I'm way overdue for an update. After I got home from Haiti, life returned to normal...or normal as I knew it. I went back to work, went back to church, and went back to spending my free time with my family and friends. Mentally and emotionally, my heart was still in Haiti. I never expected that my 10 days overseas would make such an impact on me but it did. There isn't a single day that goes by that my mind doesn't wander to Haiti, the people I met there, and the work we did. I can't wait to go back.
Every year, my church does Operation Christmas Child but I've never participated. This year, I found myself wandering Target for an hour hemming and hawing over what I wanted to put in my box. I ended up spending $60 putting this box together for a special little girl and I can't wait to find out where it's been shipped to. I paid for my box online so I could track it and I'm praying it ends up in Haiti, though I know it will bless some special little girl regardless of where it ends up.
So what has my life been like? This summer was the most incredible summer of my life. It started with graduating with my Master's degree (though I'm still currently employed at the same preschool I've been at for years, with a new potential opening up...more on that in a bit) and then heading to New York City for a whirlwind of a weekend with some of the greatest friends I could ask for. Even though I got sick while we were there, I loved every moment of it. Adrienne and I are tentatively planning to go back next year around Thanksgiving or Christmas for a girl's weekend if we can convince my parents to let us use our timeshare points to stay in the city, otherwise we won't be able to swing it alone.
After NYC was obviously my time spent in Haiti. I really wish I were going back this summer, though I know it just isn't feasible or logical. I do intend to go back at some point but this summer just isn't the right timing. For now, I know God is calling me to pray for the work being done in Haiti and I'm currently looking at other ways of giving to the organization we went with.
Now that my life is back to "normal," my time is spent working, tutoring, and mentoring a couple of my youth girls. Every night is filled with some kind of a commitment, but the best one of all has been finding time to workout again. Denise and I are back to our regular Monday and Wednesday night running sessions at the gym and the last few weeks have been so good for my sanity. I sleep SO much better after a good workout and by the time we wrap up, I'm so worn out that I go home, shower, and pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow.
Work wise, I'm still at the preschool I've been at since I graduated from college. I applied for over 50 school counseling positions for this year and didn't get called for a single interview. It's discouraging to have a degree in such a tight field, especially when education is so difficult to get into in Ohio. They say there's going to be a big retirement boom in the next couple of years but we'll see how that one ends up. I've been applying for social work jobs, hoping to fall back on my undergraduate degree but even those aren't panning out.
I had several people recently suggest to me that I apply to Teach For America, so I spent today purusing their website trying to get information. One of the ladies from my church has a niece who works for TFA in South Carolina so she's passing on my contact information to her just so I can get some questions answered and fears eased before I apply. The more time I spend on their website, the more encouraged I feel about applying to the program. I mean, the worst that can happen is that I'm denied and I move on to other jobs right? They have over 46 regions, including one right here in southwest Ohio. My top choices right now are obviously here in my own backyard, Denver, and New York City.
I haven't fully decided I'm applying yet and have until mid-January to apply, with a later deadline in February. It would be an incredible opportunity, but one I would have to make a two year commitment to. That alone is the scary part. What if I got denied here in Cincinnati but accepted to another region? Would I be ready to relocate for two years without anyone? It's a scary thought but TFA is such an incredible program that I feel like I would be stupid to pass up at least applying.
My friend Michelle said it best on her facebook status last week "I'd rather make a mistake than fail to take a risk." If there's anything my time in Haiti taught me, it's to take a risk and step out on faith. Since coming home from Haiti, it's all I've thought about. I took a risk and stepped out on faith, full of fear, and knew that God was with me each step of the way. This is no different. If I don't take a risk and at least apply, I'll always ask myself what if. This isn't the first time my mind has wandered to TFA. It's crossed my mind here and there but I've never taken the time to sit down and research it unil today. It would be a huge risk, but there is no better time to do it than now. I'm not married, I'm not in a relationship, I don't have kids...there's nothing holding me back. I'll never know unless I try right?
