At the ripe old age of 29 here is something I have come to terms with about myself. No matter how hard I try…I will simply never be a precrastinator, someone who gets tasks done early. And that’s okay…right??

What I see as ✨stressful productivity✨ others might see as procrastination. LOL.

So this ✨stressful productivity✨ can sometimes look like me saying, “Phew! My international flight to Lima, Peru is at 6:30pm which gives me AMPLE time to pack the morning of. No problem, no brainer, just a moderate amount of stress! Let’s get this bread…or ceviche!”

The issue is I WANT to be ahead of the curve, packing a month in advance, knowing exactly where my hiking socks are and already having my Camelback nice and neatly assembled in my pack….however, let’s be real my friends, that is just not me.

In my personal life, in my adventure life, even in the classroom…I am a Type B girlie through and through and I always end up getting stuff done, whether by the grace of God or just by the sheer motivation of a good ole’ time crunch. Even if there are moments of chaos in the hours, minutes, or seconds leading up to it, the work and tasks always get done, especially when I have a vision in mind. It just might not be done as early as some other people I know. My trip with Fulbright for Teachers with Global Classrooms Program has been no exception.

Pack morning of? Check! Hastily search for my camera battery pack? Check! Can’t find said battery pack? Check! Quickly run to Walmart right before my flight in search of battery pack? Check! Buy said battery pack, only to find out it doesn’t work? Check! We love a good thrill!

Regardless of the hustle and bustle, I still made it to my flight without even an airport sprint this time! Phew!

Although my chaotic time packing the morning of my Fulbright Program may seem absurd to some, I will say that it does not take away from the intentionality I have had gearing up for this adventure, including having my students be active participants learning about Peru with me.

For starters, we used Google Maps to explore various places in Peru. My kiddos researched things they wanted to learn about Peruvian culture, community, and places. After that, my students wrote postcards, read, and recorded them so students in Peru could hear their voices and learn about my student’s lives in Cape May! It was awesome to see how unique everyone’s postcards turned out and I have high hopes it will be a great souvenir for the Peruvian students I meet.

After that, my class made a video for the students in Peru all about our awesome school in New Jersey. The kids had a blast talking about different places and things in our school and on our last day together we watched their student made video all about Cape May. I can’t wait for the kids in Peru to see it and learn more about New Jersey and what a public school in America looks like.

Gearing up for this amazing opportunity to teach in Peru, I reflected on some things I am looking forward to:

• Connecting with the students and locals in Moyobamba, Lima, and Cusco
• Learning about Peru’s educational system and what it looks like to teach in a predominantly Spanish speaking country
• Observing how teachers motivate their students to learn a second language (whether Spanish, English, or Indigenous languages)
• Reflecting on my cohort’s various teaching experiences in the US and abroad and further connecting with each other
• Opening my heart to every adventure and opportunity to get to know others around me
• Hiking Machu Picchu! Woo! (my ✨stressful productivity✨ self did in fact remember to get altitude sickness pills…blessings)

Alright, well ready or not…especially because these bags were packed last minute….it’s time to GO! See you in Peru 🙂

Peace & Love,

Sar