Preparations

It's funny what you think about, when you realize that your life is about to change... I was watching the Hallmark Channel (which is my absolute favorite channel), and saw the advertisement for a new Hallmark movie that's coming out in July, and my thought was, "I'm not going to be able to see that!" TV movies should be the least of my worries, but still it's something that crosses my mind.

I'm learning more than I ever wanted to know about moving/living internationally. My passport was 19 years old, so I had to apply for a new one. I was told that it was easier/faster to go through the KU passport agency, and after driving around for over 15 minutes figuring out where to park, and then a 15 minute walk from the parking garage to the agency, 4 separate photo's (I didn't like the 1st one, there was red-eye in the 2nd one, too dark in the 2nd, and then finally a good one), and then a 15 minute walk back, I have the passport process started. I paid to get faster processing time, but it still takes 2-3 weeks for it to get here. I had to research how to get a birth certificate with an Apostille (something you have to have for certain countries), and also get a background check with an Apostille. I sent the letters off today, but it still makes me nervous, b/c they have to forward the documents to the Secretary of State (birth certificate in Nebraska, background check in Kansas), and I'm praying that it all goes smoothly, and there isn't a kink in the whole process! Saturday I have a Dr's appt for my physical where I have to get a drug panel, find out my blood type (I don't like needles or shots, and haven't ever wanted to give blood), update my tetanus shot, and then the doctor has to sign a certified letter that I have "no contagious diseases, and am acceptably healthy" to send.

I was lucky enough to be able to select my flight-- and decided on an all day flight, rather than an overnight layover. Even though I'd get there in the afternoon, I think I would be utterly exhausted if I had to try and sleep in the airport!

It's all starting to get REAL!

Now the process begins of going through my stuff, and hoping that I can sell my furniture, and any extra stuff that I don't need. I'm moving out of my house June 30th, and going to my parent's till I leave on July 17th(ish). If anyone needs any furniture-- washer, dryer, treadmill, chairs, old coffee table, small kitchen table and chairs, night stand, entertainment center, kitchen cookware-- I'd be happy to sell it to anyone that's interested! My parents will also be extremely thrilled if I can store the least amount of stuff there as possible!! This will also help with the expenses I'll have with just moving and such.

I moved into my duplex the middle of July, but the last 2 years the management company has made me sign my lease in February, and if I don't sign it, then I'll lose my place (I think it's unfair, but I've been told there's nothing I can do about it). When I called them, they said that I was going to have to pay $150 to get out of my lease and $150 when my duplex was subletted, I was also going to have to pay my July rent, possibly pro-rated to when the new renters would move in. I was really worried about having to pay that extra rent and called the people that take care of the houses to see if there was anything I could do. They said they would pay the July rent, as a donation to my cause! --- Only the beginning, I'm sure, that I'll see how amazing God can work in my life!

Part II-- How it Came to Be

I never thought God could be a comedian, but through this process, I felt like God had a sense of humor! Last Wednesday I had my phone interview. The next few days I had a roller coaster of emotions. I was overwhelmed with trying to decide if I could actually make the jump to do this-- the low salary was very scary, being away from my family and my best friend, living in a big city by myself...

Friday evening I actually submitted two applications for special ed positions, I guess basically as fall-backs. Saturday morning I got an email asking for an interview from one of the schools. My lovely neighbor (a.k.a. the bar-- which I didn't know it was there when I moved here) was having their lovely Alumni dance Saturday night, and I didn't want to have to listen to loud music till 2 a.m., so I spent the night with close friends in Lawrence. This ended up being a huge blessing for me. Thanks to them, I was able to talk and process out whether or not I should go. I went to church with them the next morning, and in the middle of church I leaned over and told my friend, "I'm going to do this!" I had made the decision to go! After church my friend's neighbor came over, who actually was from DR, and had been in the states for 7 years, and I was able to talk with her for over two hours asking questions about living there. She is in her 50's and had lived in Santiago till she was 14, and then after that was living in the capital city. It was really good to talk with her and hear her interpretation, but it also brought up a lot of anxiety about the decision! As I left their house, I checked my voice mail and I had a voice mail from the other school, asking for a interview!

I had to get groceries, and then after I got home I called my best friend, with my anxiety level being really high. Talking with her really helped, and brought me back "down," and I felt a lot better about the decision. The next step was telling my family (my parent's), and I was really worried about telling them. What parent wants to hear that their single daughter is going to live in a foreign country for 2 years?? When I called and told them, they were surprisingly okay (which I hope is still the case! LOL) with my decision-- which I feel like is an answer to prayer as well. After that I called my brother and told him, and he was happy for me as well. After that I emailed my principal and told her I was taking the position-- which I thought I was officially accepting-- but I later found out that it wasn't official yet, b/c they needed my reference forms back first.

I had my timeline of how I wanted things to go, but of course it didn't go the way I wanted! I didn't feel like I could officially resign Monday, so I waited. Monday after school I had a voice mail-- this is where the sense of humor I felt really came to play-- I checked my voice mail as I was driving home from school (yes I know I probably shouldn't be doing that while I'm driving), and I had a voice mail from KU wanting an interview!! I literally said out loud, "Seriously God??? What are you trying to do to me???" And I was actually laughing about it! Working at KU has been a dream of mine for a really long time--not teaching, but working in something sped related. I had applied for jobs at KU before, and wasn't even looked at, most likely b/c I didn't have college experience. The job I had applied for (and thinking that I wouldn't get) was for an Accessibility Specialist-- it didn't require college experience-- former sped teachers that have worked with students with disabilities and assessment-- which fit me to a T!

The fact that God had opened so many doors for me, made the decision to leave my current job a tiny bit easier (but not entirely)-- and I knew it was time to leave, but it made it again overwhelming to what to decide. I still was leaning toward the DR job though. Though I remember saying after I had decided to take the DR job, that the only way I would pass up the DR job was if I got the KU job (though I hadn't gotten the interview yet).

Tuesday we had a half-day of school, and by the afternoon, I felt the urge to resign, b/c I needed a little bit of closure of being with my co-workers, and having them know. I don't know how many times I checked my email, waiting for the "official" word that I indeed have the job. They were waiting on my references to send back the forms, as that was required before they could make an offer. Wednesday morning I got the email I was waiting for, and it was finally official! (See previous post for the email). I knew my decision was the right one, but I'm still a bit sad about KU (but who know if I will even get the job, let alone whether it'll be something that I'd want to do). I am still going to do the KU interview, merely as way of "getting my foot in the door." I'm hoping that this would be a way of remembering me if I were to apply/interview with them ever again.

I am now just waiting on my expired passport (laying on my couch, drinking coffee, trying to relax) that my parent's had to overnight to me, so I can surrender that for when I go apply for my new passport. This experience so far has been both physically and mentally exhausting, and my house probably shows it! LOL 

How It All Came About...

I have thought about teaching abroad off and on for a long time, but have never started the process. I've just "looked." Well, about 3 weeks ago, I posted on a Christian Teaching Facebook Group I'm a member of, and was flooded with responses and advice about various positions/websites to use. So, I started looking even further. I found a sped job at Santiago Christian School (International) in Santiago, Dominican Republic. 

This time, however I actually went through the application process (which I still can't believe that I did!), submitted the application, last Tuesday evening, and then Wednesday morning, I got an email from the principal wanting an interview with me! When I emailed her back, she had said that it would be Wednesday, but in the process of emailing, she asked about doing it then (It was 7:30 in the evening)-- and I ended up being on phone with her for over 2 hrs!! In a nutshell, I basically could have the job-- she was very impressed with my background and qualifications. I was very impressed with how strong her Christian faith was, the quality of the school, the support that she gives her teachers, especially new teachers. I will have a 3-week orientation in July before school starts-- from how how to set up a bank account, cell phone, to how to find my way around the city. There's about 600 in their school, K-12, with about a graduating class of about 50. It's a private school, rather Americanized-- using Common Core Standards, Reading Street Reading, and Every Day Math. A lot of the assessments they used, I had heard of. Spanish is the students' first language, but they start learning English pretty early-- the school has ESL teachers as well. They don't have Speech or OT, so the students that need those services would probably not be at the school. I got an email from one of the sped teachers, and it was all positives about teaching and living there. The sped teacher is from the states and the principal is from Pennsylvania, with being the principal there for four years.

One of the bigger influences/things I took from the phone interview, was Stacy (my principal) actually prayed for me over the phone before I hung up, asking for wisdom of whether or not God wanted me to have the job, and for a meeting that I had mentioned I was having the next day. That had a really big impression on me.
Santiago (Dominican Republic) has all the modern conveniences that the state has-- movie theaters, shopping mall, fast food, technology. The night I had the interview, I Googled how far it was from Omaha to Dr I got 4 hours-- Well.... in searching further... it's more like anywhere from a 9 hour flight to 20! So, scratch that of it being just a hop, skip, and a jump home! I'm sure there will more that I'll find out that is different than what I thought/expected!

Probably the biggest factor was of course-- being away from my family (it's a 2-year commitment), and 2 -- the financial factor (It does have good health ins)-- I was assured by my principal that the cost of living is a lot less, and that I would be able to save money-- but my salary is going to be a lot less than I'm used to! My housing can be deducted from my salary, and it's about $400 (if I have a roommate, it's half, which I'm hoping that I can have one to help with the transition), They pay for 2 round trip flights, and I'm able to come back to the states in the summer. I can travel Christmas and Spring Break, but most likely hoping that I'll have people that come visit me then!!  

This is from May 20th-- It's official! Now begins the process of the passport/Visa, and the very thorough health assessment!