New Year, New Adventures 

Where did 2016 go? I know I am a bit late to the party, and we’ve already had more than a full week of 2017, but better late than never. 

Before we get too far into 2017 I thought it would be good to take a moment to stop and take a look back at all that 2016 had to offer. It was certainly a whirlwind year of travel, new friends, and new adventures. Here are some of my favorite highlights from the past year: 

1. I started blogging about teaching and traveling. Blogging has given me a great outlet to not only to reflect, but has allowed me to connect and meet people I never would have known before. 

2. I traveled to six different countries. Now that is a lot of travel! Spain with teachers, Greece with friends and Finland, Amsterdam, Germany and Austria with family- this was certainly the year of travel for me. I don’t know how I will ever top it! 

3. I started teaching a new grade level. While I loved teaching 3rd grade, 2nd grade has been a blast. It keeps me on my toes. A new grade has given me the opportunity to grow as an educator and work with new colleagues. I am lucky to have a job I love so much.  

4. I attempted to learn Finnish…let’s just say this is a work in progress. I never was a “language” person and I didn’t pick the easiest language to casually learn. I may have to suffice with the few phrases I have picked up unless I move there and have more opportunities to practice. 

5. I traveled solo for the first time ever. This has been a long time dream of mine and I still can’t believe I did it. A few days in Finland alone taught me I am more capable than I think. I proved to myself I can do even the most “scary” things like staying alone in a hostel. 

6. Last but not least I learned more about my mum’s family, the Teravainen’s. Meeting and staying with our relatives in their house in Turku, Finland was the most amazing experience. I can’t begin to express how wonderful it was to not only see where our family comes from, but to spend time with such gracious family members. I am forever thankful for Juha and Marjo’s hospitality when my family came to meet our Finnish relatives. 

With so many fabulous memories of 2016, it is hard to imagine that 2017 can top them. Of course I do have some fun things planned, you always need something to look forward to, and I can’t wait to see what fun adventures will unfold this year. 

Katy