[NOTE: I published this as a page, originally, because JET LAG. :P]

Allow me to set the scene.

Our new apartment (we moved about a week before our departure to the US) has a mostly open floor plan, downgraded to a single bedroom and one bathroom which is all that we need. The rest of the apartment is mostly bare floor, excepting a comfy red suede couch and the kitchen appliances and counters that line the walls to my right. Scattered across the floor are all of our suitcases, lying open with rummaged through contents from haphazard and incomplete unpacking. It is approaching 7am local time, and I haven’t slept since yesterday.

Currently, all is quiet. No neighbors making noise. The club across the street finally called it quits. It doesn’t sound like the morning commute traffic has picked up yet. (Is it a holiday that we missed?) The construction in the neighborhood hasn’t started back up yet, but there is an occasional train whistle and the sound of wheels on tracks in the near distance.

Outside, it’s chilly with a cool breeze and temperatures hovering around 50F. Yesterday was rainy, and the cold damp remains. The sky is clear, and the air is fresh and clean! We will continue to unpack and settle in between now and orientation/fall training next week.

In my jetlag-fueled insomnia last night, I stumbled across this Buzzfeed listicle about Mongolia that led me to this travel blog documenting a couple’s backpacking journey from Thailand to South Africa–no air travel allowed. I’ve borrowed the photo below to showcase some of their amazing photography. Do check out their posts from their travels in Mongolia!

Finally, I am working on some updates for our blog here. Heading into our second year of teaching in UB, we are trying to find more resources to improve our work. (Having a veritable ton of teachers within both of our immediate and extended families helps!) That said, we’re compiling and categorizing these resources and are hoping to roll out a “Resources” page soon for other teachers. Let us know if you have any recommendations! Both EFL specific and general educational/teaching resources appreciated–print and online!

Until next time!