Breakfast...the best meal of the day!

My first fundraiser has been approved! I am teaming with Applebee's Restaurant in Stonecrest to host a "Flapjacks for Funds" breakfast. The slogan: "Get a short stack for a TALL cause".
(Picture provided by Applebee's: http://www.aggrestaurants.com/neighborhood-involvement/find-a-flapjack-fundraiser.asp)

Click here for the informational flyer!

The breakfast will be held Saturday, March 12, from 7:30-10:00am. Get the word out! If you know ANYONE in the Charlotte area, invite them to this breakfast!! Tickets will cost $7, and I will start selling them in February. My goal is to see 100 tickets...200 would be super!


Come on friends, I know you use Facebook! ;-)

The F word

Friends. Family. Fun. FUNDRAISING.

The big 'F' word. I'm going to Peru. Now I need to finance the trip.

In the end, my three-week teaching and volunteer adventure is going to cost $3,547. Airfare and incidentals will probably cost another $1,500. This is where fundraising comes in. I want to share this experience with my family and friends. What I learn in Peru will only make me a better teacher and colleague, improving and enriching our students. Personally, this experience is going to teach me patience, respect, tolerance, and grow my appreciation of cultures and global issues.

I have set up a website to track my fundraising progress. Check back here for information about fundraising events. Maybe something will strike your fancy... Suggestions are always appreciated!

My CCS site

Slogging through the fine print...

It is amazing how much of a whirlwind this journey has already become.

I completed my enrollment Monday, and had already received a welcoming email and phone call from my program manager Tuesday. (I received the customary and balloon-bursting financial email as well.) I interviewed for the World Alliance Council scholarship Thursday; here's hoping they believe I am an internationally-minded teacher and that my program is global enough to help fund it! I walked out of the interview and arrived home to find my Cross-Cultural Solutions welcome packet in the mail.

Much of today has been spent filling out volunteer profiles, checking off checklists, and reading the fine print. Wow, it's really happening!

New Year, New Adventure

I do not make New Year's resolutions. If I do not have any expectations, then I cannot be disappointed. This year, I want to embrace adventure and whatever changes come my way.

As of January 3rd, I am officially enrolled to join Cross-Cultural Solutions in Lima, Peru! I finish this school year, file my report cards and data, clean up my room, and board a plane for South America! My program will run from June 19-July 9. I am excited, I am nervous, I am overwhelmed, I am walking with a pep in my step.

I cannot wait to immerse myself in a new culture, teach new and curious minds, learn conversational Spanish, meet diverse friends, and discover the terrain of Peru. I will use this blog to document my progress as I prepare for my adventure. Check back often, and thank you for joining me!