it takes courage to grow up and become who you really are - e.e. cummings

ait summer is over?...


what a whirlwind it has been! i'll try not to make this post excessively long but there is a lot to update on!


well, first off - i decided to not work at camp this summer. what a hard choice that was! a place i have been at every summer since i was in 4th grade and i had to make the decision to not return. i felt that if i worked this summer at camp, i couldn't put 100% into both doing my job at camp and finding a teaching job. so this summer was dedicated to finding a teaching job...


i spent my first couple of weeks housesitting in hickory for my friend brooke :-) it was nice to not have to have any major worries... i slept, watched tv, and looked for jobs online as well as taking my resume to numerous schools.


i probably passed out 9743947 resumes...


after not much luck in even getting any interviews, i decided to volunteer at camp for a week. i worked in day camp with my best friend amy! it was the best week ever. i absolutely love that age (5-8). it showed me how much fun i can have with children outside of the classroom and really reinforced my love for children in general. 

once i came back home, i decided it was time to apply to Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools... a decision i didn't want to do but i wasn't having in luck with jobs anywhere else. i grew up in charlotte and their school system and it just was not an environment i was looking forward to working in... right away i got calls for interviews and probably went to about 5 or so in about a 2 week time span. each one i went to, i got excited, loved the principal and started becoming adjusted to working and living in charlotte. although none of the interviews produced a job, it definitely gave me experience in interviewing and gave me confidence.

i went back to camp for another week to be the photographer (the job i did my last two summers at camp) since their current photographer was taking her week off. another great week at camp, doing something i am truly passionate about. if i couldn't get a teaching job, maybe i could become a photographer full time?...

back at home, i started getting anxious about not getting a job. would i be working at old navy for the next year? (i love my job and the people at old navy, but it just wasn't what i envisioned when i got a bachelors and masters degree in elementary education)...

on my way to one interview in charlotte, i got a phone call from a principal in fayetteville... what?? i had absolutely no intention of teaching or even moving to fayetteville... how did this principal find me? i didn't apply to any jobs there...

i decided i would go to the interview for at least some more practice on interviewing... 

my entire drive down i just kept thinking about how i just wanted a job but no way would it be in fayetteville. i went into the interview hating the area, thinking it was too hot, and ready to drive back home... 

fortunately, God had different plans. (go figure!) i fell in love with the principal and she seemed to really want me. i met a few teachers and they seemed to really want me. half way through the interview the principal asked if i was ready to move down... HA - what!?!? i laughed thinking she was joking but realized that she seemed serious... uh...

...oh did i also mention it was kindergarten? my absolute dream grade to teach?! ahhh... 

not only did i feel so wanted and loved already, it was a perfect school. brand new. such the ideal and perfect situation. (ok what's the deal here God?...) i left the school and started my drive home... i thought long and hard... i cried... i got excited... i just didn't know what to do..

ready for the whirlwind?...

my interview was on a friday... 

i was offered the job on sunday... 

i accepted on monday...

i drove down to look for apartments on tuesday...

i applied for an apartment on wednesday...

i loaded up the truck on friday...

i moved in on saturday...

and here it is monday... i'm sitting in starbucks... in fayettevile... anticipating what is to come in the next couple of weeks...

i start my teacher work days tomorrow. the children start on aug. 25th.

i often have wondered how or why the principal found and called me... and then i realize the obvious answer - God did it. He knew what was in store for me. i couldn't have asked for a more perfect situation. i am so excited for what is coming!

...so now that i have spent 2 hours or so at starbucks, soaking up their internet (since i don't have any internet until thursday)... i guess i should head back to my apartment and continue unloading boxes...

...and so it begins...

ow that I finally have had a chance to settle down and relax, I can give an update on my life.

After 19 years of public education, I finally have graduated with a Masters in Elementary Education!

I am so glad to be done with mindless papers and projects, but am not so much ready for the "real world". As of today, I have applied to almost every school system in North Carolina (minus Charlotte-Mecklenberg and Raleigh). I have gone to almost every school in Asheville and they now have my resume. So now, I'm just playing the waiting game...

I could not have graduated without the support from these guys... 

Thank you Mom & Dad for letting me go for my dream and helping to make it happen.

The best part of my graduation weekend would have to be that my brother drove from Wilmington to Boone and back in just about 48 hours. It meant so much to have him there and words will never be able to express how much that really meant to me. 

Last week, I packed up my apartment and moved out of Boone. It was by far one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I never realized how much I love Boone and how hard it would be to leave. I cried all the way down the mountain. My best memories were made in Boone. I can only hope and pray that my next location is even better... 

Don't get me wrong - I am SO excited for what is in store for my future and cannot wait for the next chapter to begin...

So... I did it... I'm done... now it's time for a school to hire me because I am a master...

A new year doesn't scare me...

inally I am updating! Wow - i can't believe it has been a month since i last "blogged". so much has happened and so many times i have told myself "i should write about that" and then i get distracted and before i know it, it's was a month later...

2010 was nothing short of great and i don't think i really have any complaints. i can only hope and pray that 2011 will be even greater.

this past month has been quite eventful...
- i finished my semester with my first ever 4.0 in college.
- i went back to work at old navy for the holiday season - a place i love and am so thankful to have a job to fall back on with people that i get along with so well.
- i cut off 13 inches of hair and donated it. though it was super short and a lot shorter than i imagined, it has grown on me and i'm learning to deal with it's shortness
- we had our driveway redone and it ended up being super slick and mom fell and landed on her head. what an eventful morning to the ER that was. after a concussion and 8 staples she is all better (minus a little confusion here and there that she now tries to blame on her fall) and our driveway has been repaved again.
- while our driveway was being redone again, all of our cars were parked on the street and a super nice person decided to take a BB gun to all of our cars - which resulted in a shattered window on my car. i now know what it feels like to have a plastic window flapping in the wind down the highway.
-christmas was great - new traditions were created and great fun had all around. it was great to experience a true "white christmas"!
- my brother and his wife finally came for our family christmas and i realized how much i miss having him around often

and lastly, i ended my year with another trip to see the Avett Brothers and ring in the new year with them! such a great show!!! they had these girls that signed all of their songs throughout the entire show. they had their sister sing with them as well as their precious dad who came out and made an appearance. that is one band and show i never get tired of seeing!!!

I can certainly feel God doing great things in 2011. He has already done so much for this upcoming Chrysalis weekend and I can not wait for that to get here. One of my old roommates is getting married TOMORROW! I also will be graduating. Going to Colombia. Finding a new place to live. Finding a job. and possibly starting my "adult" life. Though it all seems like scary thoughts, I know God knows what He's doing and I trust everything will work out whether I stress about it or not.

Bring. It. On. 2011.