Blurring the Boundaries and Coloring Outside the Lines.

    Ok... So the title of this post (well the "blurring the boundaries" bit anyway) proves that I have spent far too much time scouring JSTOR for my Master's work in English literature: Post-modernism, post-modernism, post-modernism! Haha. English nerd problems-- we tend to attempt an application of literary theory to anything. And everything.

So. I am Haley Marshall, and I am a 25-year-old English teacher from the buckle of the Bible belt that is the beautiful Nashville, Tennessee. I assume you all know that, since my readers probably consist of my girl posse (what up, ya-ya sisters! ;)). In describing myself, one of the first things I state is that I am a recent college graduate from Belmont, here in Music City. However, I stopped myself the other day as I said that; and realized that the "recently" is getting farther and farther away. Therefore, some better Haley-describers are: quirky/eccentric (but in a fun way, I hope anyway). Traveler. Literature lover: of both the classics and the classics-to-become. Anglophile. Francophile. Cat-o-phile (hehe). Restless. Nature lover. City lover. History buff ( I especially love the Edwardian period through the 20s, and then skip the Great Depresh' and hop on into the '60s-- I'm convinced I was placed in this time period as some sort of bad karma punishment). Youthful. Explorer. Inquisitive (sometimes too much so). Adventurer. Spontaneous yet cautious. Learner. Teacher.

        College was by far the best, most freeing, most eye-opening 4 years in my life. I learned so much about MY beliefs, values, and ideals (not necessarily the ones of my family/upbringing). Although I sometimes wish I had gone farther away, then I would not have met a few of my best friends, some of the most genuine, lovely people I know. The number one thing I learned? That while I love my hometown, there is soooooo much more of the world that constantly calls out to me. When I studied abroad in the UK (Manchester, to be exact-- every Anglophile and music-lover's dream, right?!); for the first time ever, I got to appreciate and experience a new culture and eventually, a sense of belonging. I remember how exciting it was the first time a visitor asked for directions-- and I could give them!  I know it's a cliche, but I definitely found myself in college.

Copenhagen, Denmark: December 2012
Right before our toes all froze off.

        I have told my students to be global learners, not only local learners: I desperately want them to be aware of the whole other world that is out there beyond the US borders. Traveling opens your eyes in ways you never thought wholly possible; and you are given an eclectic mix of stories that you will remember for a lifetime. The stories that I remember take place off the Hop-on-hop-off bus (oh how I hate that thing). The best experiences are made when you get absolutely lost, and discover the quaintest cafe or bookstore along the cobblestone streets of Florence, the quirkiest, kindest person you've met thus far, a cozy centuries-old pub in England where you can chat for hours with the locals, or the best jazz bar in all of Copenhagen (where your purse will remain hours after you forgot it and left it chilling on the seat *cough*Cara*cough*). Not to undermine the major attractions, of course: I will never forget the awe you feel while watching the Eiffel Tower light up at midnight, walking through Westminster Abbey, and visiting Stratford-upon-Avon; and touring the Vatican in Rome and the gardens of Versailles outside of Paris. Or the sad surreality of walking through Anne Frank's attic and the Dachau concentration camp.

 Honestly, my love of travel and teaching go hand-in-hand: for both, you have to be extremely adaptable. In teaching, you have to accept the fact that your carefully-constructed lesson for the day on analyzing and discussing Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech is not going to go as planned when you suddenly realize it's picture day, or, God forbid, a snowflake falls out of the sky and everyone must run to the window every two nanoseconds. With traveling, you must be prepared for the obvious: flight delays, cancellations, getting lost, your cab driver trying to take you to Jersey City instead of Brooklyn, etc etc etc. You must also be able to deal with the not-so-obvious: like leaving your passport in the Gare du Nord Station (Sorry Hannah and Emily), or the plane not being able to land in Scandinavia--thus just circling in the air for eternity-- because the runways were too icy (A shout-out to Cara, Emily, and vodka for being able to get us through that one)!

     This summer, I am embarking on a month-long journey to combine two of my passions, teaching and traveling, by going to stay with a host family in Mallemort, France: a tiny Medieval-ish town in the Cote-d'Azur region of France, which is a bit over an hour north of Marseille. I will be staying with a small family, a mother and her 13-year-old daughter, and I am so excited to get to know them! From our email correspondences, I can tell that the girl I am tutoring already has a great grasp on English-- much better than my uber-basic knowledge of French (I'm being generous-- my French sucks). However, this is a bit of an immersion program, so I hope to come back to the US of A being able to speak at least a little conversational French. I only have to teach for fifteen hours a week, which leaves plenty of time for other travels. I got in touch today with a few other girls who will be in France at the same time as I will; and a Switzerland trip is already in talks! :) We are all spread out, but it's nice to know that there are several other adventurers working with my same teaching program, Geovisions. 

I earlier described myself as both cautious and spontaneous-- I have learned that in order to break out of the mold (and what's often expected of you), you have to draw your own path, even if it is not what is conventional, per se. As long as you are acknowledge and prepare for potential picture days and flight cancellations, what is stopping you from coloring outside the lines a bit? As my man Jimmy Carter once said, "Go out on a limb. That's where the fruit is."

Overall, I have to say: travel has been my greatest teacher; and I eagerly await my next adventure. Je suis prêt, Provence!