The trip of a lifetime...

For the longest time I have dreamed of visiting Poland. It has always felt like a pull, like something I 'have to do'.

Last year my nephew Todd visited Poland and I thought I could live it vicariously through his travels, even sharing history, and place names and suggestions for him of visits. I loved seeing the photos and feeling his love of being there. I thought that was enough... but no. 

What an incredible gift I received for Christmas, a ticket to Poland. Initially Katie believed she could visit with me, but that simply wouldn't be possible, to travel so far away from E and L when they are so young. 

A miracle happened when I received a message from Alison on 16 January 2025:

"Hey, have you got any overseas trips planned for this year? If not, I have an idea."

I messaged back "Poland", and so the dream began to unfold. Alison mentioned she was going to Finland in the September School Holidays with Tours for Teachers. 

We chatted back and forth and dreamed as Finland and Poland are so close comparatively and my heart felt pulled to leap at this opportunity. 

On 26 January 2025 I researched an opportunity for us to travel on a river cruise from Basel, Switzerland, up to Amsterdam, then for Alison to go to Finland and me to travel to Poland. Jenny has been amazing every step of the way. 

By 29 January we were underway with our bookings, and the dream starting to unfold and the countdown began. 

Now here we are just a few weeks out from travel and I am so grateful for everything that has happened this year, in so many ways to get me to the place and state of 'wellbeing' that is making this possible. 

On 30 January I messaged Alison with an idea of a Viking River cruise before Poland and Finland, and emailed Jenny and the planning began. I spent the weekend in Naseby reading the book by Paul Klemick Poles down South, and the excitement grew. 

By 31 January our Viking River Cruise was booked. By 4 February we had booked and paid for Cruise, flights and insurance. 

On the fifth of February I went to a Polish Heritage evening at the Dunedin library and listened to Paul Klemick. I really can hardly believe I will walk on Polish soil.... it's been a dream for so so long. 

On the 6th of February I set up a countdown on the timer app and it was 223 days til we travel. I contacted Todd and unbelievably he is coming to meet me in Poland!

On 18 February I set up a Google My Map and the serious planning began. What a wonderful time Alison and I have had working out where we will go and stay and what we will see. 

Since the start of the year Alison has had shoulder surgery, and I have recouperated from a a major back injury, with endless osteo, accupunture, and finally got to join Mind Muscle gym to rehab around the injury. 

All along the journey, over the last 219 days I have been sharing the countdown...

Now with three days to go... I am even more excited...

Let this adventure begin...

Story Hui - crossing the great divide

 Today I had a wonderful find in google photos from 2017. I so clearly remember when Liz cut this out for me. These three images are so precious to me. They show ME in current state, then facing up to an adversity, laying down the plank and crossing the great divide.

Story Hui really is the most amazing tool for capturing the Story of what skills, attributes or strengths you have called on to move into a new space, forever changed. 

It has been an incredible privilege to have worked with Liz so closely over so many years. #grateful indeed!

What a welcome...

 

WOW I sure am grateful to be here. 

Shelley said the stars aligned and I sure do agree. 

New Year, New Role, New Start

WOW, what a start to 2024...

For a few years now I have been interested in the Learning Support Co-ordinator Roles. I have three friends in these roles and I see their impact, their job satisfaction and their JOY in their roles. 

Increasingly, the travel in my work was getting out of control. 

Very late last year, the stars aligned, and I have accepted a role as Learning Support Co-ordinator in the Beachside Cluster, across Tainui and Musselburgh Schools. 

I am beyond excited. 

“And suddenly you know it’s time to start something new and trust the MAGIC of beginnings…”

11 years ago today I started with CORE Education and it has been a MAGICAL carpet ride, making friends for life, working with incredible educators, and travelling… an incredible amount of travel… especially around the south, and also out to the Chathams and even over to Denver for ISTE! 

Now it’s time for a new chapter! I am ridiculously excited for this new beginning! In a way, it feels like bringing together my life as a teacher, deputy principal, mentor and facilitator of happiness, into the privilege of walking alongside learners, families and teachers! 

A new chapter begins…

As part of my move to a new role, it was very important for me to spend time in Wellington with our Founders Nick Billows, Derek Wenmoth and my mentor Mary Anne Mills. What a week! It really was unreal.

So many amazing things happened last week. One in particular is very important to my new journey. I had the privilege of spending time with Harry Mills, CEO, The Aha! Advantage, and author of numerous books. We had incredible discussions as our current and recent reading has many overlaps. I shared this image with Harry:

Harry immediately recognised the style and made the connect that this is the illustrator of the images in Adam Grant's latest book, Hidden Potential. 

I discussed with Harry, my recent changes, and my passion for Positive Psychology. I was in the process of enrolling for my Master of Positive Psychology out of Melbourne, when I won my new role.

Harry offered me an incredible opportunity. He suggested I locate ten books that will challenge me, support me, engage me, inspire me, and cause me to flourish in my role. I am incredibly grateful for this and indeed, I have my first two books. 

Building on my recent success with Whole School Educator Wellbeing, I believe I will get a lot more out of these reads, if I engage in discussion, through chapter chat. 

So... this is where I start...

Book one is: 

No Hard Feelings 

Emotions at Work (and how they help us succeed)

By Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy

Book 2 is:

The Learning Challenge

How to Guide Students Through the Learning Pit to Achieve Deeper Understanding

By James Nottingham

So here is a link to the chapter chat...

 

I can't wait for you to join this fun...

Hi Blog, I'm back...

 WOW I can hardly believe how long I have been missing in action. I have blogged loquaciously in a private reflection blog over the last few years. 

SOOO excited to be back... and I have so much to share...

Reading Science in Schools Link

Reading Science in Schools - curating link for future reading and reference.  

Q for Quality - Day 3 Alert Level 4

 Q for Quality... and what a quality day this has been...

The sun shone, the birds sang... and I got stuck into work. 

21 degrees and it was a time for walk. 

I had been looking up at Chain Hills and was looking forward to a bit of an uphill climb, but oh my goodness, it was a hot day for this...

It was so good to see the motorway so quiet... this pause really must have been so good for the universe again. 

Up the old motorway, and along chain hill road, and I decided to head down through the paddock. What an adventure this turned out to be. I met a very friendly, cute little lamb. 

Stunning views over town towards the ocean...

Heading back down through the paddocks... I had to find my way around the paths, across the gully and found myself inside an electric fence area... a bit of slithering and manoeuvring and I was safely out... Looking back up it doesn't look anywhere near as steep as it seemed on the way down...

Nearly 8km walk in that heat, over those hills... a quality walk on a quality day...

Driveway drinks was a very nice reward at the end of the day. It is so good to have such great neighbours... we sat and yarned til the sunset and the day began to cool. 

I ended this quality day staying up wayyyy too late, but oh it was worth it to see Holly Robinson win a gold in the Javelin for New Zealand. So good to see Raylene interviewed with her too. Well done team.

P for Purpose - Day 2 Alert Level 3

P for purpose... Purpose is my one word for 2021. I am committed to thinking about what I do, and checking in on myself that I am purposeful in my life. 

So today, a day on purpose. 

I spent hours this morning catching up on recordings and tidied my office. It was sad to see this slide in Helen's session, to see all the people who have left CORE... we miss them. 

WOW what a space my office is becoming. It is soooo fabulous to be home to have time to actually enjoy my office space. 

I also found some absolute treasures... this collection of cereal cards from 25 - 30 years ago is an absolute treasure. I must show these to little guy next time. 

And would you believe, another 19 degree day. I was really sore after that mammoth 33km ride yesterday. Getting out of the bed this morning I sure did feel it. The best move I made was doing a FitOn session them session 30 of the Adrienne Yoga Breath challenge.

Midday, I decided to take a break and go for a very gentle cycle. Yes, it was gentle, and indeed it was delightful to stay off the main streets. I meandered in and out of the Mosgiel street, smells the stunning scent of spring blooms and viewing gorgeous gardens. I sure didn't set out intending to bike 22.5km. 

Great mail in the post today! Mental Health Awareness resources arrived. I can't wait to use these in my mahi. Such incredible free resources. 

O for On-Track - Day 1 Alert Level 3

 O for On-Track...

What a day! My morning started early so I could have a break in the middle of the day, and what a stunner of a day I picked for this. 

An early morning Webinar was a great learning opportunity. Check out this amazing read and share widely! 

Engage Secondary Students Because the Future Depends on it.

This is such an awesome read, and the 12 points are so worth spending time reflecting on. 

After a long morning online, I headed off on an adventure and found myself on the right track... hahahaha 

Grant was back at work today, so I really missed my biking buddy. The stunning weather and lack of wind saw me head all the way out to Outram in a stunning 19degrees. That ice cream sure did taste great. 

After enjoying my ice cream in the sun I had an idea... Why not bike over to Allanton and come home that way. WOW, what a trip down memory lane. It wasn't yesterday for sure, but my summers were punctuated with bike rides from Allanton to Grantly Farm, or latterly to Outram for berry picking. I started picking black currants, moved to raspberries and had a brief stint in the boysenberry patch, until I ate more than I picked, and I moved back to the raspberries and black currants. I remember long, hot days. I remember fun and laughter and meeting lots of people. And most of all, I am soooo grateful for the work ethic I learnt, and the money I earned which enabled me to purchase my little red mini. It sure was a reminiscing ride. 

I loved everything about the ride apart from two things. Three particularly inconsiderate drivers sped by so fast, the hairs on my arm bristled, and the volume of traffic was horrendous.

And, on the straight between Outram and Allanton I must have ventured too close to a magpie's nest. WOW it was horrendous to have the magpie shadow swooping and diving... I certainly did up the pace, and eventually, after about five swoops I must have moved beyond her concern....

Teehee, another giggle, I was biking along just out of Allanton when I hear toot, toot, and who should it be, but Grant. So much for keeping my big ride, especially on the open roads, on the low down....

Back home and a stunning walk around the garden. The magnolia bud of a few short days ago burst out today, and owe what a beauty...

I am absolutely loving the hyacinth clumps. Each of these clumps have been gifts to Mum over the years. I would buy her a pot, then bring home and repot, some returned to her garden. They hold such precious memories...

And another delicious dinner. Kale, Pak choi and spinach from our garden. And an apricot and cream cheese stuffed chicken breast... delicious!

An on-track day all day...

N for NEED - Day 14 Alert Level 4

 No for NEED - need for focussing on wellbeing. Need for connecting, getting active, taking notice, learning and giving. 

What a stunning blue sky day after a nasty frost. I truly love this plant when it is flowering. 

A stunning walk with Grant around the area. I really will miss these daily outings as he starts back at work tomorrow. I am going to try and keep a walk or bike ride as a regular after work activity. 

I'll also miss our lunches in the sun...

Another real positive out of this time of pause - I have really committed to recording in my journal. It is a great journal and I love the focus it is giving me. I am being so much kinder to myself. 

How good does that look. Grant started painting the walls today, that I had water-blasted. They look AMAZING!!! I am really looking forward to us chipping away at this over the next few months...

And how awesome to finish the time in the garden tonight with picking a stunning vase of camelia. They really are an awesome flower. I can't believe our white camelia was literally browned off this morning with the frost, so plan to enjoy many vase fulls of these before they drop... I NEED flowers in vases... they are such a wonderful addition!