Jennifer Anne Kogler

Hello there!  Greetings from The Peach State.  At least, I think that’s the state name of Georgia.  I think in 5th Grade we had to learn all the nicknames of states.  

Well, my time in Georgia got off to a rip-roaring start.  No, I mean that literally.  I was on my way to Hopewell Middle School when all of the sudden I heard this siren. It was pouring buckets outside, so I figured there had been some horrendous car wreck somewhere.   But it was strange, because the siren wasn’t getting closer and it wasn’t getting further away.  

Once I was at Hopewell, I was whisked into a “safe room” with no windows and told that tornadoes were circling the area and the siren was a tornado warning.  Now, I’m from California . . . and we have earthquake drills that involve dropping and covering, but this was something else entirely.  Anyhow, the ten people trapped in the small safe room couldn’t have been funnier or nicer about the whole thing, including media specialist Janice Etscovitz, so I was a happy camper.  Or tornado warning participant.

Of course, being a huge Wizard of Oz fan, I found the whole thing to be quite exciting (and, of course, was thrilled that the tornado didn’t actually do any harm.  I’m not quite sure which is scarier, earthquakes or tornadoes, but I may have to say tornadoes . . . because there’s more warning, but there’s also more time to worry about them.   What do you think?

I spent the last two days at Hopwell and it was just as exciting as the tornado warning that kicked it off — but for all the right reasons.  B.V. was the second student I’ve tried to send to Candyland, but it turns out that practice does not make perfect.    Next time!

And look.  There’s my head.  Kind of.  And my legs.  Georgia is bee-uuu-tiful.   Trust me.