Getting Used to Things

After 14 days here in Williamsburg I think we are getting the hang of things.  Yesterday was the first day I could get around the city without my navigation and feel completely comfortable.  The kids can recognize places as we drive past and when we get back to our apartment after a LONG day they say “home, sweet home”.  I am so glad the transition was so short and smooth… I can only hope the transition in Jamaica is just as short and sweet.

This past week has been bitter sweet, however.  My oldest baby actually spent the week back at home with his dad so he could attend summer camp.  Now I know my husband is very capable, but after almost 9yrs of being the primary caregiver and my kids going whenever and wherever I go, you can image my anxiety.  I certainly realize, that while I miss my husband I can work and travel while he stays home, but I CAN NOT do it without my children.  I’m so thankful all three are able to travel with me to Jamaica. 

I look forward to seeing both of my guys in a couple of days as when we meet up in DC for the Fulbright Orientation.  I’ll certainly keep you posted on how that goes.  Nothing bu excitement here…

Here's some photos from our last couple of days:

Averie making "pink pancakes" (beets, flour, sugar, egg and nutmeg) at the historic Powell House

Hanging out at Buck Roe Beach

His first view of the ocean... he was a bit overwhelmed and I had to coax him to get closer

His first swim in the ocean... he loved it

Williamsburg

We made is safely to Williamsburg yesterday.  My stress level has gone WWWAAAYYY down.  We are here, unpacked and settling into our apartment.  I was able to meet the kids’ childcare provider yesterday too and she really seems great!  Once we unpacked the big kids went to the movies with daddy and I was able to clean and finish setting up while the baby slept.  I was so grateful for the time as I think putting things in their place, making our beds and even putting our toothbrushes in the toothbrush holder made this place feel like home instantly.  After the movies we went for pizza in this great little shopping center.  While we waited for the pizza to cook I spotted a cute little yogurt shop across the street and we decided to have dessert before dinner.  We Enjoyed chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, cookies n cream, mango and ny cheesecake frozen yogurt topped with white chocolate chips, coconut, strawberries, marshmallow cream and whipped cream at what has to be the BEST frozen yogurt place ever!!!

The kids stopping long enough to take this pic as we devoured the best frozen yogurt!

The kids settled down for the nigh pretty easily and our first night was smooth and simple.  This morning was a little different as we were all so sad to see daddy leave.  The bigger kids took it harder than I expected since they are used to going on adventures with mommy.  We have never planned to be away for a whole two months before so maybe that has something to do with it.  It shouldn’t be that bad as we will see daddy in just 5 days when we travel back home for my nephew’s high school graduation.

This morning did give me a glimpse of how it might be when daddy takes us to Jamaica in January and then will have to leave us.  I’m sure it will be much worse than (at least for me).  At least he will get to spend two weeks in Jamaica with us as opposed to the just one night he spent here in Williamsburg.

I will continue to keep you posted on our comings and goings in Williamsburg.  Thanks for reading!

Readings

It’s not very often I get to read a book because I want to.  Usually I am reading for research or preparing for class.  I was lucky enough to have just finished a book I was reading “just because”.  This book is title Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.  This was a very interesting read.  I really appreciated the authors’ argument that we are all where we are in life due to circumstances and happen chances.  He was able to back his argument up with excellent examples.  He used Bill Gates and the Beatles as examples of this argument saying that while they are great, it is opportunities that were presented to them that allowed them to achieve what they did/ have… that no one is that great to accomplish such things on their own.  This book challenges you to look at your own life, which I did.  I realize that were I am today, with a great job and a fantastic career before even having my PhD, just accepted into a PhD program that happens to fit my research interests perfectly (and the only school I applied to), as a Fulbright Scholar and recipient of other grant awards, married to a wonderful man, a homeschooling mother to three health children, etc, because of opportunities and help from others presented to me along the way.  Having a hard working mother who worked her way out of a hard youth to land at a national lab in a small city with a fabulous educational system, having a family who, went through heartache and pain before I arrived and was on to brighter days as I grew up, moving in the third grade and attending a new elementary school where I met my dearest friend that continues to be my dearest friend to this day who has been nothing but encouraging and supportive, attending a high school (while administratively awful) provided an amazing education and opportunities, to meeting teachers in high school that encouraged us, emphasize the importance of a college education and show us beyond the borders of our small city, getting a full ride to both undergrad and grad school (otherwise attending Howard University would have been an impossibility) , to meeting my husband the first day I arrived in DC, etc.  You get the point… opportunities!

It is both humbling and inspiring to recognize that life is nothing more than a series of opportunities that we either take or let pass us by.  It is humbling because it forces us to realize that we are not as great as we thought we were, that anyone with similar opportunities can achieve the same success we have.  It is inspiring because it gives us hope and helps us realize we can be as great as we desire… we can be the next Oprah or Bill Gates as long we are prepared for opportunities as they are presented to us.

Reading this book has certainly put some things in perspective for me and given me another way to view life.  I am excited to move forward with this Fulbright adventure and see what new doors of opportunity will open.

Packing: No Not for Jamaica… for Williamsburg

I am realizing how difficult it is/ will be to pack for myself and three kids for this upcoming trip to Jamaica (and honestly starting to panic a little bit).  I am packing now for our two month stay in Williamsburg (I was awarded a NEH Challenge Grant through the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation). We leave in four days and I still don’t know how I’m going to get everything we need into our luggage bags and a few boxes.

This has me freaking out because if I can’t pack for the four of us to survive in Williamsburg for two months where we will have access to the same basic amenities that we do here in Charlotte, then how in the world am I going to pack for the four of us to stay in Jamaica for 4 to 6 months? We will have to take EVERYTHING to Jamaica (or so I hear) from clothes to linens to kitchen appliances to lamps to extra toiletries and first aid kits… well, you get my point!

Kenric says I just need to take enough for 2 weeks when I go to Jamaica… I laugh at that (and he does to I’m sure) since he is talking to the woman who carries 3 luggage bags (for me AND the kids) just to spend 2 nights away from home.

In the end I will probably have to ship a couple of boxes to Jamaica and stuff Kenric’s extra baggage with our stuff (all he needs is a change of clothes, underwear and a toothbrush anyway, right).

But enough with me worrying about packing for Jamaica… I need to figure out how I’m going to get all this stuff to Williamsburg.

Passports, Photo Shoots and More

Whew!  Today was a whirlwind of  a day.  Kenric had to be out of the door this morning at 645a at which time I got up to check and respond to my already full email inbox.  After his brief meeting he was heading back home to pick up me and the kids to be one of the first inline at the passport office.  We didn’t quite make it when we wanted (got there about 930) but the line wasn’t to bad.  It was an extremely easy process.  Kenric and I were required to show our ID (no youth passports without both parents there) and sign each form.  We gave him each of their birth certificates and he took their photos.  Simple as that.  We paid the $360 fee and that was that.  The nice passport processer even gave us the extra photo that he printed which I will need for visas (if they are needed)  so that is one less thing I have to remember to do.

After the applying for the kids passports we rushed back home to meet the kids music instructor.  He comes to the house on Tuesdays to teach piano, guitar and violin.  He is wonderful with the kids.  After lessons was lunch and then a wash and grease everybody down in preparation for our photo shoot.

Believe it or not the Brooks family will be featured in the July issue of Black Enterprise Magazine as the Financial Fitness Contest Winners.  We had and interview with the lady writing the article as well as a three hour discussion with a financial advisor from Merrill Lynch  yesterday.  So today they sent over the photographer!  It was actually more challenging than I thought.  He wanted to shoot outside so he gathered us all out there and then he said “OK, Act natural”.  We are all kind of looking at him… our natural is not standing in the back yard in 91 degree weather dressed casually but nice.  We all just kind of looked at each other for a minute.  As we started talking about what we could do to act natural he started snapping away.  He did have us look at the camera a few times, so I am hoping he was able to capture something suitable enough to be put in a magazine.  Now that I think about it, that was the first professional family photo session we have ever had.  Note to self: professional photo sessions for the Brooks family… um… not so much!

Once we were done and in the cool house trying to recuperate from the sweltering heat, I was kindly reminded by a friendly phone call that we were missing the kids science class.  Doh!  Even though we go every Tuesday, it completely slipped my mind today.  So I jump up and rush the kids to class.  After class, Kenric meets me to collect the kids and I head off to a boards meeting downtown and Kenric takes the kids to run errands with him.  We all meet back at home around 6pm and share a half gallon of Baskin Robbins Ice Cream (no we didn’t eat it all at once).

We watched the second to last Oprah together and everyone went to bed (which is where I am typing this right now).  Joshua has him annual state required testing in the morning, so he needs a good night’s sleep.

All in all it was a very productive day.

Life Outside of Fulbright

The family and I have been in Greenville for the past couple of days. Kenric came down for work and I came for research (comparative analysis of enslaved African and African American cemeteries).  Today I drove up to Spartanburg (only about 30 miles away) and met with Zac of Walnut Grove Plantation.  We went on a tour of the grounds and then he took me to the cemetery.  It was a beautiful site and dates to around 1765.  It is believed (or at least it is advertised) that both European Americans and the enslaved Africans are buried in this cemetery.  On first glance I have a difficult time believing that both groups share this space, but who knows.  Further surveying and exploration of historical records is needed.  After touring the cemetery on site we drove about ½ mile outside of the plantation to another small cemetery enclosed by a fence.  Oral tradition says that this is where the enslaved Africans are buried… and that I believe.  This small site was amazing and exhibited several characteristics that may suggest burial by and of enslaved Africans. 

I am excited to work with the Walnut Grove Plantation on this project. Being out there today brought me back to the present.  I have been focusing so much on Fulbright and moving to Jamaica that for the last month I have neglected things going on currently.  My walk around the cemetery reminded me that I have a life to continue (and a dissertation to write) when I return from Jamaica. Today inspired me to stop reading all of the Fulbright and “moving to Jamaica” blogs and pick up one of the textbooks I will be reading this fall (yep, my first semester in the PhD program). We'll see how long this eagerness to read ahead lasts *smile*

Advice from the Experienced (Thank You)

Last week I decided to reach out to some scholars who have previously completed a Fulbright in Jamaica.  I was a little apprehensive about contacting these individuals… I didn’t know how I would be received or what to expect.  Boy oh boy, I am so glad I did reach out to them.  Both individuals responded immediately and were both extremely kind.  I spoke to one former Fulbrighter on the phone and she was extremely informative.  That conversation really put my mind at ease.  We discussed Jamaican culture, students at the university, crime, driving, housing, options for my children, etc.  I learned so much from our brief discussion and I am so thankful that she took the time out of her day to call me.  I will certainly make sure that when I am a former Fulbrighter I will make myself available to all the new Fulbrighters that contact me, when that time comes. In the meantime I will take the advice that I received from a wise former Fulbrighter today and just sit back and enjoy this ride.