I've arrived in Fife

I'm in Fife. It was no mean feat getting here, let me tell you. After some significant drama and another lesson in resilience I find myself yet again alone in a hotel room with my luggage and my iPad, contemplating the adventure that this is, and enjoying the softening of the experience that a large glass of wine can bring. ( they serve large servings here which I think is about half a bottle). 

The trip from Denmark to here was not, for the most part, much fun. I got to Copenhagen airport by taxi in plenty of time and enjoyed a dark ale and a conversation with a fellow called Mike at one of the bars. I like connecting with people, and he was interested in what I was doing so far from home. It's always fun trying to share the concept of Nature kindergartens with people who have never heard of the concept or contemplated it. 

Then things went pear shaped. Long story short, my flight from Copenhagen to Brussels was delayed, giving me significant worry that I might miss the connection again. I didn't, I made it by minutes. Brussels airport has gates A and B and the journey to gate B that is reserved for connecting flights took nearly an hour. Knowing I was cutting it fine didn't allow me any time to take in the atmosphere, and the usual fug I'm in when trying to find my way around was another reason to walk around with an anxious frown stamped on my face the whole time. I did make it however, just in time to join the line to board and the next flight was without incident. 

Ok, so this is where the fun starts. I arrive at Edinburgh, get through customs and  start confidently to the car rentals. I walked the long stretch, a five minute walk outdoors, covered but still exposed and cold and don't forget I'm carrying and pulling over 30 kilos of luggage. The wind is arctic and whips my scarf all around my head. I arrive at the office where a gorgeous young girl serves me. She is chatty and friendly and so comforting, that is until my credit card is declined! What! Declined! It can't be. But it was, and I had no back up plan. They needed a secure credit card to let me take a car and I didn't have it. I wanted a car with a gps which was going to cost a huge amount extra, plus they said I needed insurance. It was going to diminish my scholarship funds considerably, but that was mute because my credit card was declined. Her tone changed from sweet and friendly to officious and professional. They could do nothing for me. So I caught a bus.

Panicked calls to the teachers credit union and my husband were to no avail. Nobody was open and once Graeme is asleep that's it until morning. I managed the .05 km walk from the bus stop to my hotel, all uphill and this time sleet added to the blustery winds whipping my face. I  got past the concierge without having to leave a credit card for security, got settled, showered and dressed to emerge back out on the street to find a meal.  I walked along a lovely ancient street where there were a fantastic selection of cafés and I chose one where two young fellas were playing and singing traditional Scottish folk music. I drank cider, ate salad and tried to relax. 'Live very moment' was sign posted on the door and it reminded me that every moment is precious even when things seem insurmountable. 

Sleep was hard to come by and I have to admit I shed a few tears in frustration and worry that night, but sleep I did. 

That restless sleep found me ready for breakfast the next morning. The breakfasts here have been amazing! I start with fruit and yoghurt, progress to toast and eggs, mushrooms, baked beans, then finish with a pastry or two. All this with lashings of tea and some times a coffee as well. Going home to Vegemite toast is going to be an adjustment. 

I got stuck into that breakfast with all my might, packed and left my room. I tested my credit card and found it worked fine. I bought a shiny new tom tom, I checked with the flight centre across the road about the car hire plan I'd paid for in full and was told I don't need extra insurance, and I caught a bus fully armed and ready to tackle whatever came my way. I got the car at no extra cost and drove to Fife. 

So here I am, in the hotel room, enjoying the quiet and settling in with a cup of tea and my new book. I'm looking forward to visiting the Secret Garden tomorrow. I'll let you know what I learn and experience. I will be meeting them at their forest venue, meeting new people and having the time of my life. 

Bye for now. 

Can someone remind me why I'm doing this?

Chapter one

I have been working on what to tell you about my time at Boldon over the last two days, but have had a few distractions and long hours of travel in preparation for my flight to Denmark. Today began at 1:45 am when Graeme my husband woke me to make sure I got up to catch the 6 am flight from Edinburgh to Copenhagen. The time differences are doing both our heads in. I wasn't very happy that he woke me an hour earlier than I had intended, but couldn't get back to sleep and what was the point for less than an hour, so I got up, threw on my clothing and got in the car. 

Over here they have this system of putting a post code into the GPS and it magically leads you to where you're going. I had a post code for the company I hired the car from and I blindly allowed it to take me after punching in numbers and letters. Well it took me near the airport, but to some isolated gated and fenced section of it and nothing to indicate Hertz rent a car. Thank you Graeme for getting me out of a warm bed an hour earlier than I needed because I needed that hour to frantically make phone calls, listen to calm detached recordings about customer service and websites, fiddle with the #%*_+ GPS that wouldn't let me put in an address! only a post code! Oh boy. I was pretty stressed. I used my trusty iPhone and precious expensive cellular data to lead me to the address on the website. It was a good 10 Kms  away but I found it after winding my way through long term parking, drop off zones (that cost me a pound just to get out)  and finally seeing a sign to leave hire cars. I wanted to get out and give that sign a hug but I kept my dignity and found my way to a dark car park and a place to drop keys and I still had fifteen minutes to spare before the allotted check in time of 3:45am. 

I saw the lighted doorway to the terminal, but the automatic doors wouldn't open. As it turns out they were only the doors to the offices for car rentals, closed because it was 3 in the morning, but you know what it's like when you're running late for work and your heart starts to pound a bit and you're feeling a bit stressed and then you can't find the keys! It happens to me quite regularly and what happens then is my brain shuts down. It's called cortisol, this hormone that gets all hyped up makes me sick on the stomach and shuts me out from thinking straight. So that's what was happening to me at this point. I looked around and saw a sign that said 'help' . Well I needed help didn't I? It was a lovely comforting sign with a phone and a phone number in big numbers. I clutched it like a life raft and rang the number. I heard a human voice and I said "I'm at the airport and have just dropped off a hire car but I can't get into the terminal" The lovely Scottish accent of the first real person I'd spoken to since this turmoil began kindly explained that they were a taxi service for handicapped people and he couldn't direct me. 

So I took a deep breath and settled down enough to figure it out for myself. I felt so silly but it is a funny story so I thought I'd share it with you, even at the risk of you thinking me rather stupid. 

I found the path to the terminal and it all went off without a hitch from there. I'm about to board a flight and should arrive at Viborg in Denmark in about 12 hours. I have to get two flights, and two trains. Can someone remind me why I'm doing this? I know I thought it was a good idea at the time. I guess I'm just keen. 

I'll be sending my reflections on the last few days at Boldon Nursery at some stage during my day of travel. Till then, I've got a flight to catch. 

Chapter two

My flight was delayed! I missed the connecting flight to copenhagen! I had to line up for an hour to go through security then made a beeline to see the airline help desk. I had been waiting, exhausted, on a line where I could see the consultants looking very sympathetic but firmly shaking heads and pursing lips and checking computers just to shake heads again. I couldn't understand a word they were saying. One was speaking French, the other German and the passengers that had also missed connecting flights were looking very angry. I longed to know what they were saying so I could read my fate.

So I get to my turn and I see the same face as I explain what happened. She apologizes with a sympathetic air as she explains the 'solution' for me. I'm to catch another flight to Frankfurt, then onto copenhagen from there. I'll miss the train to viborg and will not get to my accomodation which is all paid for and waiting for me so invitingly. I want a bed! Now! It's the holidays so I don't even know if I'll get a bed in copenhagen. Can someone remind me why I'm doing this?

Chapter three

Well I've made it to Frankfurt and am relaxing on a comfy couch awaiting the flight to copenhagen. I think it's all going to work out and I bought myself some duty free perfume to cheer myself up. I was pretty excited to learn that Clinique doesn't test on animals, one of the few cosmetic companies that don't, so I thought it was time to give myself a treat. 

Chapter four

I arrived in Copenhagenafter a pleasant flight by the window. One good thing about all this is that I've had three different delicious pastries, one for each flight. I got in at about 6, seven hours later than intended. I went to pick up my bag and would you believe it? I watched for fifteen minutes the same left over bags going round and round, mine not appearing despite my willing it to with all my might. There were a few similar looking ones to tease me and my eyeballs hurt from hopeful scrutiny of these, but no luck. Okay so by now I have to admit that I was getting a bit fragile. I followed instructions to a counter and a lovely young man who looked about 12 served me. Poor young thing. It was all I could do to hold it together. He heard the quake in my voice, saw the pathetic look of helplessness in my eyes, and the slouch of my body weary from the hours of travel, stress and problems. He smiled cheerily and said 'let's see what we can find'. Like a comforting adult to a small child he said in a bright voice 'I know where your bag is' and directed me to yet another counter. It had gone through a slightly different process due to my being redirected and was on a different carousel. 

Now to get the train.

So I'm on the train now and pretty confident that I'll cope with changing at a station I can't read or pronounce. One more step in this tedious process. I wanted adventure and I guess that's what this is. 

When I get in it'll be 1:45am. Isn't that poetic? This whole journey has taken 24 hours. 

A day of forest school training

http://www.mindstretchers.co.uk/Mindstretchers%20story.cfm

Forest school training

I am on my bed smelling of smoke and defrosting my toes and fingers as I write this. I'll have to be quick because I'm going to meet some of my new friends for a meal at their hotel in about half an hour. One of the things I haven't liked much about this trip is spending evenings alone. I get a bit lonely, even though I quite like my own company it's not nearly as good as spending time with people you enjoy being around. So I was thrilled to be able to join Katrina and Sarah, two practitioners (as they call educators here) who are in Crieff for forest training. 

I met seven early childhood practitioners today and we packed quite a lot into our time together. We learnt about the history of forest schools, developed environmental impact matrix's and then spent the afternoon preparing all the ingredients, utensils and tools for a big camp fire cook up. We had to consider all the items we would need at the fire house to accomplish the meal. We worked cooperatively and collaboratively to achieve this and once everything was organised and prepared we made our way to the fire house. 

We started with the soup cooked in a cast iron pan, baked bread inside orange skins and wrapped around bamboo poles. We also had steamed fish (not me of course, I don't eat things that had faces), vegetable kebabs, potato chips and roasted marshmallows pressed between two chocolate oat biscuits. I'd like to say it was all delicious but everything had a rather smokey flavour and charcoal texture. What was delicious was the process, the collaboration, cooperation and camaraderie that can only occur around a camp fire. It brings people close together, drawn by the warmth and the the necessity to work together for the benefit of everyone. The circle that is created around a fire is symbolic of the human need to belong. 

We learnt how to set a fire, how to keep it blazing and how to whittle sticks for the kebabs and marshmallows. We had to consider what to cook first, what needed flames and what needed coals, and to work out the most effective methods of placement on the fire. These are forestry skills that children learn when they are a part of the nature forest programs that are dotted around the country. 

We also got to carve a ball inside a cube with a raw potato and a knife. It was amazing and put me in that zone where the task takes so much concentration that the time just melts and you only realise you have a sore back and stiff wrists and fingers from the effort when you're about done.

Then came the cleaning up and that also took considerable cooperation and time management. It was freezing by the time we left. 

The other highlight of this day was an evening with two lovely ladies who are here for the training. Over a nice meal and a bottle of wine we shared our professional journeys. It was interesting to hear that Katrina and Sally have many of the similar worries that we have. How to provide the fifteen hours a week, how to manage with limited funding, how to get a lunch break, how to fit in all the demands of the regulators and how to document effectively as well as efficiently. How to fit it into the work day and not take loads home. How to convince co workers and parents that outdoor play in the woods or park is of such tremendous value that it's worth the effort, the hard work and problem solving over the many constraints. We were amazed at how much we had in common, across the other side of the globe. 

I'll leave you here with this. It's taken about three goes to get this written so I'll post it and hopefully not be too late for the last day of forest training. 

Post if you can. Tell me your one biggest worry in your early childhood centre. I won't attempt to find a solution but I'm interested. 

Talk tomorrow

Ruth