"Gimme the life update."

My friend Adam responded to an email I sent out yesterday informing some of those close to me that I have been contracted to go teach in China from August 31, 2009 to August 30, 2010. In that I have not seen or really spoken to Adam in months he was interested in how this fact came to be...to quote him specifically



"As it has been some time since we have talked, what lead to this decision? It's exciting and cool, but what was the impetus?
Gimme the life update. :-)"



SIDEBAR* I will not pretend that I am exemplary in my spelling or grammar, I will use my google toolbar spell check and assume that the rest is good enough. I have come to realize that when you write something people tend to take it upon themselves to call out your errors as if to say look I read your piece and I care enough to tell you that you are a moron and that I as your friend don't want you to look like a moron to the rest of the world so should really change that sentence fragment in paragraph 3 before anyone else notices. So if you are indeed one who cannot read along without wanting to tell me about all the mistakes you have circled, underlined or crossed through with that imaginary red pen then I implore you to stop here. If you can sit back and enjoy this for what it is a blog, then read on dear friends we shall have ourselves a relaxed and groovy time!

Now back to the business at hand. I have almost forgotten what I started writing this for in the first place, but I did say almost and that means that I do remember and here I go. My reply to Adam's question about my life and why I am moving to China!

Well as you know I had a "real" job, a 9 to 5er working for a great company that does therapeutic foster care for at-risk youth! It is a wonderful company but there wasn't anywhere for me to go, I was promoted 6 months in but unless I wanted to get my MSW that was it....and that year and a half of social work was enough to make me run for the hills, or better yet, China. I started looking into grad schools but at the same time started listening to people/friends who have all gone to grad school and realized that a large majority of them spent tons of money, are up to their eyeballs in dept. and don't have much to show for it! So I rethought that....I did an application for the Peace Corps which I am still interested in but I wasn't sure if it was the best option for me....and they wouldn't have sent me off until April 2010, and I needed a change pronto! So I figured I would go teach English somewhere. China is becoming more and more fascinating as well as terrifyingly prominent in our global society so I figured understanding the culture and the language of the Peoples Republic might be an excellent resource in my future endeavours...so ta da...I leave for China in a couple of weeks!

I left my employer at the end of May and have spent the past couple of months carting around children of varying ages, nannying! It has been glorious, being able to sit by a pool, swing on a swing or stare at monkey butts at the zoo; giving me the kind of mental and emotional break my body needed after being cooped up in the stale office air associated with the typical American work day. An overwhelming desire to become a teacher has taken over the future vision of myself...thanks in part to working with kids this summer but also to EG. Being able to enjoy a rigorous schedule that is ever-changing, but in many ways flexible, sounds just about right for me...teach what, where and to who, I have no idea...but that will come as everything else has.

I am thrilled to be leaving. This departure from my beloved city, state and country has been pending since the early morning hours of June 2, 27 years ago!