Day 1- Melbourne to Mukilteo

You know what is funny, I am a person who cant sit still for me that 20 minutes yet I am meant to be confined to a seat for 15 hours....... Sacrifices create opportunity. Three years ago I travelled to the USA with my family to visit an old friend which I have had since I was 12 years old. For those of you old enough to remember the Penpal craze of the late 80s well this is it. I was in year 7 and was given the name of a year 8 girl from Olympic, WA. Over the years we have shared countless letters and visit each others town once. When Shape America (formally AAPHERD) announce that 2015 National PE conference would be in Seattle I set this as a goal to attend. I was able to create two meaningful footprints in my career. The first being able to communicate and collaborate face to face with teachers from another country and of course the #PEGEEkS and #PHYSED Twitter Teams but I am also able to spend some time with my PENPAL and her family after the conference. 

Todays schedule looked like this:
4:30am- Awake and cycle indoors for 60 mins
6:15am- Transit to Melbourne Airport
9:30am- Board Plane bound for LAX
10:15am- Plane departs for LAX
12pm- Write my Term reports for 22 grades
12 Midnight- (6am)- Arrive LAX
9:30am- Depart LAX for Seattle
12:15pm- Arrive Seattle 
1pm- Arrive Mukilteo
1:05pm- Put my feet up and relax

Today gives me an opportunity to be involved in an experience I may never receive again. My wife is such a wonderful person and encouraged me to attend, leaving her and my teenagers at home for two weeks. 

Physical Education can offer you everything you want to achieve in life, goal setting and risk taking ensures that the future is bright. I am extremely fortunate to be in the position that I am and am truly grateful for the trust Leopold parents give me to continually challenge their children.

Until tomorrow- Happy flying!!!