Guess what guys? I'm going on a mission. It's a little unusual since I've already been teaching for 2 years, and am 24, but now just ended up being the right time.
What do you guys know about Maryland? Or serving? I'd love any advice you have!
Sister Integral
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Indefinite Integral
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Sister Integral
"The pursuit of mathematics is a divine madness of the human spirit." ~ Alfred North Whitehead
Re: Sister Integral
Congrats! Baltimore has an amazing aquarium, so I hope they let you go there on P-Day some time.
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Fredjikrang
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Re: Sister Integral
Congrats! That is awesome!
I don't know anything about Maryland, other than that it is northeast of here. But, I can say that the mission is amazing if you do your best.
I don't know anything about Maryland, other than that it is northeast of here. But, I can say that the mission is amazing if you do your best.
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Re: Sister Integral
Baltimore is one of my favorite cities. Watch Hairspray to get the song in your head before you go. I agree with Katya--it's the best aquarium ever.
The only other thing I know about Maryland is that the state flag looks like it belongs at the finish line of a car race.
Also, being from Utah, I was enthralled by the number of fireflies that seemed to be all over Maryland/Virginia/WashingtonDC. I'd never seen a firefly before, so I thought they were pretty cool.
It's very hot and humid in the summer; you will hate wearing garments. I had to change mine a couple of times a day, and they would be completely drenched. But that's just in the summer.
The only other thing I know about Maryland is that the state flag looks like it belongs at the finish line of a car race.
Also, being from Utah, I was enthralled by the number of fireflies that seemed to be all over Maryland/Virginia/WashingtonDC. I'd never seen a firefly before, so I thought they were pretty cool.
It's very hot and humid in the summer; you will hate wearing garments. I had to change mine a couple of times a day, and they would be completely drenched. But that's just in the summer.
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NerdGirl
- President of the Lutheran Sisterhood Gun Club
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Re: Sister Integral
I know nothing about Maryland, but congratulations!! 
Re: Sister Integral
I can think of no better preparation for your chosen vocation than math teaching.Indefinite Integral wrote:Guess what guys? I'm going on a mission. It's a little unusual since I've already been teaching for 2 years, and am 24, but now just ended up being the right time.
What do you guys know about Maryland? Or serving? I'd love any advice you have!
Should you fall in love wth a man or the area 20-23 months hence, I know the Maryland schools hire on a county and then a school basis, and it apparently involves mounds of paperwork. A fellow math teacher of mine has been looking into relocating there.
The area is very green, milder but stickier, with lots of free US history things to do and see. Williamsburg, Smithsonian, Jamestown, Lincoln Memorial: they would be insane not to let you and visit such incomparable sites on your days off!
Also, the area may have greater racial segregation and income inequality than you'd see here: a different coworker of mine paid through the nose to live in a closet in Arlington, which was apparently lousy with "yuppies" (his term), whereas the atmosphere will vary considerably in DC proper, Baltimore, small Chesapeake towns, etc.
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Indefinite Integral
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Re: Sister Integral
Thanks for the congrats everybody.
Thanks for the heads up Yarjka, I figured I'll be dealing with humidity, which just makes any temperature worse. I like living in an arid climate, so that's definitely going to be an adjustment for me.
Portia, I'm definitely expecting it to be different from Utah. The single longest stretch I've spent living outside of Utah up to this point is about 3 weeks, so I'm not too familiar with other cultures. However, I do feel like I'm educated enough to know that there are definitely significant differences. I hope they'll let me go see some things, but I have been to DC twice, and since it's not actually part of my mission, I won't be disappointed or surprised if that's off the list.
Wow, I just realized how naive/insulated I sound. I hardly even realized how little time I've spent outside Utah. I've done a decent amount of traveling (40ish US states + Europe twice) but never lived outside of Utah. Weird.
Thanks for the heads up Yarjka, I figured I'll be dealing with humidity, which just makes any temperature worse. I like living in an arid climate, so that's definitely going to be an adjustment for me.
Portia, I'm definitely expecting it to be different from Utah. The single longest stretch I've spent living outside of Utah up to this point is about 3 weeks, so I'm not too familiar with other cultures. However, I do feel like I'm educated enough to know that there are definitely significant differences. I hope they'll let me go see some things, but I have been to DC twice, and since it's not actually part of my mission, I won't be disappointed or surprised if that's off the list.
Wow, I just realized how naive/insulated I sound. I hardly even realized how little time I've spent outside Utah. I've done a decent amount of traveling (40ish US states + Europe twice) but never lived outside of Utah. Weird.
"The pursuit of mathematics is a divine madness of the human spirit." ~ Alfred North Whitehead
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Sparklebreeze
- Posts: 67
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Re: Sister Integral
Awesome! I have spent almost all my life residing in the "DC South" area, which is just across the Potomac. Some things to expect, by season (for no particular reason):
1. SUMMER
Humidity. Already mentioned, but deserves another shout-out. Seriously, heat here is just not like heat in Utah. (Same goes for cold, actually) You kind-of always feel slightly damp, it's just unavoidable.
Some things that I've found helpful:
-Completely dry hair before leaving in the morning. Otherwise, it may never completely dry.
-Stay away from wearing a lot of foundation, especially of the cream-based variety. It will get melty.
-Carry a small washcloth/rag/handkerchief for de-sweatifying periodically.
-Avoid fruity/flowery deodorants. This is random. I just know they often seem more overwhelming to me here in the humidity than in Utah.
-Wear sunscreen. Even though it's overcast and muggy, people still get sunburned. I know you won't be out tanning or anything, but at least use an SPF moisturizer for your face or something.
-Drink a lot of water. This can be easy to forget when you already feel moist, but is really important.
We also get wonderful summer thunderstorms. These are not so great for biking/walking in, but I hope you get to enjoy them from inside some time. Utah doesn’t often get real wall-shaking thunderstorms. They are awesome. Especially at night.
2. FALL
Amazing natural beauty. We have the best trees anywhere. Enjoy the wonderful mix of yellow, orange, red, green, gold, purple, etc. Most of the trees are deciduous, and a lot of the other plants change colors too. Fall is many people’s favorite season, and I find that completely understandable. I also think it smells great in fall, but maybe that’s just psychological or something.
3. WINTER
Blizzards. Utah typically gets way more snow than the DC Metro area, but we've been getting a lot of freak snow storms recently. Also, realize that we don't know how to drive in snow. It's not our fault, no one ever taught us how. If it snows more than a centimeter, schools will be cancelled and roads will be closed. (maybe this could provide some quality shoveling/teaching moments?) Church may even be cancelled a time or two. Most days are pretty bitter-cold with no precipitation. I definitely recommend a hat/scarf combo and warm socks since you’ll probably be outside a lot.
4. SPRING
Tourists. And rain. And beautiful flowers. Especially enjoy azaleas (super common and gorgeous flowering bushes). I’m serious about the tourists, at least if you’re near DC. A zillion will come for the national cherry blossom festival. Oh, you should try to see the cherry blossoms too, but not during the festival. Craziness!
A few other random notes:
-People are typically passionate about work and politics. That’s what they spend their time on and that’s what they like to discuss.
-Most people are familiar with Mormonism. They likely have a coworker, neighbor, or classmate who is a member. That being said, most people I know are pretty ill-informed about what we actually believe. There are some big non-denominational churches in the area that are quite hateful towards us, and tell their members very untrue things. I've had friends come to me extremely confused because the things they heard on Sunday didn't seem to match up with their experience with me individually.
-It is incredibly diverse. I’m sure you will see that when you start meeting people. Many of my friends from high school were second-generation immigrants who spoke a different language at home, and I think that’s pretty normal. Enjoy all the awesome food that has come to the area as a result! Also, and more importantly, enjoy meeting people with backgrounds that are vastly different from yours. I think they will be more likely to listen to you if you listen to them.
-The “DMV” is DC, MD, VA
-In addition to the amazing Smithsonian, there are a lot of fascinating Civil War sites nearby, which I recommend visiting on P-days (I’m pretty sure that’s allowed).
-The Smithsonian. It’s free. It’s amazing.
Well that was a super disjointed post. Feel free to PM and I will offer actually helpful information. I hope you love it here, I sure do.
1. SUMMER
Humidity. Already mentioned, but deserves another shout-out. Seriously, heat here is just not like heat in Utah. (Same goes for cold, actually) You kind-of always feel slightly damp, it's just unavoidable.
Some things that I've found helpful:
-Completely dry hair before leaving in the morning. Otherwise, it may never completely dry.
-Stay away from wearing a lot of foundation, especially of the cream-based variety. It will get melty.
-Carry a small washcloth/rag/handkerchief for de-sweatifying periodically.
-Avoid fruity/flowery deodorants. This is random. I just know they often seem more overwhelming to me here in the humidity than in Utah.
-Wear sunscreen. Even though it's overcast and muggy, people still get sunburned. I know you won't be out tanning or anything, but at least use an SPF moisturizer for your face or something.
-Drink a lot of water. This can be easy to forget when you already feel moist, but is really important.
We also get wonderful summer thunderstorms. These are not so great for biking/walking in, but I hope you get to enjoy them from inside some time. Utah doesn’t often get real wall-shaking thunderstorms. They are awesome. Especially at night.
2. FALL
Amazing natural beauty. We have the best trees anywhere. Enjoy the wonderful mix of yellow, orange, red, green, gold, purple, etc. Most of the trees are deciduous, and a lot of the other plants change colors too. Fall is many people’s favorite season, and I find that completely understandable. I also think it smells great in fall, but maybe that’s just psychological or something.
3. WINTER
Blizzards. Utah typically gets way more snow than the DC Metro area, but we've been getting a lot of freak snow storms recently. Also, realize that we don't know how to drive in snow. It's not our fault, no one ever taught us how. If it snows more than a centimeter, schools will be cancelled and roads will be closed. (maybe this could provide some quality shoveling/teaching moments?) Church may even be cancelled a time or two. Most days are pretty bitter-cold with no precipitation. I definitely recommend a hat/scarf combo and warm socks since you’ll probably be outside a lot.
4. SPRING
Tourists. And rain. And beautiful flowers. Especially enjoy azaleas (super common and gorgeous flowering bushes). I’m serious about the tourists, at least if you’re near DC. A zillion will come for the national cherry blossom festival. Oh, you should try to see the cherry blossoms too, but not during the festival. Craziness!
A few other random notes:
-People are typically passionate about work and politics. That’s what they spend their time on and that’s what they like to discuss.
-Most people are familiar with Mormonism. They likely have a coworker, neighbor, or classmate who is a member. That being said, most people I know are pretty ill-informed about what we actually believe. There are some big non-denominational churches in the area that are quite hateful towards us, and tell their members very untrue things. I've had friends come to me extremely confused because the things they heard on Sunday didn't seem to match up with their experience with me individually.
-It is incredibly diverse. I’m sure you will see that when you start meeting people. Many of my friends from high school were second-generation immigrants who spoke a different language at home, and I think that’s pretty normal. Enjoy all the awesome food that has come to the area as a result! Also, and more importantly, enjoy meeting people with backgrounds that are vastly different from yours. I think they will be more likely to listen to you if you listen to them.
-The “DMV” is DC, MD, VA
-In addition to the amazing Smithsonian, there are a lot of fascinating Civil War sites nearby, which I recommend visiting on P-days (I’m pretty sure that’s allowed).
-The Smithsonian. It’s free. It’s amazing.
Well that was a super disjointed post. Feel free to PM and I will offer actually helpful information. I hope you love it here, I sure do.
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Indefinite Integral
- Posts: 370
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Re: Sister Integral
Thanks for the awesome info! I have been somewhat prepared for humidity, we used to visit my mom's parents in Iowa in the summer. I know what 90% humidity feels like, not to say that I like it though. I'm a desert girl. I'm happy you think Fall is probably the best, since that's the only season I will see two complete times.
I do remember January of 2005, I went to DC for the inauguration and it snowed a couple inches and I heard of churches being cancelled over the radio, and I just couldn't understand why. By that time most of the roads only had slush on them. They would have never dreamed of cancelling school OR church back here in Utah for that amount of snow. I also remember it being bitterly cold. So cold I lost feeling in my toes after 15 or so minutes of being outside. Lucky us, that was the day we were touring all the memorials with my school's AP Gov teacher.
I do remember January of 2005, I went to DC for the inauguration and it snowed a couple inches and I heard of churches being cancelled over the radio, and I just couldn't understand why. By that time most of the roads only had slush on them. They would have never dreamed of cancelling school OR church back here in Utah for that amount of snow. I also remember it being bitterly cold. So cold I lost feeling in my toes after 15 or so minutes of being outside. Lucky us, that was the day we were touring all the memorials with my school's AP Gov teacher.
"The pursuit of mathematics is a divine madness of the human spirit." ~ Alfred North Whitehead
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OptimusPrime
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Re: Sister Integral
In defense of the DMV, it's not that we don't know how to drive in the snow, it's that we don't know how to drive on the ice... on hills. Because the climate is a little bit milder than other snowy places, and very humid, it is very common for the snow to fall, melt, then freeze again to form a layer of ice on the roads. Then it snows again, and you've got regular looking snow with ice underneath. Also, the snow in the region is thick, clumpy, snowball-making snow, not dry powder like in Utah, so it's easier to get stuck in. Combine that with steep rolling hills and you've got problems.
If you're still around, II, one thing the others didn't mention is that as a Utahn you will probably get lost. There is no grid system, no mountains to orient from, and the beautiful trees block your views of everything. Good luck!
If you're still around, II, one thing the others didn't mention is that as a Utahn you will probably get lost. There is no grid system, no mountains to orient from, and the beautiful trees block your views of everything. Good luck!
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Indefinite Integral
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Re: Sister Integral
Good to know. Ice is definitely much more dangerous. I could see that being an issue.
I am still around for a few more weeks. We'll see how I do with the getting lost thing. Everywhere I've gone up to this point I've been the navigator, and it takes about a day of walking around to get my bearings straight. Maybe I'll be lucky, or just rely on the gps they suggested we bring...
I am still around for a few more weeks. We'll see how I do with the getting lost thing. Everywhere I've gone up to this point I've been the navigator, and it takes about a day of walking around to get my bearings straight. Maybe I'll be lucky, or just rely on the gps they suggested we bring...
"The pursuit of mathematics is a divine madness of the human spirit." ~ Alfred North Whitehead
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Laser Jock
- Tech Admin
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Re: Sister Integral
They suggested that you bring a GPS? That's...kind of awesome. I assume if you did, you'd be looking for one that will work without a car? (E.g., one you can mount to a bike, or use when on foot?)Indefinite Integral wrote:Maybe I'll be lucky, or just rely on the gps they suggested we bring...
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Indefinite Integral
- Posts: 370
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Re: Sister Integral
Yeah, it's pretty cool. Actually, they said if you didn't have one to plan on buying one at some point on my mission.
I already have one, so I'm just going to bring that. I'm not sure how well it works outside of a car, but that's only because I don't know how long the battery charge lasts. Also, it's decently likely that I won't end up biking, but we'll see. Giver me a good map of the area and I'll be fine anyway.
I already have one, so I'm just going to bring that. I'm not sure how well it works outside of a car, but that's only because I don't know how long the battery charge lasts. Also, it's decently likely that I won't end up biking, but we'll see. Giver me a good map of the area and I'll be fine anyway.
"The pursuit of mathematics is a divine madness of the human spirit." ~ Alfred North Whitehead
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Sparklebreeze
- Posts: 67
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Re: Sister Integral
I can vouch for the miserableness of 110 degree weather and no power. I should've mentioned that. It happens. Pretty much every year.
We lost power on Friday, during the hottest week of the year so far. Yet I still have work today. LAME.
We lost power on Friday, during the hottest week of the year so far. Yet I still have work today. LAME.
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Indefinite Integral
- Posts: 370
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Re: Sister Integral
Ouch!Sparklebreeze wrote:We lost power on Friday, during the hottest week of the year so far. Yet I still have work today. LAME.
"The pursuit of mathematics is a divine madness of the human spirit." ~ Alfred North Whitehead
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Indefinite Integral
- Posts: 370
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Re: Sister Integral
So...I'm back (a little early) thanks to medical issues. Any advice on adjusting to normal life? I've already got another full-time job, but man, it has been hard getting back into being social.
"The pursuit of mathematics is a divine madness of the human spirit." ~ Alfred North Whitehead
Re: Sister Integral
Hey, welcome back! Sorry you got sick.
I am not so good with the social suggestions, except perhaps make sure and attend you r ward activities...
I am not so good with the social suggestions, except perhaps make sure and attend you r ward activities...
Re: Sister Integral
Hey there! Glad to see you (although I hope you're able to get the treatment you need here in Utah).
I'm only social when I have a boyfriend, so there's my two cents.
I'm only social when I have a boyfriend, so there's my two cents.
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Indefinite Integral
- Posts: 370
- Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:57 am
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Re: Sister Integral
That's what happens to me most of the time too...Portia wrote:Hey there! Glad to see you (although I hope you're able to get the treatment you need here in Utah).
I'm only social when I have a boyfriend, so there's my two cents.
And yes, I am working on getting better.
"The pursuit of mathematics is a divine madness of the human spirit." ~ Alfred North Whitehead