Before I get into my day’s travels, I have an interesting tid-bit of information. It kind of shows how teenagers get into different kinds of mischief depending on their circumstances. In Richmond, apparently, they are all supplied with their own laptops (equipped with hi-speed wi-fi cards). Guess what some of these kids have been up to! They paint the town with neon paint that glows in the dark. The pavement lights up now in places where free “hot spots” for Internet access are available. Interesting, huh? Leave it to kids to think of this!
My first stop of the day was a short distance from Robley and Carol’s place. After just a short drive, I arrived at Teach ‘n Things, where I was greeted by Linda. This quaint little store offers a great variety of educational resources to the local community.
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Linda [left] was very pleased to receive the samples I brought her. I think our audio kits will fit in well with the rest of the store [right].
The subsequent drive to Lynchburg seemed to take forever. Not until we are actually outside of urban areas do we ever realize how much undeveloped land and how much beauty surrounds us. You can literally drive for hours through pristine country without seeing a soul. It sure would be nice to keep it this way.
I wondered how a tiny town of approximately 65,000 could support a toy/bookstore that boasted 16,000 square feet. Little Dickens was an amazing place. The inside was packed to the rafters with toys, books, used books, and a café. I met with Danny Givens, the owner. You could see that Danny’s upbeat personality and hands-on approach to everything that happened in the store, really made the difference. I wish you could see the Little Dickens store for yourself.
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Danny [top left], the owner of Little Dickens. His street sign [top right] is definitely worth posting a picture of, not to mention the colorful store exterior [bottom].
By this time, I was really looking forward to arriving in Greensboro, where I would be staying with Ed, a middle school principal. Over a glass of wine we talked of many things including Ed’s travels to Marseilles with his daughter. Their stay was arranged through www.EducatorsTravel.com.
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Ed, my gracious host for the evening.
It was then, that I started to realize that this B&B network of educators was much more than an inexpensive accommodation option. How can we really measure the ripple effect of having teachers befriend teachers around the world? Can we ever measure this celebration of diversity and new friendship on the students who sit in these teachers’ classes?
With that I will bid you adieu. Tune in on Monday to see the after effects of someone who has eaten way too much (having to order something at every place offering hi-speed internet). Have a good weekend!