Dallas ISD goes on vacation part two
This summer, Dallas ISD team members took time for self care and living out their adventurous aspirations, such as life-changing marathons, going to France for the Olympics, wedding anniversaries in beautiful spaces, competing in beauty pageants, and more. The vacation stories are rich and diverse, representing the talents and interests of our district’s team members. This is part two focusing on adventure seekers, dream chasers, and travelers.
Rosalinda Preciado, community liaison, S.S. Conner Elementary School
Going to Alaska and Paris and running a full marathon is how I spent my summer vacation. It was a chance to experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This summer I spent my whole time running and getting my body ready to run two full marathons back-to-back. I went to Alaska and ran the Anchorage Marathon. My kids were there to see their mom complete another marathon in the books. Six weeks later I was headed to Paris. I was selected to be part of Olympic history! For the first time in history, the Olympic marathon course was opened to amateur runners through the Mass Participation Marathon that took place at night along the same route that was used for the official race. To be part of this story was a dream. My campus gave me the best parade send off. I arrived in Paris and was ready to run the same course as my idols. I crossed the finish line with many emotions. A marathon that I will never forget.
Alexis Crain, third grade teacher, Jerry Junkins Elementary School
I rested, spent time with loved ones, and traveled to San Diego. My favorite thing about San Diego was simply seeing its beauty. The hills and ocean views are amazing! As an animal lover, I found the San Diego Zoo to be so majestic. I was not very excited about the trip at first and ended up not wanting to go home.
Stephany Cortes Rogel, bilingual science and technology teacher, Clinton P. Russell Elementary School
I fulfilled a double dream this summer and went to the Euro 2024 in Germany and to the Olympics 2024 in France. I fulfilled my dream to see these two amazing sports events in person. I love sports, and I also encourage my students to love and practice sports. As a child, I used to watch the Euro and the Olympics on TV, dreaming I could attend as a spectator one day. I loved watching my favorite male player—Cristiano Ronaldo—live, and also watching some competitions live in different parts of France like Bordeaux, Marseille, and Paris. I’m ready to continue sharing my teaching and my love for sports with my kids.
Natalie Sible, financial clerk, L.V. Stockard Middle School
We celebrated our belated 40th wedding anniversary in Puerto Rico. We attended a Spanish flamenco show, and it was amazing. They were very talented dancers and guitarists. And most of all, seeing the ocean was incredible. Funny, nowhere in Puerto Rico did they serve sweet tea. I was like really? As soon as we landed, we went straight to Ojeda’s Restaurant and I asked for a large glass of Texas sweet tea. “There is no place like home!”
Kathy Clark, demo teacher, Dr. Fredrick D. Haynes, III Global Preparatory Academy at Paul Quinn College
I spent my vacation traveling to eight different states in the United States and visiting Mexico for two days mostly driving. I enjoyed meeting people in various parts and was able to see different places I’ve never visited before. I also enjoyed driving across the border. The vacation had an interesting start. The first stop was Florida. The day began with high hopes and a packed suitcase, but things quickly spiraled into a series of comical mishaps that could only be described as a traveler’s nightmare—and a great story people wanted me to tell over and over again.
Airport antics: I arrived at the airport, breezing through check-in and security, only to notice that one of my shoes had mysteriously vanished. After a frantic search of my belongings, I realized the situation I was in. I was now sporting one shoe and socks, thanks to a sneaky fellow traveler who apparently mistook my shoe for their own. With no spare shoes in sight, I was left to navigate the airport with one shoe and a pair of socks, which was, to put it mildly, an exercise in balancing and awkward stares.
The plane predicament: finally, it was time to board the plane. I hobbled down the jetway, making the most of my unconventional footwear, and took my seat. Just as I was about to relax, the plane’s electrical system decided to take a nap of its own. The captain announced that there was a minor issue and the plane would be delayed while they fixed it. No big deal, right? But then, as the plane was finally about to take off, the electrical system decided to have a second tantrum. Lights flickered, screens went dark, and we were once again told that the plane would be delayed for hours as we waited for another plane. I could only laugh stranded with one shoe and an airplane that refused to cooperate.
Hotel hiccups: After what felt like an eternity, I finally landed in Florida. I was ready to check into my hotel, rest my tired feet, find some shoes, and hit the beach. However, upon arriving at the first hotel, the receptionist informed me that my reservation had been canceled. I was like ok and thought, “No problem, I’ll just head to the other hotel on my list.” Arriving at the second hotel, I was met with the same news: your reservation had been canceled. A wave of panic washed over me as I tried to remember what might have happened. The second hotel did take care of me after hearing about my previous experience for the day.
The conclusion: By the end of the day, I had successfully navigated an airport with one shoe, survived a twice-delayed flight, and realized that I may have to sleep on the beach because I couldn’t get a hotel room. As I lounged on an uncomfortable chair with one shoe propped up and head resting on my carry-on, I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Bart Davis, inclusion teacher, Emmett J. Conrad High School
My wife and I went on an Alaskan cruise out of Seattle, Wash. I also was able to take my 1974 Corvette Stingray drag racing a few times. One of my favorite experiences was taking an Amtrak train from Seattle to Vancouver, Canada. On the way back, my wife got stuck in the bathroom and one of the conductors had to go and get her out (don’t tell her I shared that story).
Blake Mokate, radio, TV, film magnet teacher, Skyline High School
I spent my summer traveling. I took my first trip overseas to England to visit friends as well as a trip to Omaha, Neb., and Michigan. Getting to see friends I haven’t seen in years was the highlight of the trip for sure, but getting to see amazing architecture and experiencing new food was fantastic. I saw Hamilton while I was in London, which I found kind of entertaining since it was about American history.
Liliana Diaz, teacher assistant, pre-K partnerships
I traveled to Europe (Budapest, Hungary) for the very first time this summer. I was able to visit my in-laws for the first time in the nine years we have been together. I had an amazing time trying the cuisine and experiencing the cultural differences. It was great spending the whole summer learning about the country’s rich history and seeing first-hand what I had only read about online or in books. Tasting the cuisine that is rich in flavor and enjoying the similarities and differences in our cultures was wonderful. This trip was such an amazing experience that I will cherish forever. I should have studied Hungarian a little more. My cell phone was my best friend to translate the language, currency, and find cool local spots.
Amber Turner, teacher, Hillcrest High School
I am a part of the National All World Beauties Pageant System, an Emmy Awarding pageant system, and I was awarded the honor of being crowned Lifetime Ambassador VII. Being crowned was an honor, and I have been a part of this system since 2019 when I won the ultimate title, Ms. Ultimate All World Beauties 2019. I don’t really have a story to share just that this summer was one that I’ve learned so much about myself, and I realize that I can do a lot of things in addition to being a teacher, but I also can live the advice that I give my students meaning that “delayed does not mean denied.” And you can chase all of your dreams. The one quote that I live by is, “Reach for the moon. If you can’t reach the moon, reach for the stars, and if you can’t reach the stars, at least you’ve made it into the clouds.”
Kenneth Rabago-Fernandez, community liaison, Dan D. Rogers Elementary School
Juan Fernandez, food assistant, Food & Child Nutrition Services at Leslie Stemmons Elementary School
We (my brother Juan Fernandez at Leslie Stemmons Elementary School, my spouse David Watson, and myself) boarded a Caribbean cruise ship for five nights out of Tampa, Florida. Our ship stopped in Progreso and Cozumel, Mexico, where we spent time on the beach and swam with dolphins and manatees. When the cruise concluded, we spent three nights in the Tampa area. My favorite thing was swimming with the dolphins and manatees. On the ship, we enjoyed poolside relaxation, entertainment, and games. We played bingo and watched comedians, magicians, and professional dancers in the theater. We also gambled in the casino, were rejuvenated with relaxing spa treatments and ate way too much. While in Tampa, we spent time with our family by dining out, going to the beach, shopping, and laughing a lot. It was a FANTASTIC summer vacation.
Monica Chih, art teacher, Dan D. Rogers Elementary School
I traveled to Taiwan to visit my family for five weeks. Being able to spend time with family that I haven’t seen in 10 years and eat all the delicious foods was wonderful. Also getting to visit places I had never gone to while growing up in Taiwan, and revisiting childhood haunts to relive those memories was amazing. On the way back from Taiwan, we were scheduled to fly home on July 19, which was the start of the Microsoft shutdown. We stayed all day at the airport watching delay after delay, and when we were notified of our cancellation, it was midnight and we had to scramble to find a hotel close by. When we were finally able to rebook a flight two days later, we arrived in Seattle where our flight was delayed repeatedly again before announcing it was canceled at 1 a.m. We had to rebook our flight that evening before leaving the airport (standing in line for over three hours to do so) only to be told that we could get a flight three days from then.
So at 4 a.m., we had to find another hotel to spend the night that wasn’t already booked up from all the other cancellations. We finally were on the flight to head back to Dallas after three days, but upon arriving, our luggage was still lost and unable to be retrieved until later in the week. I learned to be resilient and adaptable to these unexpected events and to always pack an extra set of clothes in my carryon from here on out.
