Backing Up and Going Forward To a Second Year

I need to back up a few months to give you some perspective. As stated previously I am 16 days a way from my 1st year anniversary for living abroad. How exciting is that really!! Who knew? I arrived February 18, 2009 on a 1 year contract with a private school. Private schools are as much the norm here as are public schools. Education has a high priority here and parents who can afford, and many do, send their children to private schools once they leave public school for the day every day.
I went right to work the very next day. I suppose they wanted to make full use of their investment. Ten months into my contract, My God had another plan. The private school began to experience financial troubles and the "spiritually driven financial bail out plan" was put into play for me.

Out of the blue I received a call from an acquaintance about a Public School position. Those jobs are highly regarded here. After looking into it, I knew it was indeed a no brainer and that I would be breaking my contract at the private school. I am now working in a public school and have a new contract through December 2010. So now I'm officially going into my second year.

The challenge is greater but so are the benefits. I have more students but they are older, so I don't have to play hide and seek, or chase children into the classroom. It's also an all girls middle school, so that's kind of nice. It's not a Utopian environment but I love it just the same. I have a lovely office and multi-media in my classroom so that allows me even more creative flexibility.

I had a friend tell me how surprised she was that I made this move and that she did not think I'd last 3 months. How wrong she was and how little she knows about my God and my adventurous spirit!