My Turn

So Kevin wasn't the only one out and about last week.  Ironically, I also headed west to California for training.

I hesitated sharing my plans for two reasons.  One, because I didn't want the world to know our house would be sitting empty. And also for the fear of the backlash.  "You get to go to California? How can your district afford that? Isn't West Salem facing budget cuts?" and so on...

Our district qualified for Apple training based on the purchases they made this summer.  Apple would cover the cost of the training, hotel, and meals. I am about as conservative as they come when dealing with money, so believe me, I checked.  My boss had applied for the training and he encouraged me to follow suit.  In October I was accepted into the training and was looking forward to the adventure in February with hopes of being Apple Certified.

With Kevin's diagnosis in December, I thought I would have to cancel.  Thankfully, the timing ended up being perfect!  We calculated when Kevin's treatments would end and decided to try to plan Kevin's truck trip at the same time as my training. I am so grateful that everything worked out so that I could have this opportunity.

We flew to San Jose, California, on Sunday and I spent the week in a beautiful hotel in Cupertino. No cooking or cleaning for the week, and I didn't even feel guilty because Kevin was doing what he wanted to do on his trucking adventure.

The training was intense and even included homework every night.  However, through the training I was able to connect with people all across the country. Unlike those youngsters who are constantly doing the selfie thing, I avoid the camera.  And, yes, I was one of the oldest attendees. So it was out of my comfort zone to be in front of the camera for pictures and videos we were asked to create. In addition to soaking in all of the knowledge, we were asked to lead instruction in both large group and small group settings.

Of course the California sun was a welcome sight.  I found myself staring out the patio doors more than usual (especially since my office at school has no windows).  Luckily they fed us lunch on the patio every day.  After lunch each day, I found a sunny spot to call Kevin and catch up.  Another California custom I could get used to was the wine.  The hotel had free wine from 5 to 6 every day.  Our trainers were pretty clever and always made sure we were done in time to make the social hour.

Wednesday morning we had a field trip to the Apple store in Cupertino. The staff allowed us in an hour before normal hours and welcomed us through the doors with applause.  It was interesting to see their new store design and hear their philosophy.  Thursday night they planned a special dinner for the group in Sarasota where the restaurant even printed a special menu just for us with foods I wouldn't find on the Culver's menu.  Educators certainly are not used to being wined and dined and I did not take one moment of the week for granted.

Classes ended early afternoon on Friday and our flight didn't leave until 6:30am on Saturday so a group of us decided to make a quick trip to San Francisco.  Seeing the Golden Gate bridge, winding down Lombard Street, dipping my toes in the Pacific and eating seafood at Fisherman's Wharf are things I may never get to do again.   

I am excited to be back and cannot wait to share what I've learned.  I am grateful for the opportunity to grow in my profession.  I am thankful I was able to make my first trip to California.  I am honored that I was able to meet such amazing educators who I hope I can stay connected with. Again, a special thanks to John for taking Kevin so I could do this.

Jesus looked at them and said, 

"With man this is impossible,

but with God all things are possible."

Matthew 19:26