Classes, and Wisconsin, and Kayaks, Oh My!

I've been wicked busy, lately (yes, I'm almost a New Englander because I used "wicked," I know, I know...)...almost a month ago, I finished my last class in a program I was doing to become certified by the state to move into administration in schools. It was a year-long program, and I completed it with a "cohort" of people - meaning a small group of people who took classes together. My friends and I ended our year together with a celebration of a golfing expedition (I did not do as well as I had hoped....), and promised to get together soon. I'm certainly going to miss my friends! It's probably like missing your friends from summer camp, except all these people are teachers - your worst nightmare!

The very next week, I took a class with some other teachers (there were 32 of us) in Brookline, at an organization called Facing History and Ourselves ("FHAO"). The organization helps teachers understand more about human atrocities around the world from our history, focusing on big tragedies, such as The Holocaust, The Armenian Genocide, and the Eugenics Movement in the USA and Europe. During the class, we studied these topics, and examined the human behavior and decisions that led to these awful events occurring...and considered what we can do differently to prevent them from ever happening again. The topics were complex and complicated, but the week was very rewarding and interesting.

Next, I hoped on a plane and flew from Logan Airport to General Mitchell Airport (Boston to Milwaukee) to visit my parents. It was great to see them - Milwaukee is a very planned, organized city, unlike Boston. In Milwaukee, almost every single street goes north-south or east-west. It is virtually impossible to get lost (thankfully)! We relaxed, went to the golfing range (good practice for me), biked, I ran and trained for my marathon, and visited with friends. It was low-key, but fun. I spent a lot of time on the shore of Lake Michigan in Veterans' Park. It is similar to the Esplanade in Boston, but much longer. It was always full of people rollerblading, running, and walking dogs. Also in Veterans' Park is the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM), designed to look like a fish.

Finally, I returned home in time to continue my marathon training and read some more. Today was a cross-training day, so I went down to the Charles River in Allston to the Charles River Canoe and Kayak Store and rented a kayak for several hours. I kayaked about 15 miles, from just west of the North Beacon Bridge to the Museum of Science and back. It was absolutely beautiful out today, so it was worth the effort. I need to gear up for my next long run. So far, my longest has been 18 miles. My schedule tells me to run 20 to 23 miles on Saturday - wish me luck!

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