race I assured myself I wouldn't, losing sight of the things that are important to me to oblige the things that are not. The future is bright, the future is ours and I for one will be making myself feel better, my bed will be comfortable, challenging and fulfilling. What are you going to do to make yourself feel good?

As One Door Closes...

They say it is always best to go out with a bang, but considering the nature of Annie Get Your Gun, the statement rings true in more ways than one. The show closed with a full house and a standing ovation. It was great to be there to witness the evolution of this show from an atmosphere of confusion to one of fun, excitement, buckets of talent and wonderful friendships. I could not have asked for a better cast of people to work with in the end and I will never forget my first experience choreographing an adult production. It was such a laugh and such an awesome learning experience. Really eye opening to be on the other side of the stage...

And as the curtain closed on Annie, the final days are here at Groton. Speaking of learning experiences... It has been quite the journey. The students, the staff, the parents - everyday I got to take away something that will undoubtedly assist me in my career for years to come. I will truly miss everyone there and cannot believe it is already time to start the next phase down in Mattapoisett. I feel like I am in the midst of everything in Groton, but it is better to leave on a high note and take all the lessons I can from what these past 3 months have taught me as I settle into the place I will hopefully be in for quite a few years to come.

Here is to those whom over the past 12 weeks have been enlightening, energetic and enriching. It has been quite a ride...

News Flash

Well, here goes. I know it has been way too long since we've written, but we finally have some really good updates to share with everyone. One adds to the travel adventures we try to have every now and then to keep things interesting and the other has to do with both career updates and location updates. All the updates are exciting, some are more momentary than others, but nonetheless all are enriching experiences.

Let's start with the travel. The week before last was school vacation week and Matt had a brand new client whose initial training happened to fall in the same week. Conveniently, this client is Wrigley in Chicago and both myself and Matt have wanted to visit this lovely city. We headed out there on the Sunday before vacation (on different flights 20 minutes apart because we had to book things separately due to his client covering costs - "Just follow me, honey!"). We headed in a cab to the hotel, the one we booked at the airport upon landing of course, which luckily happened to be on East Wacker Drive, right along the Chicago River. Immediately after arriving at the Club Quarters Hotel we headed to Wrigley Field to see the Cubs vs. the Astros. We had a great time there, very reminiscent of Fenway, but with an even more relaxed and open vibe.



For the next three days we practiced quite the touristy routines visiting the Shedd Aquarium first. I highly recommend it if you haven't been there. We saw belugas, dolphins, penguins, a 4D movie and ton of other great exhibits. We went to the Navy Pier, the Planetarium (2nd oldest in the country), the Field Museum (natural history) and headed to the top of both the Willis (Sears) Tower and the Hancock Tower. At night we hit Andy's Jazz Club, the Blue Frog and Wrigley took us out to Tavern on Rush. The hotel we stayed in while Matt was working at Wrigley was amazing, the Conrad. There was a Bose sound system, an amazing bed, a complimentary pillow menu and did I mention it was in the same building as Nordstrom? Not too shabby... All in all, a really wonderful experience in Chicago, it is an impressive city in appearance, architecture, culture, food and diversity. Definitely hope I can head back there again another time he has to travel out there.



Now onto the news that has more of an impact on the future than the present. As some of you may know I have been a long term substitute for 7th grade Geography at Groton-Dunstable Regional Middle School. I have really enjoyed having the chance to continue getting experience and teaching a new subject while I look for a position for the Fall. Groton is faced with a large budget cut so a position there was not much of a possibility. Matt and I have been waiting for either the short sale home in Nashua to sway us or a position for me to push us to one area or another for buying and settling for at least a few years. On Tuesday I had an interview at Old Rochester Regional Junior High in Mattapoisett, MA. The position was originally for the Fall, but the position now is more immediate. They were doing all their interviewing over a few days to expedite the process and on Wednesday evening, I got the call. After months of Internet searching, mailing portfolios, filling out on-line applications - I got a job I have been dreaming of. I start on May 24th and will continue to teach 7th grade, but they choose to teach Ancient History in 7th. I have not yet taught the subject, but I am really looking forward to getting back into teaching history. The faculty so far seem great and I cannot wait to start.



Based on this, we now know where we should aim our search. We are now looking around the very south shore, west of the Cape. We are sticking to towns like Mattapoisett, Marion, Fairhaven, Achusnet and Dartmouth. I am still working as the choreographer for Indian Hill Music for a month this summer up in Littleton so we will probably be looking move in August. We are really happy and excited to be looking seriously at an area and knowing where we will be for awhile. Moreover, we love the area. I am sure will have many beach days, BBQs, boating trips, etc. More updates to come as I get started at the Junior High and as we finalize out house choices.

Perspective Prevails

I know there has been quite a delay in posting. At the moment we are both sort of plugging along on our current situations. School is going well, definitely learning something new all the time. The hiring season is really picking up and I am hoping that the interviews will start coming soon. We still have the offer pending on the short sale house in New Hampshire, but we have decided to wait a bit before we seriously look further. We figure it makes more sense for us to wait until we know where I am working and make a decision from there. This doesn't mean we will stop looking completely. If we see a good deal or fall in love with something, then we will definitely think about making an offer and basing other decisions on that, but for now, we are going to see where fate might take us.

Additionally, we are trying to figure out our next travel adventure. What we are debating is whether or not we are going to do a US trip this summer. We are thinking perhaps a driving trip around the southwest starting in Texas and driving through Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and then perhaps ending in New Orleans. These are all still ideas at the moment as we are still unsure of what may or may not be expected of us professionally, but we are really hoping to make some sort of cross country journey work. We shall see...

Annie Get Your Gun

As some of you may know, I get a bit antsy when I don't have enough on my plate which suffice to say meant that when I was unemployed for those 8 weeks after finishing grad school, I had a slight case of cabin fever. I was working part-time still at Maimonides, but the prospects there were fairly limited. At the wedding I reconnected with the infamous, Ms. P and decided to come back on board as the choreographer for a few of the youth performance troupes at the theatre. On my first night back at Riverside Ms. P of course had some other opportunities she wanted to let me know about and one of them sparked my interest. The Spring Main Stage production of Annie Get Your Gun was still without a choreographer. At this date I had yet to interview out in Groton and did not see anything else too lucrative coming my way so I thought, why not? As is also typical with me though, not more than a week after making the commitment to this show I received word that I got the job out in Groton. I swiftly went from barely a part-time job to a full-time one, a part-time one and a show. Tonight is my first rehearsal and appropriately the first song I am working on is There's No Business Like Show Business... Ain't it the truth.

Annie Get Your Gun Information

'ello John, got a new mota

Interesting few weeks, bought another car, mainly as a result of Rin feeling the 1962 race prepped Hybrid Landrover unsuitable for the commute to work. Went for a Saab 95 in Aero trim. It is a nice car though not without the usual Saab foibles which we're working through at the moment. It's is stunning what sorts of deals you can pick up, it's was a $42850 car in 2001/02 and we picked it up, albeit with high mileage and about $1000 to sink into it, for a shade under $3000.
This recent acquisition and the recent bright spell of weather also has permitted me to turn my attention to the cars, a passion that I used to have all too frequently, fixing em, making them better...even just a bit of wax on wax off action.

Anyway, today was spent changing the water pump on Kemo, Kemo because it happens to be a Kemo Saab(e) in Convertible white trim and NG900 form.....it's passed through 30,000 miles in 2.5 years fairly seemlessly so a water pump here and a bushing there isn't bad. With the 95 and the NG900, I am beginning to feel distinctly Swedish now, that coupled with a plethora of reasonably well designed flat pack furniture and we're giving some gravity to the Scandinavian GDP.

Also competed in the Snow Row over in Hull, basically the first serious race of the season, and when I mean serious I really mean that it is a punt....but in inclement conditions it can be brutal, and I don't think ithas ever been cancelled in it's 30-35 year history. Even and I enjoyed a nice calm row though and happened to pick up a bit of gold wear (ok, a clam shell) along the way. The article is below, Even is not giving the bird to the camera.

The progression of house hunting is also going reasonably well though feeling somewhat frustrated by an offer on a shortsale.....watch this space.

All in a March Saturday

clipped from www.patriotledger.com Snow Row brings a fleet to Hull   Mar 07, 2010 @ 04:09 PM Spring-like weather brought a record 96 rowers to Windmill Point in Hull to compete in Saturday's 30th annual Snow Row Race. Spring-like weather brought a record 96 rowers to Windmill Point in Hull to compete in Saturday's 30th annual Snow Row Race. Record turnout for Hull's annual Snow Row Purchase this Photo ALEX JONES/The Patriot Ledger Matt Coates and Evan Cutler were the first to cross the finish line of Saturday's Snow Row at Windmill Point in Hull in their double ocean shell.

Week One

As this week draws to a close I wanted to share a bit of what my first week at Groton-Dunstable Regional Middle School was like. I walked in on my first day to students already greeting me and shouting my name down the hall, that was pretty encouraging. I did an activity with all four of my classes where they were to create a personal flag. Seeing as I am now teaching geography, I thought this would be a good way for me to tie in the subject matter with me getting to know their names and a little bit about them. It provide to be a fairly successful activity, but I definitely learned who my shy ones were and there seemed to be a good handful. Over the week though, I saw quite a few more personalities emerge and I am looking forward to seeing them blossom and getting more comfortable with me. Though already, some a little too comfortable and I finally needed to start laying down the law more as the week went on. I think they are begin to realize who I am as a teacher and how their time with me will be though and I have seen how we will be able to mesh as a community for my time there.

We are currently working on Asia. They wrapped up with Africa right before I began so I worked with them this week on getting to know all the countries, capitals and major physical features. It is pretty amazing how true it is that you never really know something until you teach it. I am already learning so much myself and I am very excited about how much I am going to expand my own knowledge of both social studies and teaching while helping these students learn too. Next, we are moving on to do a more narrow study of Japan then onto China and then Iran. It is great being a window for middle schoolers into the cultures, events and features of countries around the globe. I definitely think I am falling for the idea of teaching middle school, especially social studies, more and more.

More updates to come as the weeks go on. I feel very lucky to have this chance to expand my experience and will be sure to keep a record of my adventures in Groton.

New Gigs

After returning from the honeymoon and UK family time, it was time to get down to business a.k.a operation - find Rinnie a job. I finished my course work 3 days before we left for the UK and though I did some "professional development" while in the UK, my main priority had to be finding a job on this side of the pond for the time being. The first week home I jumped headfirst into job search mode. I was lucky enough to land 3 interviews in the first 2 weeks. I ended up becoming a finalist for one, but alas, I was not the ideal fit.

The search continued and on February 4th, I had an interview out at Groton-Dunstable Regional Middle School for a Long Term 7th Grade Social Studies Substitute Teacher Position (phew, that's a long title). Anyways, the interview seemed to go well and I felt good, but that overwhelming need to play my own devil's advocate came into play shortly after the interview. Convincing myself that I had not been searching long enough, that I had been disappointed already in this process and this could potentially be another disappointment were just a few of the thoughts which crossed my mind. I knew that applying for teaching jobs was going to be stressful at the time of year I chose to do so, it was inevitable, but I knew that I wanted to get my MA done and I wanted to be on the path to a new career sooner rather than later.

Less than 24 hours after my interview, I got the call. I was full of all sorts of thoughts - I would be teaching Geography (well, better break out the atlas), I would be coming in more than mid-way through the year and of course the distance. Coincidentally, I spent last summer working out in Littleton, MA as Indian Hill Music's Summer Music choreographer and Groton is just the next town over. I never even knew these towns existed and here I am working in two of them less than a year apart from one another. Do I smell a hint of fate or I am just being a bit superstitious? Hmm...

As one might guess, I am excited. I am so looking forward to being back in the classroom and to adding to my teaching experience. It is such an empowering feeling to be doing something I have worked, planned and dreamed about for such a long time. Choosing one's path is so much more fulfilling than feeling like you have to follow one laid out for you. Stay tuned for updates from the front lines because no matter how much I love and want to teach, there are always decent war stories to be told in this profession.

P.S. - I also just took on the role of choreographer in Riverside Theatre Works' upcoming production of Annie Get Your Gun. Please check out their website for more details - www.rtwboston.com

Roman Holiday

As I think we've said before, 2009 was a whirlwind kind of year. We started off with moving to a new apartment, then running the Boston Marathon, getting engaged in Sydney, traveling to California a couple times, to Guelph and I also left my job at Northeastern to finish my Masters and student teach. On top of it all we thought, why not plan a wedding? We tend to enjoy being busy, though I am sure most of you know that.

Saying that, our honeymoon was something that had to be planned on the fly. We knew we were going to be in the UK for a good stint as many relatives, including both my sister-in-laws, could not make it to Boston for the event. We decided to have a party at Matt's cousin Sarah's restaurant (The Lemon Tree) in Hornsea, Yorkshire on the 27th of December so that those who could not make it could celebrate our marriage with us. This coupled with Christmas and New Year's meant that the honeymoon had to exist around all the time we knew we wanted to spend with family. We figured we would have an immediate mini-moon and at a future date, have another longer honeymoon. I finished student teaching on the 12th of December and we were on a plane on the 15th. I spent a good chunk of time with my 8th graders studying the Reformation, so when Matt mentioned Rome, I thought - Perfetto!

We spent about 6 days in Rome staying opposite the Tiber in the Donna Laura Hotel. The weather was a bit rainy and cold, but welcome compared to Boston winter. We wandered the streets of Rome stumbling upon history in such capacities that I could sometimes barely comprehend being from the good "Ole" US of A. Just strolling on the street you realize how many people have crossed the same bridge, stared at the same buildings, leaned on the same wall. The sites and sounds are such a unique amalgamation of ancient and modern. The blending as well of Roman culture with those of other European nations and the United States was something that made me feel alien and at home all at once. I did not dream in all my life I would be walking towards the Pantheon hearing Lady Gaga drift out of the speakers of a posh clothing shop. Each day brought new sites and sounds and every time I spotted something I studied in college it made feel as if I finally was completing parts of my academic adventures.

Our Roman Holiday brought us into a new chapter of our life together. It marked another experience which is uniquely Matt and Rinnie and reminded us once again why we are each others' favorite travel mates. We started an amazing journey in 2009 and we ended it in a fashion which we hope marks the majority of our lives - in discovering fun, love and life in new and exciting places, together.

Carpe diem!

Frame By Frame

After being away for about a month overseas we were not able to jump right on some of the post-wedding activities that come along after such an event. One of the ones we were both looking forward to the most was going through the professional photographs. We luckily have some amazing friends and family who took great pictures and put them up on Facebook very soon after the wedding which was wonderful and much appreciated. We really wanted to be able to sit down though and relive that wonderful evening through the lens of a great photographer - Todd Gieg. Todd took the photos for my Aunt Diane's wedding and for my grandparents' 60th Anniversary celebration. He has a really interesting approach to visually documenting these kinds of social gatherings and truly captures the emotion and personalities of everyone involved. Needless to say, when the package arrived with the photos - we were psyched!

From the start of evening through the hours of dining, dancing and speeches, the photos have captured our wedding bliss and we could not be happier. If you are a Facebook friend quite a few of the photos are up and accessible through either of our profiles. If not here are a couple more examples:



Now onto formal thank yous and breaking in all the beautiful wedding gifts. I am sure we will be posting information on a "kitchen gadget warming" party soon.

Sorry for the delay

We realize it has been quite a long while since we have posted. I have been waiting for the photos from the professional photographer and also to get all the photos from our mini-moon and the holidays in the UK. I should have all of them in the next week or two and can put up some new posts with visuals about all the wedding and post-wedding adventures. 2009 was quite the year and we need to have some good posts to commemorate the amazing moments that ended the year and to kick off the new one. For not let's take a look at how the wedding affairs began...