Frequently Asked Questions

Great.

Amazing.

Incredible.

These descriptors do NOT do this experience justice. 

I have been home from my Arctic expedition with National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions for about a month now. I have struggled to formulate the right words to adequately describe this experience. So far, I haven't come up with much. Luckily, I have this handy dandy pink notebook. 

I had the forethought to journal and all of my thoughts are contained here. Soon...very soon, I'll start blogging about my experience. Until then...here are some answers to questions asked most frequently of me since my return.

Where did you go?

My passport was put to work this summer. I travelled to the Arctic countries of Norway, Greenland, and Iceland. Think of the North Pole...*No, I did not go Antarctica. No, I did not see penguins. Maybe one day.*

How long were you there?

From beginning to end, I was away for 18 days. I was aboard the National Geographic Explorer for 15 days.

What was your favorite place?

It's hard to say because we did not visit destinations like one would think. We were able to see a few small villages, but it was about exploring fjords and learning about and seeing wildlife. Our itinerary was based on how much sea ice and wildlife were in the area. So...everywhere.

What's the coolest thing you got to see?

From the moment I knew I was a fellow, I was so excited to possibly see a polar bear in the wild. It was pretty incredible. However, the first animal we were able to see up close were walruses. I'm officially obsessed with them.

Would you ever go back?

Yes! Yes! A thousand times, yes!

*If anyone wants to help fund that adventure, I'll gladly accept you donation. Thanks in advance. :)

More to come...

Ready or not...

It's my expedition date! <insert happy dance>
There are not too many things that I'll lose this much sleep over or wake up early for (without hitting the snooze button for at least an hour). Today begins my journey to Oslo, Norway before heading to Svalbard at the end of the week where I will board National Geographic Explorer.
*Shout out to my friend, Brittany, for helping me to pause, take a breath, and realize just how momentous this journey has been and will be.


Besides my family and friends, there's one thing this southern girl is going to miss. After our local chain closed for renovations, I decided to have my farewell breakfast of chicken minis and diet lemonade-breakfast/ nectar of the gods. I. Love. Chic-fil-a.

8:30 AM
Arrive at the airport. Weigh carry-on and checked bag to make sure I'll be able to meet the weight requirement for my flight to Svalbard later this week. Both bags 4 lbs over. <insert eye roll>
Return to car and attempt to "dump" items.
Second attempt. Checked bag = 39.7 lbs / Carry-on bag with electronics= 11.2 lbs (this does not include my purse...I tried.




10:00 AM
Sitting at the airport charging station counting down the 60 minutes until my flight leaves bound for Newark, NJ. I'll eventually meet up with my shipmate, April, from California.

1:33 PM
Never have I ever seen two fully armed officers upon entering an airport terminal. And by fully armed, I’m talking rifle status. Determined to snap a pic next time vs. staring in bewilderment. Using my super long layover to read and snack.

5:55 PM
One more hour to go. Kinda mad I have not been able to locate previously mentioned officers. Afraid April my miss our flight...bless her heart. Making final calls to friends and family. Hoping the next 8 hours “fly” by.

Making Things Official

Before beginning the great journey to Washington D.C. for the 2018 Grosvenor Teacher Fellows Conference, I first had to become a National Geographic Certified Educator.

National Geographic Educator Certification Program is a professional development opportunity of for pre-K-12 educators who desire to inspire their students to become global thinkers and geographically competent in innovative ways.

The certification process currently includes three phases: a virtual workshop, implementation of two activities, and a capstone project. The program is free and can be completed online. Throughout the process, you are supported by and connected to other like-minded certified educators through the National Geographic Educators Google+ community. This is an excellent place to have your questions answered, gain ideas, and collaborate.

Are YOU interested in becoming a National Geographic Certified Educator?
If so, click here for details.

THE. CALL.

"Why in the WORLD does this person keep calling me???" This was my internal dialogue as I screened my incoming phone call. "Whoever it is isn't leaving a message so it must not be that important."

Not one...

Not two...

but three times.

I. Was. Wrong.

The date was February 6th. My phone rang with the mysterious number for a third time. Since school was ending, I decided to pick it up. A pleasant voice on the other end of the line indicated they were with National Geographic. <Insert me with a DROPPED jaw>

Say What?!?!

Honestly, I don't remember much else from the call. I did however learn the following:

1. I had been accepted as a 2018 Grosvenor Teacher Fellow. *Still in shock*

2. I'd be traveling to Svalbard (wherever that is...), Greenland, and Iceland.

3. I'd get to search for polar bears!!!

It was crazy hard for me to contain my excitement, but I also had a lot of doubt.

As soon as I got home, I checked in Shionna, a now friend and former Grosvenor Teacher Fellow I met a few months before at the Teachers for Global Classrooms Alumni Conference. *Thank God for connections*

"Is this real?!?!"

I let her know that I had just gotten a phone call. I was unsure because I've never been called to be informed of my acceptance into a program...it has always been e-mailed. I mentioned the names Angela and JT which led my friend to convince me that this was THE. REAL. DEAL.

I'm still in shock and still amazed I've been granted this amazing opportunity. It means everything that my students are just as excited as I am. All year, we've talked about the importance of setting goals and chasing after your dreams. 

I'm a believer. Dreams really do come true!