Home again...

While I am physically back here in Phil. doing laundry, weeding and watering, dusting, and dreading the 3 weeks of mail that should be dropped off this afternoon - I feel a little disoriented, I definitely left a little bit of my heart in Alaska. In 25 years of teaching and 20 following the Idiarod- this certainly was a 'teachers' conference' like no other. Some conferences have given me great ideas and inspired me in my work with kids but no other conference has, at the same time, tapped into my personal interests and passions so completely. As many of you have stated so well, Diane (and her team) artfully pulled together the many different aspects and responsibiliies involved with this race. No facet of the race was left unexplored and so, she not only trained teachers to share the race with their students with clarity and with joy - she let loose on the world freshly trained ambassadors for the sport! I know that at the B and B's I visited in Fairbanks and Anchorage, every breakfast evolved into a Q and A about the Iditarod, every one wanted to know more about it. And how exciting was it to be chatting with Mary Shields and have her mention that she had just come from Anch. visiting the VanZyle's, and when I said that we had been there, she said, "I know, I heard all about you all!" So many inspiring connections and wonderful memories, thank you Diane!
By now I guess that almost everyone is home, savoring summer but eager to share this experience with colleagues and kids. I bumped into Bonnie at the Open-air Market in Anchorage on Sunday and Karen in the airport Tuesday, we were on the same flight! (Hope you made your connection, Karen - made mine by the skin of my teeth!) Big state - small world! I enjoyed meeting you all and feel certain that the summer class of '07 will stay connected, creative, and supportive of each other's new ideas. I'm looking forward to pulling together my char. ed. curriculum with the addition of the many mushers' pictures I took with our school stripes. I'll post it when it's done and would love your feedback/suggestions.
Again, many thanks to Diane, Terri, Finney, Sarah, and Jane and to all of you for your unique contributions to this experience. Am definitely returning in '08 for the race..... and to see what 'dark' looks like in Anchorage.... and to look for that little piece of my heart I left behind.