inspiration

August already?! This summer is absolutely flying by…pretty soon I’ll be trying to fit 8+ months of a life into a 50lb bag and a carry-on…yikes!

One of my favorite parts of summer has always been the reading – sitting with a book on a beach, and not a book prescribed by a teacher or class! This time to read whatever I liked became more precious after starting college, ditching classic textbooks within my courses of study for a rather random assortment of interests. Books move me – I’m addicted to reading about different perspectives, eras, experiences, places, the list is endless. Reading, I think, is what has inspired me to pursue teaching & travel. I love learning, I can’t get enough of the world. But I know that so many young children do not feel the same way about the world…how much there is to learn & think about. A passion for learning is what I hope most is a part of my future classroom…more than stellar test grades or perfectly behaved children.

This summer’s reading list has been much more focused in the past, geared towards France, the French, and travel. Here are some books that have stood out:

Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky

101 Foods That Could Save Your Life by David Grotto, RD, LDN

Backroad Bistros, Farmhouse Fare: A French Country Cookbook

Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France But Not the French by Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow

The Best American Travel Writing 2009 by Simon Winchester, edited by Jason Wilson

Several books by Peter Mayle
& of course, countless classic travel guides!

I just started Wanderlust, by Elisabeth Eaves & have already decided to bring it with me to Europe. Which reminds me, I am planning on bringing a few children’s books in English…classic childhood favorites. I’m thinking Dr. Suess, perhaps an alphabet/American history/culture one…suggestions welcome for any others I should think of bringing!

bises xx