Life Changes

So for those of you not completely up-to-date on my life here is the condensed version. Last week I moved back to Kernersville from Raleigh. Back to good ol' Pine Meadow Drive, upstairs, first room on the left. Yes that's right, I'm living with mom and dad. And yes I'm 25. And currently unemployed. Judge away.

It was a hard decision to leave Raleigh. I mean I called the place home for the last 7 years. That's insane when you think about it-- like a 1/3 of my life! Raleigh saw me through some really crazy times and it wasn't the easiest to say goodbye to. I came to love it as much as home-- heck I learned how to navigate it way better than I know Winston and Greensboro!

There were several factors that led me this way. The largest of course was the fact that Neal and I are getting married next June and I didn't want to spend my engagement living in two separate area codes. Our relationship has been largely long distance based and it was getting old. I mean I just want to see the guy and go to Moe's on a Tuesday night and vent about my terrible day. Talking on the phone wasn't the same and the more I had to do it the more I hated it. I just want to be at home on a Thursday evening and him come home and give me a kiss on the forehead and ask about my crazy teaching stories and get to relive them in person. Again the phone did very little justice to this. Also there was the fact that the last of my 3 roomies is getting married in August. She sold the townhouse I'd been in for 4 years and I really didn't want to live on my own in an apt-- practically all my MC friends are married or living out of Raleigh. I have no desire to be the teacher that lives by herself and has a lot of cats. You know the type. Not really my style. Also I missed home. I missed my parents and seeing them during the week. When I moved to Raleigh (at the wise age of 18) I knew what was best for me. I didn't need my parent's advice because believe it or not I knew everything. (Gah I wish I was as smart now as I was then.) I've since come to appreciate my parents and family more and realized that I wanted to be around them. I hated zooming in on the weekends and balancing parent time, Neal time, and friend time. It was impossible. I would usually only see them at church on Sundays and then for Sunday supper before rushing out to return to Raleigh. I want to be able to see my mom during the week and hang out with my dad on weeknights and just catch up on life.

So I did just that and moved home the beginning of June. Since Neal and I are getting married next June we decided to both move in back at home to save money until we buy a house and get married. Again all my friends here are married up so no one to be a roomie with, and we didn't want to live alone if we didn't have to. It's got its pluses (home cooking, clothes folded on my bed when I come home, quality time with Robin and Dave, free internet and cable) and minuses (where'd ya go? what'd ya do? who'd ya see? what'd you know? every time I walk in the house), but overall its pretty good. I feel a little bit like a high schooler-- did I mention I had to return to my twin size bed in my room? Yes you read right. Twin. Oh it's luxurious.

Now the job hunt. Yes I'm unemployed. And unlike 10% of the population, its by choice. I know I'm crazy. You don't have to tell me; perfect strangers do that enough. I gave up teaching at Southeast and moved home with the hope that I'll be able to find something around here. Despite the economic CRISIS and school budget cuts, I think I'll be able to find a high school somewhere in Kernersville, Winston, Greensboro, High Point, or Davidson Co. that needs a Social Studies teacher-- and perhaps a coach. I used to think I'd find something over the summer but I'm pretty convinced that it'll be August before I know anything. For all you non-teachers there's this thing called the "first 10 days" -- not sure if that's its official title or not. This is when they take attendance like crazy and by the end of the 10 days they have their official enrollment. The state mandates that there is a certain number of teachers for kids. No more. No less. If schools have more kids they hire teachers after that period. If they have less they let some go. They can't put 50 kids in a classroom, so I'm hoping that during that time schools will realize "holy crap we shouldn't have let all those teachers go, we need them!" Then I'll swoop in gracefully and answer their prayers. Tada! Genius huh? Well lets just hope it goes like that. Being a substitute until then is not my idea of a good time.

Whew that was a lot. See why I only write every few days? If all my posts are this long feel free to only read parts of it each day until a new one comes along.

Song of the post: "Closing Time" by Semisonic. Now this is a middle school throw back song, but fitting of the post. My favorite lyric is "every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end." Cliche but fitting. I used to say that I was gonna put that on the bottom of the back of my wedding program one day. But that was back when I had braces and bangs. What did I know...