Category: Venezuela

Sneaking into the Pool

Posted in airport, Angel Falls, beach, Canaima, dysentery, hotel pool, humor, Iowa State University, memoir, microbes, relationships, teaching, travel, Venezuela, worstLeave a comment

While student teaching in Venezuela, we learned how to have fun with not much money. One of the American teachers had stolen a couple of striped beach towels from an upscale hotel, and she had been sneaking into the hotel pool for years. “Just carry the towel and act like you belong,” Linda said. Christy… Continue reading Sneaking into the Pool

My Autumn Travels

Posted in Africa, beach, best, British Colombia, California, care giver, Colombia, Dachau, Denmark, Ecuador, Facebook, France, Germany, Hawaii, humor, India, internet, Italy, Machu Picchu, memoir, Mexico, Monterey Bay, Norway, Peru, Spain, Sweden, travel, vacation, VenezuelaLeave a comment

I am in India, then Hawaii, then Europe, then Mexico.  I have seen monkeys and camels, but no tigers. I have seen the Taj Mahal.  I am having the dead skin on my feet bitten by little fishes. Then I am touring a castle in Germany or visiting a beach town in Italy.  I can… Continue reading My Autumn Travels

Machu Picchu Before It Was a Thing

Posted in best, Caracas, Cuzco, Ecuador, firsts, flirting, friends, girl friends, hiking, hotel, humor, Iowa, Machu Picchu, memoir, Peru, relationships, roommate, student teaching, teaching, travel, vacation, Venezuela2 Comments

(re-run) It was 1977. I was finishing up ten weeks of student teaching in an American oil school in Caracas, Venezuela. My roommate, Christy, wanted to travel for two weeks before we went home to the states. She wanted to visit Machu Picchu in Peru. I’d never heard of it. “It’s the lost city of… Continue reading Machu Picchu Before It Was a Thing

Don’t Let the Bugs Bug You

Posted in best, California, childhood, children, college, entomologist, entymology, flying, insects, Iowa, junior high school, memoir, nature, outdoors, relationships, science, scientist, Venezuela, worstLeave a comment

When my new science teacher announced on the first day of 7th grade that no one would get an A in his class if they didn’t make an insect collection, I was like, “NOOOOOOOO! I hate bugs!” My mother hated bugs. Her mother hated bugs. They hated mice, snakes, and dog poop, too. I walked… Continue reading Don’t Let the Bugs Bug You

Sneaking into the Pool

Posted in airport, Angel Falls, beach, Canaima, dysentery, hotel pool, humor, Iowa State University, memoir, microbes, relationships, teaching, travel, Venezuela, worst2 Comments

While student teaching in Venezuela, we learned how to have fun with not much money. One of the American teachers had stolen a couple of striped beach towels from an upscale hotel, and she had been sneaking into the hotel pool for years. “Just carry the towel and act like you belong,” Linda said. Christy… Continue reading Sneaking into the Pool

You Can Take the Girl Out of Iowa

Posted in best, food cravings, fruit, humor, memoir, relationships, VenezuelaLeave a comment

At the end of my ten-week student teaching in Venezuela, one of the teachers said that I could probably come back to teach at Campo Alegre the following year. She said they were always looking for American teachers. “You can stay with me during the summer,” she said, “until you get your apartment.” The American… Continue reading You Can Take the Girl Out of Iowa

One Flood, Two Fishermen

Posted in farm, friends, girl friends, Iowa State University, memoir, Nebraska, one-night stand, relationships, Spanish, Study abroad, summer camp, travel, Venezuela, worstLeave a comment

Kristy and I met at Iowa State University. We had been around the world together, at least to Venezuela where we did our student teaching, plus Ecuador, Peru and Colombia. Then we were roommates in the middle of nowhere, Nebraska. As the story goes, I applied for the third grade teaching job, the principal interviewed… Continue reading One Flood, Two Fishermen

You Can Take the Girl Out of Iowa . . .

Posted in college, food cravings, fruit, humor, Iowa, memoir, Midwestern, teaching, travel, VenezuelaLeave a comment

At the end of my ten-week student teaching in Venezuela, one of the teachers said that I could interview to come back to teach at Campo Alegre the following year. She said they were always looking for American teachers. “You can stay with me during the summer,” she said, “until you get your apartment.” The… Continue reading You Can Take the Girl Out of Iowa . . .

Peace Corps Fail

Posted in dogs, memoir, Midwestern, Peace Corps, postal service, relationships, Spain, teaching, travel, VenezuelaLeave a comment

It was in the spring of my first year of teaching when the call came. I was at Greenwood Elementary in Greenwood, Nebraska. I had applied to the Peace Corps the year before. They had just seen my application. They wanted to fly me to Chicago for an interview that weekend. They gave me 24… Continue reading Peace Corps Fail

Worst Weekend Getaway Ever

Posted in college, firsts, humor, memoir, relationships, roommate, VenezuelaLeave a comment

While student teaching in Venezuela, we learned how to have fun with not much money. One of the American teachers had stolen a couple of striped beach towels from an upscale hotel, and she had been sneaking into the hotel pool for years. “Just carry the towel and act like you belong,” Linda said. Christy… Continue reading Worst Weekend Getaway Ever