I took one final trip, back to Guatemala to complete my sabbatical and to check on the special program called, "Ninos Pequenos Pero Listos". Here is the link to the U-tube movie on the "Let's Be Ready" website: Alice’s return visit to San Juan de Obispo The short film revisits the village that I helped in September and October 2010, during the first part of my sabbatical. The teacher is now back with the program and has a healthy eight month old baby, too. I'll try to attach some photos, too, but the website for Lets Be Ready has several short movies about my time in San Juan. Hopefully the link works well and gives you all some insight into this incredible place and the wonderful opportunity I had to work there.

The Spring has held many surprises and kept me busy with trips to Chicago. My new grand baby was born on May 10th and her name is Ella Frances.

I went to Puerto Rico last week. It is called "Isla de Encanta" or Island of Enchantment. I was impressed with the island's simple beauty and the friendliness of the people we encountered. It was fun to enter a place that feels so foreign, but not need a passport. Also, most everything is written in both Spanish and English. Most people, especially those under 25 years old spoke English well, but I was lucky to find a few people that spoke little English and appreciated my Spanish. On this trip, my husband and daughter joined me the whole week, and then later in the week my sister-in-law and my niece joined us. We went to the bioluminescent lagoons, which involved kayaking at night...quite an experience and the highlight of the trip. We also toured Old San Juan, which included forts that were built in the 1500's to protect this Spanish colony from the British, Dutch, and raiding pirates. We stayed in a small town about 40 miles southeast of San Juan, called Loquillo. Here are some pictures. Once, again thank you for all you prayers and support. It's been an amazing year!

It's good we planned ahead and did a little sandbagging at our house and at our neighbors before we left for Puerto Rico. The river waters are high, but not threatening. We actually came home to our house overlooking a beautiful lake. (Too bad the reality is high flood waters.) We are enjoying our own canoe/kayak trips right out our own back door!

I've had some questions about what I do between my travel adventures. Well, there are many things that have kept me busy. First, I go back and forth between Minneapolis and Chicago. My son and daughter-in-law both work with the Chicago Public School System and are involved in charter schools with a high Latino population. I have gone to help in the classrooms, read to students, and donate books to their schools. I also have another opportunity to practice my Spanish. Also, I live in Delano and the river challenges us here every spring. This year, with all the extra snowfall, brings new challenges. Fortunately, we have a great community and special neighbors. We're helping each other prepare for possible flooding. Last weekend was a good one for sandbagging. So far, all is well and the cold has actually slowed the rising waters down in a good way. My next trip is to Puerto Rico, so I'll have a break from river woes. More later!

Oh, I forgot to mention that when we were on a bus tour through the mountains, the bus broke down and we had to get out and push! Of course that only added to the adventure and helped us all get to know one another better.

I can't believe it's February! I have been learning a lot about the culture and extreme climate of Chile first hand. Last week I went to, literally, the end of the world. I rode on a ship in Tierra del Fuego and through the ice fields of Patagonia. All I can say is that it was incredible and a once in a lifetime experience. I miss my husband, family and friends a great deal, but I've made many new friends and am a part of a wonderful family in Chile, too.

Now I am living in Santiago, Chile. I am going to the "Bridge" school for my lessons in Spanish. Luckily it is very close to my family's apartment. Santiago is a very big city and a challenge for me to navigate. (Remember that I've been living in Delano, Minnesota for 15 years!) Anyway, day by day things are improving. I'm navigating the metro and learning to understand Chilean dialect. (The Chileans talk very fast and leave of the end of many words, so I have to listen intently when apart of a conversation.) My family is wonderful and goes out of their way to be helpful.

My family was correct in saying that Valparaiso is the place to be for bringing in the New Year!

There were tons of people everywhere with lots of food and spirits. The grandma in my family has a house on the hilltop, so we could see celebrations all the way down the coast. My family made special masks, had a banquet of food and danced the night away. They taught me the traditional dance of Chile and I taught them the dance to the music Y.M.C.A.! At midnight there was a spectacular fireworks display and of course in Chilean fashion, lots of hugs and kisses!

When totally lost while walking through the twisted streets of Valparaiso, I met this artist. He had painted the walls along the building and up the stairs. He said he had been working at this spot for five years and has about three more years of work to cover the whole area. (In Valpo. this is considered an art gallery under the sky.) Anyway, I thought of Carol Grams and Tobie Dicker and all of their hard work with teaching children to appreciate fine art. This man's work was amazing!

I spent Christmas in the city of Valparaiso with my Chilean family. I was also fortunate enough to share this time with my husband, Jim and son, Erik. The family was the same host family that Erik had when he was in college and in Chile for a semester abroad. They have stayed close ever since and welcomed me with open arms. The city of Valparaiso is a historic port city and feels like an antique version of San Francisco. The streets are all crooked and twisted and the houses are built into the hillside. We have a wonderful view of the port from our house and I hear the fireworks are spectacular here for New Year's Eve. (I'm really looking forward to that tonight!) I also have family in Santiago and will be staying there for a few weeks while I continue my Spanish lessons. I found a Spanish school that's only five blocks from the family apartment in Santiago. Since it's summer, the children are home a lot and I spend many hours playing games and going to the park with the children. They help me with my Spanish and I help them with speaking English. The Chilean's display a lot of affection towards family and friends, so I'm getting used to lots of hugs and kisses, and I feel exceptionally well cared for. So, no worries.

Of course I have to mention that along with the majestic Andean Mountains, this area near San Pedro de Atacama is surrounded by volcanoes ( four major ones), two which are active and two dormant. We took a safari style land rover/truck to visit lagoons, salt flats, rocky trails and villages totally made of volcanic rock. It was fortunate that our guide is also a teacher and loves geology. He loved sharing his knowledge, but also gave me a cd with extra facts for me to download on my computer. His energy and love of the area was demonstrated in teacher form as he introduced us to both the landscape and his

village friends.

After 27 hours of travel, (Minneapolis to Miami, Miami to Santiago, Santiago to Calama, and a van ride from Calama to San Pedro) we made it! So far, it's been worth it! The town of San Pedro is charming with it's adobe buildings and dirt roads. The people are friendly and patiently guide me with my newly developed Spanish. This is a geologist and outdoor enthusiast's paradise. We have already hiked through sedimentary canyons, across sand dunes, seen salt flats that look like mountains of snow, and witnessed geysers at dawn after an evening with the full moon and lunar eclipse. Whew! This is definitely my time for the science portion of my sabbatical. I'll attach some photos. Feliz Navidad!

Wow! I can’t believe it’s December. I know everyone is fully immersed in holiday plans and it will be Christmas vacation before you know it. I was home to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. (Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love the uninterrupted time to visit and eat with my loved ones, and right now I have a lot of reasons to give thanks.) My time in Guatemala was so rewarding that it has been a challenge to think about moving to another place and to develop once again that sense of family. I leave on December 17th for Chile. I will be spending Christmas with my Chilean family, whom my son introduced me to. (He lived with the same family during a college year abroad and they have been close and stayed in-touch ever since.) My husband and son will be celebrating Christmas in Chile, as well. I look forward to time focused on the science of the Atacama Desert in the north of Chile contrasting that with the climate and landscape in Chile’s southern region, where glaciers abound. I will also have time to spend with my Chilean family (and of course practice my Spanish) dividing up my time between family in Santiago and family in Valparaiso. I will send photos once I get settled in my new routine. For now here is a photo of Lucy, the teacher I had helped out in Guatemala, and her baby. Both are doing well. Her sister Paola was giving me updates. The photo was taken the beginning of November and right before I left for Minnesota. So, please keep me in your prayers. I’m psyched for my next adventure: Chile: Part II/Sabbatical 2010-2011.

This is my last week in Guatemala. As one of my new friends said, "One eye is crying and one eye is open to the next adventure." It has been a memorable time here. I love this country and it's people. Their generous spirit has inspired me in so many ways. I can't wait to return some day soon. I especially will miss the children. I have attached some pictures of the fiesta the parents and teachers planned for my last day. The children thought it was my birthday, but at the end of the party a couple of them started crying when they realized I wasn't coming back. Of course after I left school and had time to process the whole thing, I started crying as well. Although I am excited to see what adventures Chile brings in December, it is REALLY HARD to leave Guatemala. This experience alone has made my sabbatical worthwhile.

I was thinking a lot about Breck on October 31st. I hope the Halloween parade was as fun-filled as always. I look forward to checking out the pictures on the first grade blogs! Halloween was nothing here, however, November 1st was Todos Santos (All Saints' Day). I joined some friends and thousands of others at the cemetery. Here the tradition is to send kites up to the heavens with notes for loved ones who have passed on to the other life. I was in Santiago Sacatepequez, where many people watched kite contests. The kites were gigantic! Everyone was in a festive mood. Many people decorated the graves with flowers and entire families ate, drank and visited with friends, while watching the kite contests. The day was memorable to say the least!

My last school visit for the month of October was to the village of San Antonio Aguas Calientes. The teacher, Josefina, was extremely welcoming and very creative in her teaching. Her materials are well organized and she has created a love of books with her students. It was fun to spend the morning with her. Fred is

so proud to have her apart of his program.