On the Move Again . . .

At the end of July, I. and I settled down to a new regime. Living in my parents' (lovely and spacious) attic, we began sending out dozens of applications (about five a day apiece) to jobs in locations all over the United States. When I finished my five applications early in the day, I blogged (hence why August has been a semi- productive blogging month) and scouted for more jobs to which I might apply the following day. I looked at a number of retail posts, while my charming husband focused on jobs in the tutoring and teaching industries. We had phone interviews, Skype interviews, and recorded video interviews, and I was offered an in-person interview for a temporary job in upstate New York, although eventually that one.

Late one Tuesday night, I tossed out a random application to a small Christian school in rural Tennessee. I had such difficulty finding a correct email address on the website that I didn't even bother to list this job on my running database of applications. On Wednesday morning, the headmaster called to arrange a Skype interview (always exciting on my parents' rural internet connection), and then two more, and at half-past four on Wednesday afternoon, he offered me the job. I. and I threw some clothes into a suitcase, grabbed our laptops and toiletries, and were off! I had my first social engagament as a member of staff on Thursday evening, and began teaching the following Monday.

In the last two weeks, we have found a house to rent, bought our first grown-up appliances, and started church shopping. My amazing husband actually hooked up our dryer all by himself (which is, I think, the most complicated mechanical task either of us has ever accomplished) and I have spent most of my days trying to wrap my head around last year's syllabi and trying to create a strategy for teaching students with a very wide range of skills and abilities. Everything about the last two weeks has been a bit of a surprise, but God's hand has been evident in every step we have taken so far. (Moving to rural Tennessee has still been a bit of a culture shock).

As we await an opportunity to pack and ship or transport our belongings, we have been relying heavily on the generosity of my new colleagues and other members of the school's community. Southern hospitality has come out in full force lately, and we are benefitting from a colleague's air mattress, a table and chairs belonging to another colleague and her college-age child, and the advice of dozens of friendly and well-intentioned families. I originally worried that our adventires would dwindle away when we moved back to the United States, but my fears, so far, have been unfounded. 

Last week, I asked my students to introduce me to the area by recommending a place I should visit once I had a bit of spare time. After some protestations that there is "nothing to do around here," they eventually suggested a very wide range of stores, parks, and other destinations, most of which I am looking forward to seeing with my own eyes very much.

Given that I am trying to catch up on a lot of prep work, I've not yet been to any of my students' recommended destinations. However, for simple beauty, our backyard isn't bad. This is the view from the back patio:

The front porch sports a decent view in the mornings, as well:

More later!