Not A Loser

A few weeks ago I asked for your help to decide which picture I should use to enter a contest to possibly win a trip.  I was very mysterious about this contest because I was afraid to get too excited and jinx it.  I didn't want to get so invested that if I didn't win, I'd be crushed.

Right after I applied for the grant, I found out I'm changing programs next year and moving to a different school. I'm excited but suddenly, the need to go on this trip was not so great.  I will still teach French and everything I wanted to do would totally be valid in this new position, but as it will  be my first year doing it, my priorities started to shift.

The grant is through the Hilton hotels and it's a travel grant.  Teachers can win a grant up to $6000 to do something really wildly creative in another country, to bring back to their classroom.  I thought spending a few weeks in Paris and Normandy and taking some courses at Le Cordon Bleu was a great idea.  I imagined spending most of July in France at the expense of Hilton.  I was finally going to visit the school where we do penpals in Normandy and spend time in that region since I know so little.  Then I was going to come back and offer cooking classes to teach what I learned to my students and also to the public through our local cultural center.  I couldn't wait to take some classes on Mediterranean cooking.

Then my world shifted and the thought of being gone for any time this summer started to weigh on me.  I won't spend the entire summer thinking about my new position, but being away for a while will really make me feel frantic to get things done when I get back.

We might say I get a little possessive of my summer days and while I love learning more about France, going away does take a lot of time away from the "me" time I so crave each summer!

I was kind of hoping I wouldn't win.

And I didn't.

At first, I was relieved but quickly disappointed and then annoyed.  30 finalists were chosen for online voting and 15 of those will actually win.  Why wasn't I one of the 30?  Wasn't what I came up with a kick-ass suggestion?

I went to the site so to see these 30 finalists and to see why I didn't get chosen.  Many of them are doing wild ass things over several continents and in god-forsaken places I have no interest in ever visiting.  I can understand the judges being oohed and ahhed by people visiting Africa and Bangladesh and Haiti.  But Paris and Italy are in there....

However, one woman caught my eye.  She wants to do just about the same thing I proposed, but in Italy.  I don't know why she was chosen over me because what we wrote was quite similar and I even took it another step further to say that I would share what I learned through cooking classes in the community.  But, I want her to win because her idea is so similar to mine. 

See, I'm not a sore loser.  A sore loser would have said 'screw them all' but I actually did vote because I want her to win!

So, go here and vote for her, just like you would have voted for me if I had been a finalist!

Click here to vote.

I am not at all being compensated by the Hilton hotels and I have no affiliation or personal stake in anything to do with them.  I do not know the teacher I am recommending, I just like what she had to say.  I want to see a teacher fulfill a dream!
***********************************************************************************
On a different note, can you help me help my sister?  She's a sewing aficionado who blogs at Call Ajaire and  has recently been featured on Joann Fabric's youtube channel.  Click here and go check out her video for a simple way to make a belt for toddler pants.