Please note, this is an archived story. Please check the date above.

Our emotions were mixed. I was flying to Boston to see my son and Thom was on his way to Los Angeles to get our American life in order. We were excited about going back home but wished we could bring a bit of England with us.

I had a great visit with my son Ben. We toured Boston and all of its historical places, but mostly we just enjoyed seeing each other again. He was interested in our experiences and I wanted to know all about his life in Boston. It was a great mother son reunion.

When I got back to Los Angeles we started to prepare for our first English visitor. Helen, my teaching partner, came to visit us for a week. We took her on a tour of California. We drove up to Mammoth Mountain and hiked in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, visited Yosemite National Park and then drove to the coast and toured Hearst Castle. Finally we drove down the coast to one of our favorite spots in California, Montana de Oro Sate Park. It was a sight to behold. The sea cliffs and crashing waves brought me home again. Helen commented that the coastline resembled the southern coast of England. Helen left and went on to tour New York. It was a sad good bye.

Now I spend my days preparing for the beginning of a new school year. This week I have been organizing lessons, arranging tables and resources. Funny but I am doing exactly what the teachers in England are doing. One important thing that I learned while teaching in Manchester is that teachers over the world are cut from the same mold. They work hard and long to insure that their students get the best education possible. I feel so fortunate to have experienced teaching at Crumpsall Lane Primary but I also feel very lucky to return to a school like 186th Street School. I am receiving a warm welcome home and that feels good.