Six Degrees of Anne Shealy

As you have probably determined by now, I had a fabulous time on this super short trip to Paris. But, one of the reasons that this trip was so fun was that the people who traveled with us were so fun.  I jokingly wrote to one of my TFFs (Teacher Friends Forever) that I didn't need her anymore because I now had new friends.

But, it took me about ten minutes with these people to realize that I was going to have a great time with them.  You know, it takes a certain type of crazy person to take kids on trips.  It is probably some sort of gene mutation or character flaw, but we are a little bit nutty and idiosyncratic and impulsive and adventurous - and I believe being adventurous is the first key.

The first person I met was Krystal Weeks who teaches at Calhoun County High School and lives out in Lone Star.  She opened her mouth to introduce herself to me and I felt right at home with her.  It's so good to hear a Calhoun County accent when you are heading 4000 miles from home. You know that person who had many of the same teachers you had and still calls the Bi-Lo in St. Matthews the Piggly Wiggly because it will always be the Piggly Wiggly.

Krystal Weeks Thames and Anne

Anne with Señora Sylvia Shealy

Sylvia Shealy is hilarious and so incredibly young at heart.  When she told me she had grown children, I was shocked.  How could this young soul be a grandmother?  She taught me to not take myself too seriously and to enjoy everything.  I loved how she would talk about her daughters-in-law and continue to say how much she loved them every single time she mentioned them.  She told me that she had once taught kindergarten in Lexington 1 with a partner teacher Cheryl, I knew immediately it had to be Ken Banks' wife, Cheryl.  She couldn't believe I knew Cheryl and Ken.  Well, actually I know Ken much better than I know Cheryl, but if you know Ken, you have to understand that Cheryl must be amazing.  Sylvia assured me that Cheryl was the greatest kindergarten teacher to walk the earth and I felt certain that she was speaking the truth. She also told me about Ken's adventures of being Camper Man and visiting their kindergarten class. 

So, these are the women that I'm flying to Paris with and we have our own Cheryl there in our group, Cheryl Cheatham. Once I realized that she worked at Dent Middle School, then I knew she had to know the single-gender guru of South Carolina, David C.  Everyone knows him.  We laughed at his contagious energy.  It took us until the last night of the trip to realize that we were also common friends with MaryAnn Sansonetti, the tech guru over in Richland 2.  I knew that there was something about Cheryl that reminded me of my Hand friends.  As soon as we got back to the airport, she pulled out her book and started reading.  And when I got my friend request from her on Goodreads, I knew she was one of my peeps. But, somehow in all of this madness, I never got a picture with her?  Whassup wit dat?  I don't know how that happened.  She probably realized I was a crazy stalker woman and needed to be kept on a leash.

After our long day that never ended for our first day, we were all ready to go to bed, but no one knew who they were rooming with.  Leonora Cabute and I were assigned to room together.  She and I had not gotten to know each other yet, but it would not take long.  When we got to our room and commiserated about the lack of AC, we figured out we had an incredibly important person in common, my sister-in-law Charlene!  She and Charlene had met each other through common teaching courses, and she had even traveled to David and Charlene's house to get veggies from their garden.  What a small world. She teaches at Edisto High School and had returned from Hong Kong just in time to catch her flight to Paris! Her husband packed her suitcase for her trip to Paris.  Can you imagine?  I hate to think what would happen if Mike had to do this for me.

Anne & Leonora Cabute

My trip was going great!  The people I am traveling with are fabulous, and I am loving every minute of it.  On the second morning at breakfast, I started talking with Kaitlin Zach who works with EF tours.  She has just graduated from Tufts University in Boston, and we were discussing how one gets involved in educational travel.  I mentioned that my friend Janie Copeland's daughter had attended Tufts.  She dropped her fork, and said EVIE COPELAND?  You are kidding me.  She and Evie had been roommates for years at Tufts and now Evie was going to be her maid of honor in her upcoming wedding.  I miss Janie so much and it's so nice to make a connection to her.

Kaitlin Zach & Anne

Our trip was coming to an end.  There had been no disasters or issues.  None of us had been lost, and on Sunday morning we headed to the airport on shuttles.  My SC peeps and I waited forever for our flight to leave Charles de Gaulle as someone forgot to file the paperwork so that the plane could be boarded - minor detail, people.  We arrived in Atlanta and fortunately had plenty of time to make our connection to Columbia.  As our flight attendant welcomed us aboard, she announced that our pilot today was Carter Love.  Hmmmm . . . how many years have I known Carter Love?  Uhhh . .. .since about third grade?  Oh well, the world is much smaller than we all realize.