The world is still spinning....

What a whirlwind my life has been the last month. It's hard to even believe how much everything has changed. First I made the difficult decision to leave my job. That was hard enough. I was so torn and conflicted about it. Once I made the decision to leave I felt much better. At that point my plan was to go back to Florida and hopefully find a full-time teaching gig. Worst case scenario was being a substitute teacher. I was ok with that. I was happy with that. I was at peace with the whole thing. It was going to make things easier on my long distance relationship and it would be nice to be home again. Then my world crashed in around me and the long distance relationship came to an abrupt end. Once I accepted that as reality I thought about living in Florida again....and I started freaking out! What is there for me there?! I would be going back to the exact same life I had left to come here. Erik was the one difference from my previous life. With him gone there was nothing to go home to. With that, I began frantically looking for jobs anywhere. I applied to a job in China, Dubai, Colorado, Minnesota, 2 here, and one in Mexico. I didn't care where I went, as long as it wasn't Florida. Rather suddenly two jobs became known to me and before I knew it I had 2 interviews set up in one day. One was for a language school here in Saigon (2 blocks from my apartment) and one in Mexico. That morning I was offered the job at the language school and the Mexico interview went REALLY well. It lasted about an hour and a half and I got a REALLY good vibe from the principal. Two days went by and he asked if we could talk in Skype again. I assumed this was a second interview of sorts, so I was all nervous again. We got online and before I knew it he was emailing me a contract and saying "You got the job!" I couldn't believe it! The next day I told him I accepted and now my life is in upheaval again!

As far as grad school goes, I was in the process of finishing my first class when all of this drama hit the fan. That made focusing on my studies very difficult and it did suffer a bit. Now with this plan to move to Mexico I made the decision to take a break from the second summer course. It worked out well with financial aid and I was able to drop the course without losing any money. My first course finished this past weekend and now I have one less weight on my shoulders through all of this coming up. I'll start up again at the end of August.

So here is the current timeline: School finished July 13, my parents get here July 14, we have an epic Viet Nam vacation (Haoi, Sapa, Halong Bay, etc), leave Viet Nam July 26, get to Florida July 27, leave for Mexico July 31. Yea....talk about insanity! I'll be home for a whole 3 days! Just enough time to recover from the jet lag....If you want to see me during my 3 days at home keep in mind that I won't have a car and am not insured to drive in the states anymore so you might just have to come to me haha. This weekend I bought myself an iPhone (FINALLY) so when I get to the states I'll get a pre-paid SIM card which will give me unlimited talk and text for my time there. I'll post the phone number when I get it.

I still can't quite wrap my mind around everything that's happened lately. Things I was so sure of have vanished, and things I never thought would happen have. I've just been trying to roll with the punches and make the most of it all. I'm actually really looking forward to Mexico. I have a good feeling about it. I think I'm really going to find my place there and be happy. I will miss Viet Nam, though....Living here has been such an incredible learning experience and I know I will never be the same. I think everyone should live abroad for at least 6 moths. It really opens your eyes to the world and gives you a whole new appreciation for what you have. Traveling the world on vacations is great and it does change you but it is nowhere near the same as living somewhere. Going somewhere foreign and figuring out the laws, finding an apartment, finding where things are, learning how to drive in the traffic....those are the kinds of things that tourists can not learn and can not appreciate. It's just a whole new experience. Lord knows I'll never take America for granted again!

Well, I wasn't expecting to go on such a rant but I thought I'd put my thoughts down today while I'm home sick with bronchitis (ugh). I hope everyone is well! Looking forward to me brief visit home!

Tạm biệt, Vietnam....¡Hola, Mexico!

Well, none of the options mentioned in my last post have worked out. Instead I am on a completely new path in life. Last weekend I received a tip from my professor that a school in Guadalajara, Mexico was hiring a middle school/choir teacher and I should contact the principal. I sent him an email and arranged a Skype interview for Monday evening (my time). Saturday morning my realtor was showing my apartment to someone that works at POLY Language School here in town (a Korean-based school) and he told me they are hiring. I then emailed him my resume and scheduled an interview for Monday morning. Monday morning came, I went to the interview, and got offered the job. Monday night rolled around and the interview went REALLY well for Mexico. I told him I needed to hear something in a week (that's how long I had to give POLY an answer). He said that would be no problem. Long story short, I thought I had a second interview tonight....it turned out to be an offer! The money isn't quite as much as I was hoping for but it is certainly liveable (especially with the cost of living in Mexico). The school and the job itself sound perfect for me at this point. I'm really excited about this opportunity! Now the craziness ensues, though. I leave Vietnam July 26, arrive on July 27, and I'm supposed to report to the school on August 1. He said that he is willing to be flexible, due to my circumstances, but either way it is going to be a really crazy start. I guess I'm used to that, though. Coming here was just as crazy, I suppose. I didn't have much time at all to get settled before I started with students. At least I'll have a minimum of a week to work before students come. Well, it's been a loooong day and now it's time for bed. As of August I will be a gringo!

My how things change....

Well, it's been a while since my last post and things have certainly changed a bit. Not sure where exactly to start but here goes....

After a few months at my job I came to the conclusion that it is NOT the right job for me. For one thing, it made me realize that I do not have the personality to teach young children. I simply don't have the patience for it. Second, I chose a job that had no previous music program to speak of (which I knew) and no resources to use. My principal is willing to spend a decent amount of money on resources but they could take 6 months to get here. In the meantime I have been making it all up as I go. With everything, it has just been too overwhelming.

That, along with the incredible strain of a cross-world relationship, resulted in my decision to resign at the end of the school year and return to Florida. I gave my notice at the school and was at peace with the decision. I have been applying to the counties near home and I even booked my flight. The plan was to stop in NM for 2 weeks before heading home to Florida. Well, last weekend my cross-world relationship came to an end. I suppose I'm just not what he wanted. Yes, I have been heartbroken and in pain since then....but I know I will pick up and move forward, as always. Now with that factor removed I can't really stand the thought of going back to Florida. I would be going back to the EXACT same life that I came out here to get away from. What have I even accomplished since I've been here? Yes, I have been living in Vietnam for 6 months but....what else? Nothing!

With this new turn of events I have been re-evaluating everything I am doing. I'm back to having no ties to any location so I'm exploring all of my options. I have applied for a job in Beijing, Dubai, and Colorado. My coworker also gave me the idea to ask my principal about staying at my school and working in another capacity. I e-mailed him about it yesterday (he's in Hanoi on business) and he said he would love to keep me on board and we will talk tomorrow when he gets back about options. That might be my best option. That way I'm not breaking my contract, just changing jobs within the school, and getting experience teaching other subjects. That will make me more marketable down the road. I'm not decided that that is what I'll do because there are still other factors but it would be nice to stay here since I've settled in. I really do want to finish this experience. If I do stay I have no idea what my next step will be. I am applying to work for the Department of Defense school system for the 2013-2014 school year. That will give me the chance to work overseas on a military base. As for now, the next step is to talk to my principal tomorrow about options for staying here. I'm not ruling anything out at this point and I'm really trying to search myself for the answer. Only time will tell.....