And the next job will be in.....

Jakarta! I'm so happy to say that this morning at 6:45am I accepted a job teaching at Royal Academy in Jakarta Indonesia. I will be teaching second grade, which I'm super excited about because it will be slightly different than 1st grade but I will be able to use the same classroom management strategies.

The school is new, and next year will only be its second year of operation, but I'm super excited to be on the cutting edge of something spectacular! Additionally it uses the IB IPC curriculum, allowing me to become IB certified, and the potential jobs for the future to increase.When I look at the pictures of the way they present the material to students I know I'm going to love it. They start each session with a field trip or day of exploration surrounding a unit. Units could be about food, inventors, or animals, and they might vist a grocery store, or a zoo, or the teacher may dress up as famous inventors for a day. Then they spend 4-6 weeks studying math, english, science, and social studies surrounding that idea/concept. How incredible that all the subject areas can relate!!!!

The job starts mid July, so I will be heading home briefly to get all my documents and my life together before heading there. I wasn't planning on going home, but it looks like it will be necessary to get my visa before I head out, and to get all my shots and medication to prepare for 2 years. It will be crazy busy, so if you are hoping to see me, you better book ahead. I'll be in Minneapolis for a stint and Marshfield for a while. I'm hoping to sneak in a few days in Milwaukee with my niece and nephew as well. Chances are if you pick a place I love (the Republic, 331 club, Al's, Hard Times, anywhere with cheese, cheese curds, beer, or burgers) you'll be in.

I've already started making a list of things to do when I'm home and things I need to purchase when I'm home. Rain proof items are essential, given the monsoons. The climate means I'll be wearing a lot of teacher dresses, and I'm not sure how I'll deal with the heat and wetness, but I'm sure I'll adjust.

Also, it is time to begin learning a new language. I'm not sure where to begin. The second language of the school is Mandarin, and I feel like that could be useful in my travels, but, Indonesian is apparently the official language.

Overall I feel as completely unknowledgeable and freaked out as I did when I decided to move to Albania. I've realized that you can't trust what any person or any web forum says, and I have no idea what to expect. But that is what make my life so fantastic :)

The best part about landing a job so soon? I'm able to plan for the next 2 year of my life. Well, sort of. I know that 4 months from now I'll be on a plane to Jakarta, and that 3.5 months from now I'll be home. I KNOW I GET TO SEE MY FAMILY!!!! And I can start planning some kick ass trips in southeast asia. I keep forgetting how many people I know who are teaching and/or live there. I have an insane amount of places to visit. And so I offer you my bucket-list. Knowing that I accomplished zero of the items on my last one, and that I'm almost okay with that because I don't care to see many of those place anymore, I made this one less specific.

Asia Bucketlist:
1. Go surfing. It's number one because it is realistic.
2. Bhutan, after reading Beyond the sky and the Earth I cannot resist
3. Burma: it is number 3, only because Scott and Robert plan on going there, but it would make the list no matter what.
4. Bali: I've been obsessed with this for a year or so now.
5. Thailand: I'd like to SEE bangkok( for like 2 days), and the explore some other countryside, or find some random waterfalls to jump into. I wanted to go to Thailand freshman year, for some very strange reason and I've been constantly intrigued.
6. Vietnam/Cambodia: This could be a fun combined trip. I've heard a lot about each and for awhile I thought eventually I'd end up living and teaching in Vietnam, so I feel a week long visit is necessary
7. India: I'll be close enough, and it has always been on the list, so why not. I need some indian food and a Sari.
8. Taiwan: for a little while I thought I was going to be getting a job here as well, so I've found a lot of things I want to see.
9. Volcano hiking: yep. This is an ex-pat group in Jakarta. For real.
10. Jakarta blues festival: don't judge. Live music? I'm in.

Why not Australia, China, Japan or New Zealand ? Because overall they seem a lot like Europe to me. Over rated and expensive. If I get there, great. If not, I'll survive. Let's be real, I thought I'd love travelling Europe and now I just cannot get the beauty of Asia out of my head, and I never want to see a church or museum again. This is obviously a basic list, and I'm very open to suggestions from anyone with experience :) But if you suggest a building then it better be spectacular because I'm in love with the natural world.

oh my sweet disposition....

Oh my sweet disposition…

A few weeks ago I was really confused. One second I was in love with the idea of leaving here and the next I was in love with the idea of staying. Little things would sway my mind completely from one direction to the other.

I just remember when I first met Scott and I told him I was going to stay in Albania for two years. He told me about his life in China and how he just wanted to go home until suddenly he knew he wanted to stay.

That is what life was like 2 weeks ago for me. I realized how hard moving here was, and how used to my life I’ve already become. Sure there are things I dislike, but there are also things I love. Quite honestly, I think this proves that I’m going to fall in love with anywhere I go. There will always be new experiences, new people to meet, new places to travel to, and new life lessons. At 23, I’m still searching for who I am. And while I’ve discovered a little bit about who I am (bluegrass dancing, Packer watching, beer drinking, American girl) I have a lot of me to discover.

I have a lot to discover, especially as far as teaching goes. I could stay in Albania and learn a lot as a second year teacher. I could help this school transform a bit. Or, I could go somewhere else and try my hand a new experience and a new culture of learning.

For my 23^rd birthday my mother sent me a package from home filled with pictures of those I love the most, 3 chunks of Wisconsin cheese, and a beautiful necklace with the letter T in it. When I skyped with her after receiving it she informed me she almost got me a Green Bay Packer necklace, but decided this was a lot nicer quality, and that she thought of me as soon as she saw it because T stands for teacher. I almost started crying.

During my year of student teaching I remember doubting if I could be a teacher. I kept thinking to myself that it was too hard of a job for me. I reminded myself that I wasn’t allowed to do anything halfheartedly. So if I wanted to be a teacher it would have to be who I would become. I think I’m starting to realized what being a teacher means, and I’m happy to say I will continue to figure it out  next year, wherever I may be. Who knows where I will be, but I’ve decided it won’t be Albania, and it won’t be America. 

…may you one day carry me home.