Too Much "Teacher Voice"?!

            Perhaps that is what has caused me to lose my voice again.  It always amazes me that no matter how many precautions I take, I still lose my voice and will most likely lose my voice for some period of time for the rest of my life. This is something that I am not thrilled about especially since I enjoy talking so much! But maybe that is why I love talking so much, because I know that at any moment I could lose my voice and not be able to communicate. Before I had my vocal cord dysfunction I took for granted the ability to communicate with your own voice. I now know just how important that is. It is quite humorous, in a sense, because a couple of weeks ago I was listening to a TAL episode about communication and the importance of it and it really seemed to hit home with me. So as I sit here in my room, downing copious amounts of water and tea with honey and doing my vocal exercises, I once again am reminded of how important it really is to communicate with others. 

A Warm Welcome 'Home'...

            After a mere 26 hours of traveling from Chicago, I finally made it back to Logrono last week. And as wonderful as it was to be home and see family and friends, it was really nice to come back ‘home’ to Logrono. As much grief as I have given this place since I have been here, I really am starting to consider it home and truly love it here! It has been nice being back and seeing everyone here, being able to go out for pinchos, get amazing wine at cheap prices, and to practice my Spanish again. And nothing quite makes you feel so loved as a room full of screaming and excited 1^st graders running up to you and giving you a hug when you walk back into the classroom after break. Ah yes it’s good to be back!

Oh Ira, You Cut to the Core of Me...

   I have never been a fan of listening to radio shows, morning talk shows, sporting events, just all sorts of radio shows. However that has all changed thanks to one man, Ira Glass, and his amazing show, This American Life! I had heard about the show, but since I wasn't a fan of radio didn't think I would be interested in listening, however the more I heard about it the more intrigued I became. Cait was the one who finally got me hooked on it by "sharing part of her soul" as she so aptly put it. I am now obsessed and can't imagine missing a week of it. Every week they pick a topic and have different stories on said topic. The topics include everything, from Christmas stories to stories about money and everyday things about American life. Even only listening to it for the past month I have bawled my eyes out in the same episode as laughing so hard my stomach hurts. It really is something that everyone can enjoy. And Ira Glass the host is simply amazing. He gets to you in a way that you didn't think possible, so much so that I feel obligated to donate to help keep the show running after only listening to it for a short period of time. I suggest you all listen at least once to see what it's about, and let's be honest once you listen to one show you will be hooked for life! You can either download the free podcasts to Itunes weekly or listen online to the streaming episodes. They also have a TV show, which I can imagine would be just as good. So for those of you who have never listened to it, give it a shot! And for those of you who have already listened, you know exactly how I feel!




To help you get started:  This American Life

In Case You Need a Laugh

In case you're looking for a little something to make you laugh and cheer you up, here it is! I stumbled upon this gem while I was home watching No Reservations and clearly could not stop laughing. One could say I'm a little obsessed and some people (cough, Dan, cough) probably think I'm a little too obsessed haha. But enjoy, and if you can't watch this without laughing then I don't know what will make you laugh!