February 12, 2016 was a great day. No, like REALLY great! Like, “I can’t believe it; you’ve got to be kidding me” great! It was a no-school day due to mid-winter break and I was working on a few school projects at home. I was expecting a call back from Studentreasures about our current book project so I wasn’t surprised when an unknown number showed up as the phone rang. (My “dumb” flip phone that my kindergarten team had been encouraging me to ditch so I would text them instead of calling Andrea to text for me.) I answered and replied that, “Yes, this is Michelle.”

“This is Nina from National Geographic.”

Dead silence as my mind raced. My mouth blurted dumbfounded, “You’re calling me!” I knew the only reason I was speaking to National Geographic was because I had received the 2016 Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship! According to Nina someone had called and left a message two days prior. I never received that voicemail. My colleagues were right; time for a better phone. After hanging up the phone I screamed, “I GOT IT!!!!” My husband, Welles, knew exactly what I meant. My child thought I was just really, really, upset about something. Apparently my “upset” scream and my “life just changed dramatically for the better” scream sound the same to eight-year-old ears. Ironically I had confessed to Welles the night before that I didn’t think I would get it this year because, wouldn’t they have called by now?

For the rest of that long four-day weekend I felt like I had ADHD. My mind wouldn’t settle. My body wouldn’t sit still. Poor Jackie in the pew next to me on Sunday. I’m sure I was shaking her with my swinging foot. Immediately following the hugs, and screams, and oh mys, I called Andrea to text the news to the K team, because, you know, I hadn’t had time to upgrade to a smart phone for my travels yet.

I had fully planned on not getting the fellowship this year, but applying next year and the year after that until I got it. I hadn’t even renewed my passport yet! Now I would be going to D.C. in April and the Arctic in June! Woah! I would be experiencing a professional development program like never before.

Thank you to National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions for this opportunity! Thank you also to the many people who helped me during the application process.

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