Reason #12 (Rusty) : Meow, sleep, walk around for a while, meow

Remember that one time? When you were actually homesick, and just starting out in England? Which was like...not even that long ago?

And then that other time...when like...you like...had all those pictures of the 87 amazing places in Europe you visited, and everybody was smiling, and you made all of your American friends super jealous???

I've just been chilling in Bellingham with my litter box and cat toys and stuff the whole time. It's not really all that exciting. I'm kind of jealous, actually. Have fun!

- Rusty

Reason #11 (Meg) : Sneaky Pete's

So...I was just looking up our place (Easy Pete's...) and I found this AWFUL review:

"If it weren't for no class, this place would have none at all. This is the one where you get a free spin of a wheel on your 21st bday, prizes being $ amount tokens to be spent at the establishment. Music is so loud in a mediocre sound system that you can't tell what's playing, service is slow, the wall art is disgusting, average selection of beer on tap.‎"

I mean, if people are really going to be that rude about the best bar in town, where you meet the nicest people and have the best 21st birthday parties ever...I don't know if I would want to come back. Just saying...it's hard to see reviews like this without you by my side...think about it. I know they still have your vote, but I think this might lose them a few patrons :( :( :(

Reason #10 (Dan)

Reason #9 (Rusty):

Reason #8 (Dave):

Bellingham = rainy, grey, depressing.

England = ENGLAND!

I haven't exactly been feeling myself lately, so, rather than making my usual silly/funny post, I'm just gonna be totally serious and real for a second. I've been feeling kind of down lately, for different reasons --- and through the process of self-reflection that inevitably comes with those feelings, I've felt a lot of regrets. Just regrets about not doing things I could have/should have done in my life, and regrets about not always spending my time or energy in the right places, with the right people, or towards the right pursuits. Regrets suck. Everyone has them at times, and no one wants them --- but at least by being alive in the moment and being cognizant of both the present and the future, you can prevent them. I don't want you to ever have any regrets about England, Jamie, or the choice you made to go --- when you're older you'll look back joyfully on this time as an exciting adventure, so it's important to make the most of it in every way; you don't want to look back with regrets and a list of shouldas and couldas -- you want to say "man, that was incredible, do you remember x? And y? And z!"

I'm student teaching until June and not getting paid for it, and I'm stuck in Bellingham. Not that Bellingham is a bad place -- I like it here, but I've been here too long and I really want to move on to Portland or Seattle, something bigger and different. So lately a bunch of my friends have moved away for graduation/student teaching/etc. and I'm feeling moreso "stuck" in this town -- and the constant winter grey skies and rain don't really help :-). So don't forget how cool it is to be able to student teach abroad --- visiting London and etc., meeting new friends, planning for the Greece trip, etc. --- you'll have done so much in the short time you're there. If you were student teaching in Bellingham, it'd be the same old same old and the same deal as me --- grey skies, friends moving away, just not nearly as exciting (and surely at times scary and intimidating, but certainly moreso exciting!) as England. The people you miss will be there for you when you come home --- and besides, the people who care about you and who you miss the most (and who miss you) are the ones who are your biggest fans, so even if they miss you and you miss them they're moreso happy/proud for you and this journey of yours. This trip is totally going to make you a better person and a better teacher in the end --- even on the worst days of teaching if you feel totally out of place and intimidated and homesick, it's only going to serve to make you a stronger person. So rather than feeling intimidated or uncomfortable, just embrace any obstacles/challenges as learning experiences and opportunities for personal growth --- use this experience as an opportunity to challenge yourself, step out of your comfort zone here and there, and just make the most of your time. Don't come home with regrets!

Okay that was sad and emo :-). But I guess my point is that life after classes ends really kind of sucks, and I don't think that's something I realized until the end of fall quarter. I spent far too much time last year over-focusing on school and work and homework and not making enough time to be social and hang out with friends (including you Dan and Meg, I'm sad I was so lame and anti-social and we never hung out last year. My friends wrongly see me merely as an outgoing/funny guy who does improv and jokes around and stuff, but 9 out of 10 of them never realize how deep, introverted, super introspective, shy and socially awkward I actually am if I'm not pushed). I definitely took my friends and our cohort/classes for granted --- you don't realize how much you miss some things (or someones) until they're no longer there :-(. It was fun to go to class everyday and see cohort friends, professors, etc. and be part of that community. But now that that's ended and I'm not at WWU anymore, this feels like a weird town. Bellingham as a WWU student and Bellingham as a non-student are two very different places. And I don't know where I'm going after student teaching ends, but given the economy/jobs situation I know I'll leave Bellingham, and the idea of starting fresh is 30% exciting but 70% scary. I'm tired of people leaving my life before I get a chance to more fully know them, and I have too many regretful experiences of letting friends and potential friends slip away because I didn't realize how much they meant to me in the moment. So use England as a time to reflect and realize who your true friends are back home, but also, as a time to push your comfort zones and reach out and make meaningful connections and friendships with new people, too.

I have a lot of regrets about not balancing my life more and not necessarily spending my time wisely these last few years --- and I'd hate for you to return to America having regrets about not enjoying England to the fullest. So! Remember that England as a tourist (for a day or a week) is very different than England as a student-teacher/temporary resident. It's not just about snapping photos of popular places and buying souvenirs --- you get to live like a local, experience the small pleasures and oddities, meet interesting people, and create cool memories. So whenever things feel frustrating or overwhelming (which they will at times of course, but hopefully they'll be heavily outweighed by tons of awesome experiences!) just remember all of that. If you weren't having this experience right now, you'd visit England someday --- but it would be in such a different capacity, and it wouldn't be as meaningful as this adventure is. Washington will always be here, but the chance to live and work and play in England won't. So don't let opportunities pass you by, and make the most of every moment and every invitation and every interaction while you're there :-).

And when it comes to the day-to-day work of teaching/planning/etc. --- the stuff that might be super difficult and frustrating and time-consuming, and not at all as fun as the carefree freedom of being able to explore England --- just keep reminding yourself of the term "student teacher." You're not perfect and you're going to make mistakes and feel confused and out of place --- every new teacher does! I know you, Jamie :-). Don't be a harsh perfectionist and beat down on yourself by saying "I'm just not good enough" or "I don't belong here" or "I'm really bad at..." or "(That person) thinks I'm a terrible teacher" or anything like that. Just remember that this is the time of our lives when we are learning how to teach. It takes tons of time and experience to 'get it right' and even then it's never smooth and perfect. Don't be intimidated by other teachers/adults just because you feel like you're not doing something "right" or because your style/strengths/approach differs from theirs. Don't be intimidated because you think someone knows more about a content area than you do --- knowledge is merely a stream of random facts, and there are plenty of things you know that those people don't, books you've read that they haven't, experiences you've lived that they will never experience, etc. Just be yourself and be confident. You're you, they're them, I'm me, you know?? Just don't feel intimidated and don't blame yourself or feel inadequate, ever. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" as Eleanor Roosevelt said :-). In everything you do as a student-teacher, just keep an open mind and be open to feedback and constructive criticism --- make changes, strengthen and grow, but never ever feel like you're doing poorly or you're not good enough. Just realize and anticipate that there are going to be bad moments and bad days, and be ready to recognize and accept them as opportunities for growth! You're gonna be awesome :-).

REASON #7 (Meg)

CANDY! Soooo....everyone here goes to bed a little earlier than I do, so I took the liberty of finding some great candy that you should probably look into...

Guess how many of these I have tried? If you guessed zero, you are correct!! Screw Milky Ways, man, you could have a GALAXY bar! That's the Milky way AND THEN SOME. I'm just sayin...if I were you, and it were a snow day-I think I know where I'd be...and I'm fairly certain you'd be right next to me. :) Miss and love you! Eat some candy for me!

Reason #6 (Dan)

History. The toilet you used this morning probably has more history than the entire United States! Imagine all the famous people who have peed in Dorking, probably on their way to London to deal with some rabble-rousing colonists in some crappy New World campground. Or imagine a young Bill Shakespeare frolicking through the forests of Nottinghamptonshireville, dreaming up the stories that you will be teaching to the best and brightest of Her Majesty's Royal Schoolery. Imagine, you can visit Stonehenge, Big Ben, the place guarded by furry-hatted soldiers, or find the birthplace of the Beatles, all in one weekend! Hang out with the descendants of the Brontë sisters, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, J. R. R. Tolkien and Charles Dickens! (P.S. I may have used Google just a little).

Also, these guys are from Britain, so you know you're with good people!

Reason #5 (Dave):

Remember that one time? When I dropped a glass bottle because I assumed "ketchup bottles are always plastic, sooooo" ummm but then it wasn't actually plastic so it was super heavy and my fingers failed, so it fell and smashed? And ketchup flew everywhere, and onto my jeans, and onto the sink and the counters and the floor? And little bitty pieces of glass shrapnel went everywhere and will probably will remain where they are and then come out and cut me one day when I'm least suspecting it? Remember that time?

No, of course you don't, because you're in England having an adventure and you don't have to worry about it.

Then, there's this: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/1228933.html --- see, here in Bellingham, high school kids are getting high on mushrooms and running people over. So you know, there's that. Those English kids might be a bit bratty now and then, but, ask yourself: are they getting high on mushrooms and running people over? No, because that's Bellingham. :-)

Also, look: there's a Bellingham in England, too: see?

Reason #4 (Meg):

Beer drinking. Thank GOD you are in England, because there is nothing to drink at the Scales' house but beer. You heard right, NO Mike's...OR Smirnoff. Not even the occasional B&J's...so pretty much, you'd be screwed if you were here anyway. I know what you're thinking..."Meg, we could drive to the store-problem solved." FALSE. The roads are too icy and sadly, though it is a Honda, my car sucks on the ice... So you see, unless you want to drink something that you think tastes like urine...well...it's good you are in England and can drink other things. If, by some magical stroke of luck, my best friend (that's you...) were to take up drinking beer, I looked up a few things you should know:

1. Britain is also well known for its ale which tends to be dark in appearance and heavier than lager. It is known as "bitter"

2. Customs in British pubs differ from those in American bars. In Britain, you must go to the bar to order drinks and food and pay for your purchase immediately, there is no table service. Bartenders are called "landlords" and "barmaids" and they do not expect frequent tipping. To tip a landlord or barmaid, it is customary to tell him to "would you like a drink yourself?"

Personally, it sounds like hitting on the barmaid to me...but hey, who knows. If you come back a lesbo, you know I'm game. :) Therefore, reason #4 to look on the bright side: No Bitch Brews. :) Love and miss you!!

Reason #3 (Dave):

Somehow I was talked into eating at the Horseshoe (Raunch Room) yesterday. By one of those friends of friends that aren't really friends but you can't not be "friends" with because it'd be too awkward. So. It was all dirty, and horseshoe-y, and the food was crappy and unhealthy. At least in the U.K. you've got tea time and biscuits. And people with funny accents. And no Horeshoe. And even though you haven't tried much British food yet or liked it, surely there's bound to be something really interesting or delicious to discover. And then you're going to Greece where there's gonna be even more food.

Homework assignment for Jamie Daniels:
So, my British friend used to use the phrase "bangers and mash" -- sausage and potatoes, I think. But I kinda thought he was lying for a while. So your homework assignment is this: make up a fake slang phrase and persuade all of the English people that it's something that Americans actually say. Like, when you see someone flipping open their cell phone, refer to it as "raising the bridge." Or if they're washing dishes, tell them that in America we refer to that as "raining on the porcelain." Just lie, Jamie. Lie for America.

Reason #2 (Dave):

I'm wearing glasses, for the first time since high school. Just temporarily -- my contacts have been irritating my eyes, and turning them red. I've got some super sweet nerd goggles goin' on. You're probably better off being in England and not seeing Dave wearing nerd goggles. Another reason to not miss Washington, and to instead enjoy England. Not seeing Dave in nerd goggles.

Reason #1 (Dave):

Jamie, you live in a place called DORKING. DORKING! It's called DORKING! Do you understand how awesome that actually is? When you're an old lady you can say things like "well, when I was in Dorking..." and "Back in Dorking...". Yet, when I'm an old lady [awkward silence] I can't do that. That's reason #1 you should not miss Washington and should instead enjoy England to the fullest. Your first homework assignment, consequently, is to find as many signs as you can that say "Dorking" and begin a photo collection. Of signs that say "Dorking." Bonus points if you find a dorky looking old man and take a photograph with him in front of the word Dorking.

Speaking of funny signs. In America. Haha: