As much as I loved the food around the Pacific Rim, from the slimy worms in Northern Australia, to Dim Sum in Taiwan, I really missed the deliciousness of the simple hamburger. On one of the first days back, my little brother and I headed to our local diner for some burgers and fries! Of course, what would a homecoming be without my mother? Here we are just a few days ago when I paid my parents a visit upstate! Being away for over 3 months means you're going to miss some of life's most amazing moments. Just a few days before landing back in New York, my cousin delivered her first baby. It's been the perfect time catch up with them and to get to know the beautiful new addition to the family. Local fruit stand here in Astoria, Queens! Scout and I. Trusting and loyal family dog...

I'm sitting here in my apartment in New York City dwelling on the last 3+ months of my life, the journey that brought me around the Pacific Rim, very much like a boomerang would be tossed around a field! Mid-March, when I took off for Sydney, seems so far away in so many ways. Leaving behind friends, family, pets, and familarity, I embarked on a trip of a lifetime that would require skills I'd need to learn on the road. And how lucky I was to be traveling with the production crew for the show "5 Takes". I've learned first and foremost how video production is very much an art form: first, like any art form, I had to learn the basic brush strokes, such as how to use a professional video camera and how to edit what I've shot in the field. After the basics were down, then it was time to finetune them even further only this time with my audience in mind. This proved, ultimately, to be the most challanging. I must say, the support and feedback I received from the editors, shooters, and producers cannot be underestimated. They were there with suggestions and answers, whether it was 1 P.M. or 1 A.M. From my heart, I thank them immensely. As an educator the question for me, in producing each webisode, was always "What is the learning point in this?". Sometimes the point was obvious and it was posed as a question. Sometimes, though, I felt that a particular digital story's learning point would be less up front in that students would be asked to use their imagination in asking more questions. It made me think of a short writing exercise I would do with my 6th grade students where I would post a few randomly themed photos from different parts of the world and I'd simply ask what they thought was going on in each photo. They were detectives. The idea wasn't to be correct, really, but to use their imagination as they used deductive reasoning in explaining themselves creatively on paper. I hope I had the same effect with my webisodes. Each week's webconference, I might add, was a learning experience for me as well. As I spoke virtually with classrooms around the U.S., I would learn what my students were getting out of each webisode and thus how to re-tailor future webisodes. The questions asked by these students showed a depth of knowledge and curiosity that often caught me off-guard! But that's the point really, for this to be a learning experience for everyone! The teacher, of course, is not mutually exclusive to the teaching and learning. As I look into the future, I hope to fine tune the skills I've learned in order to present even more engulfing webisodes. I want to be able to encourage students to go on and create their own digital story on any subject. What I want students to understand through my experience is that anything is possible. Focus in on your subject, be your harshest critic when editing, and keep your point in mind the whole time, from devising your idea, to shooting, through to editing. And to show your work to as many people who will sit down to watch it. Actually, they don't really have to be sitting! They can stand if they wish to. Just as long as they watch. And if they pull their eyes off the screen, even for just a moment, make note of it! This trip would not have been possible without the support of Discovery Education, the wonderful people who make up the Discovery Educator Network, and the seemingly endless bank of learning tools that unitedstreaming.com has to offer. I want to thank everyone involved in the project, from behind-the-scenes to the people on the ground. Thank you!

On my last day in Bangkok, I headed out to the famous Grand Palace, located in the western part of Bangkok. Built in 1782, the first year that saw Bangkok as the new capital of Thailand, The Grand Palace was, and still is, a grand place. With an area of 716,500 Sq. Feet, the Grand Palace is tucked in by 4 walls measuring 6,233 feet! At its peak, The Palace held temples, all goverment buildings, and even the residence of the royal family. Even though all of these buildings are still there, only one is actually used for government work. The Temples, however, are as much of a beautiful sight to see as they're still used for everyday Buddhist practice. People arrive from all over Thailand (and the world!) come to these Temples to pray for their deceased relatives, to hope for a better future, and to meditate. The mix of people is incredible. I noticed that The Grand Palace has hired a few local artists to help restore some of the original art that adorn the inside of the lengthy exterior walls. I would love to head back for at least a couple of extra days! A couple of people burning incense. It's thought that the smoke from the incense carries the thoughts and wishes of the person burning the stick up to the heavens. Around the base of the gold stuppa are people sized scuptures of demons! I think their purpose is to protect the palace.