I finally got back on the road today after a week layoff. I got back to an area where I missed a few schools - Hingham, Scituate, Fairhaven, Carver and Middleborough - all in Massachusetts. Another beautiful day on the road, another day of smiling faces in the offices I visited. I'm getting more comfortable with my visits which is making it easier. I do enjoy the surprised looks and the appreciation. Who could't use a nice surprise in a busy day?
The GPS is working great. It's taking me places I've never been before. It cuts me through neighborhoods but not for long because it's finding me the direct routes to the nearest highway. New England certainly is beautiful even in the late fall with many of the leaves off the trees.
Time is passing quickly. I'm planning to go out again tomorrow but didn't want to stay overnight anywhere tonight because it's Halloween. Last week was productive even though I wasn't on the road (too many nights staying up late watching my Boston Red Sox win the World Series - why don't they have earlier games so kids can watch them??). I got a lot more supplies lined up. Everything takes longer than I think so between printing out the Stress Reduction strategies for the high school secretaries, finding the names of the high school principals, charting out a course, filling the little candy bags with 5 candies and a smile eraser, it's good in a way that I have some non driving days.
Time for some late lunch and then can get ready for tomorrow's destinations, make the changes I needed today (keeping a notebook for mileage, schools visited and reminder postcards to be mailed out in 2 weeks).
Hope all the educators survived Halloween in school today which is always challenging to be sure and of course, I hope they have a fun night!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Rainy Day Travels
I decided to put a day between travel days when possible to catch up on other business items, to drink lots of water (tough to do when you're on the road especially in some of the more rural areas) and to create more of a sense of balance.
So I worked in my home office on Thursday catching up on my other business - web design and internet marketing. Thankfully the web design is bringing in income because to date, the school curriculum has not for the most part. I learned (and am still learning internet marketing) to help schools find my website and it's a fascinating addition to my business which hopefully will help support me and pay for these trips to visit schools.
Today I took my Mom with me on the road and I went back to catch some of the schools I missed two days ago. This time I started on the Cape at Sandwich High School followed by an attempt to get into Bourne High School (front door locked, rang the doorbell 3 times - must mean no one was in the office), Wareham and then up the east coast of Massachusetts to Kingston, Norwell and of course whichever one I forgot. I never made it to Scituate and Hingham for despite being on the road at 9:30, I ran out of time to catch the last two.
The biggest dilemna today was the rain. The forcast said cloudy with occassional showers. I know when the showers happened...every time I pulled up to a school! I was like a drowned rat by the end of the day! My Mom couldn't believe that the hardest rain fell every time I got out of the car. Don't know if I'm being tested to give up...but it's only a little water...and I'm not done yet!
Anyway...five more schools know more about this program than they did this morning...a good day all things considered especially when the secretary smiles and says, "You're thanking us? No one every thanks us!"
Thank you...to all the people who make a high school run! Our teens (and often their parents) may not say thank you...but know that your work matters!
So I worked in my home office on Thursday catching up on my other business - web design and internet marketing. Thankfully the web design is bringing in income because to date, the school curriculum has not for the most part. I learned (and am still learning internet marketing) to help schools find my website and it's a fascinating addition to my business which hopefully will help support me and pay for these trips to visit schools.
Today I took my Mom with me on the road and I went back to catch some of the schools I missed two days ago. This time I started on the Cape at Sandwich High School followed by an attempt to get into Bourne High School (front door locked, rang the doorbell 3 times - must mean no one was in the office), Wareham and then up the east coast of Massachusetts to Kingston, Norwell and of course whichever one I forgot. I never made it to Scituate and Hingham for despite being on the road at 9:30, I ran out of time to catch the last two.
The biggest dilemna today was the rain. The forcast said cloudy with occassional showers. I know when the showers happened...every time I pulled up to a school! I was like a drowned rat by the end of the day! My Mom couldn't believe that the hardest rain fell every time I got out of the car. Don't know if I'm being tested to give up...but it's only a little water...and I'm not done yet!
Anyway...five more schools know more about this program than they did this morning...a good day all things considered especially when the secretary smiles and says, "You're thanking us? No one every thanks us!"
Thank you...to all the people who make a high school run! Our teens (and often their parents) may not say thank you...but know that your work matters!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Eastern Massachusetts
Another spectacular day! Got on the road early and headed to Hull Massachusetts, a penisula that faces north with the city of Boston across the water. The high school there was at the tip of the peninsula with jets flying overhead on approach to Logan Airport, the sun shining on the water...a view out of every window I'm sure. Wonder if they need help...No! I'm not taking a teaching job 90 minutes from my house. I'll have to get my water view on the road!
And I did...along the whole coast south of Boston and north of Cape Cod. Cohasset, Marshfield, Duxbury, Plymouth. Oh yeah, Plymouth. I had the GPS today which made life a lot easier. But only when you program in the right address. I dropped my goody bag at North Plymouth High School and then programmed in Plymouth High School South. Off I went along the coast, up by Jordan Hospital and into the parking lot of the school. I couldn't find the front entrance but finally decided that I could probably drive around the other side. I looked at the building and thought to myself how interesting it was that both schools had the same design. In I went...and found the same lady sitting there. Thought she had traveled to the other school. I had gone in a huge circle and come back to the same school!! Yikes!
Guess I'd better bring all the addresses with me! As usual, things to learn...but this sure is fun! The look of surprise on the secretaries/teachers faces when I thank them for all they do is priceless!
Not sure where I'm going tomorrow...more east coast Mass or maybe the Berkshires...depends on weather...but now after all these miles...some sleep.
And I did...along the whole coast south of Boston and north of Cape Cod. Cohasset, Marshfield, Duxbury, Plymouth. Oh yeah, Plymouth. I had the GPS today which made life a lot easier. But only when you program in the right address. I dropped my goody bag at North Plymouth High School and then programmed in Plymouth High School South. Off I went along the coast, up by Jordan Hospital and into the parking lot of the school. I couldn't find the front entrance but finally decided that I could probably drive around the other side. I looked at the building and thought to myself how interesting it was that both schools had the same design. In I went...and found the same lady sitting there. Thought she had traveled to the other school. I had gone in a huge circle and come back to the same school!! Yikes!
Guess I'd better bring all the addresses with me! As usual, things to learn...but this sure is fun! The look of surprise on the secretaries/teachers faces when I thank them for all they do is priceless!
Not sure where I'm going tomorrow...more east coast Mass or maybe the Berkshires...depends on weather...but now after all these miles...some sleep.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
The Ultimate School Trip: Maine - Part 1
Maine is a beautiful state...great coastline, wonderful people...but compared to Rhode Island, it's HUGE!
I have to get a new mindset in my travels. It takes a lot longer between schools that I thought...especially in a state like Maine. I drove Thursday to Belfast Maine, a town on the coast about 5 hours north. I chose to go to schools in that area first for two reason - better to get the colder and more distant schools before winter and I knew tha area because my best friend who passed away last year had a house there. So I was familiar with the area which I thought would be advantageous.
I stay overnight of course because of the distance and got out early enough on Friday morning...but it took such a long time between schools that I only ended up visiting a fraction of the ones I had planned on. But the ones I visited were good visits as all my visits to date have been and I'm grateful for that.
I have to also remember to note the time frame of my visits. Friday was the beginning of the Columbus Day weekend, a big weekend for people visiting Northern New England. That meant extra construction work on Thursday, and heavy traffic coming home on Friday. It wasn't as bad as the traffic going north to be sure which was bumper to bumper for easily 40 miles but it was nothing like the trips I remember coming home from Maine all the years visiting with my best friend.
But I have to also give myself a bit of a break. I'm new to this. I'm not a seasoned sales person, not used to driving almost 1000 miles in 3 days, not used to this new kind of planning. But every trip teaches me something new, something that I need to modify. Every trip brings beautiful scenery at some point, a chance to see our amazing country and a chance that maybe one more school will be able to benefit from a program that can really help them.
This coming week has only 4 possible travel days with Monday being a holiday and Tuesday being a day filled with meetings. I see a bit more of Massachusetts on the horizon...and maybe back to Maine the following week...if I can see 10 schools a week, that's 500 schools a year...if I can double that...well, let me just make it to 10 schools a week for now...
I have to get a new mindset in my travels. It takes a lot longer between schools that I thought...especially in a state like Maine. I drove Thursday to Belfast Maine, a town on the coast about 5 hours north. I chose to go to schools in that area first for two reason - better to get the colder and more distant schools before winter and I knew tha area because my best friend who passed away last year had a house there. So I was familiar with the area which I thought would be advantageous.
I stay overnight of course because of the distance and got out early enough on Friday morning...but it took such a long time between schools that I only ended up visiting a fraction of the ones I had planned on. But the ones I visited were good visits as all my visits to date have been and I'm grateful for that.I have to also remember to note the time frame of my visits. Friday was the beginning of the Columbus Day weekend, a big weekend for people visiting Northern New England. That meant extra construction work on Thursday, and heavy traffic coming home on Friday. It wasn't as bad as the traffic going north to be sure which was bumper to bumper for easily 40 miles but it was nothing like the trips I remember coming home from Maine all the years visiting with my best friend.
But I have to also give myself a bit of a break. I'm new to this. I'm not a seasoned sales person, not used to driving almost 1000 miles in 3 days, not used to this new kind of planning. But every trip teaches me something new, something that I need to modify. Every trip brings beautiful scenery at some point, a chance to see our amazing country and a chance that maybe one more school will be able to benefit from a program that can really help them.
This coming week has only 4 possible travel days with Monday being a holiday and Tuesday being a day filled with meetings. I see a bit more of Massachusetts on the horizon...and maybe back to Maine the following week...if I can see 10 schools a week, that's 500 schools a year...if I can double that...well, let me just make it to 10 schools a week for now...
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