I spent the day in a conference room with educators from across the country, all united in the same sense of purpose: to make our schools more restorative places for kids to learn without shame driven discipline practices. Whether from Colorado, Virginia, or Minnesota, everyone described the same challenges in their schools, and we all worked together to envision how we can change things for the better.
As we concluded the day's learning, talk turned to dinner plans. A group of teachers from LA were googling the best places to eat in San Diego, and I joked, "Even the California locals are googling? We were about to ask you all for advice!" One of them turned back and laughed, "Hey, it's a big state, okay?!"
Then, after the training, I ventured to Old Town San Diego with a colleague, in search of tacos. Old town delivered in the form of the best birria tacos I've ever eaten, stuffed with tender, shredded lamb and crispy fried cheese, and dunked in warm consommé for the perfect finish. Walking the streets of Old Town, we saw women in vibrant, colorful dresses hand-making fresh tortillas in every restaurant window. Bright colored paper flags and lanterns hung above the streets and waved in the California breeze. It felt like a completely different world from La Jolla, the beach town I visited yesterday. I can't help but wonder, what else am I missing?
I think sometimes about all of the places I've been, and how much more of this country I have yet to see. Without even putting any new stamps on my passport, I could spend months exploring and still not experience it all.
Driving through the city in our Uber home, we talked to the driver who was moonlighting driving tourists to raise money for a trip for his daughter's sweet sixteen. "Experiences over things is our family's motto," he said. We all agreed that travel is the greatest gift.