Drumroll please...

Most people who will read this blog probably already know this by now, but I figured I should share the news since some big changes in my life are quickly approaching.

I'll just start by saying I applied for A TON of teaching jobs here in SC and had several interviews, but I was never offered a position. I was getting so frustrated and felt like I would never find a job. I felt like principals liked me, but weren't really giving me a chance. I am creative and I truly try to keep students engaged in what they are learning. I felt that I was interviewing well, but I guess I was never what they were really looking for in the end.

The last weekend in April I went out to Arizona to visit Holly and attend a huge teacher job fair. I believe I mentioned that I was going in a previous blog post. I brought about 50 resumes and I handed almost all of them out to different districts in the Phoenix area. On my resume I stated that I am certified in both English and Theatre, but in general I was telling folks at the fair that I was certified in English because more schools are looking for English teachers than Drama teachers.

I made my way through rows and rows of tables and then I came to the Tolleson Union High School District table. I gave them my resume and told them I was looking for an English position, but the man saw that I am an instructor at the South Carolina Children's Theatre and asked if I was Theatre certified as well. I told him I was and then he told me to come back to the table a little later because they had a principal in their district that was looking for a FULL TIME drama teacher.

I went back and met the principal and she asked me to come take a look at the school and the performing arts center the following Monday. I told her I was a little bit at the mercy of my sister since I didn't have my car out there and that she had a dentist appointment that afternoon. The principal told me she would wait for me, even until 5:00 if she had to. They finish school at 2:30, so I felt like that was really saying something!

I arrived at the school that Monday afternoon and had a mini-interview with the principal and a second administrator. Then, the principal showed me the performing arts center (PAC) and classrooms, yes, classroomS. The drama program has a regular classroom fit for giving lectures and book work, then also a classroom for getting up and moving around. Then, there is the PAC. The building and all of the technology is less than two years old, plus there is a shop!

At the end of our tour, we went back to her office and the principal told me that if I'd like to join them, they'd love to have me as their Drama teacher, full-time, meaning that's all I'd be teaching. I told her that I really needed to think and pray about it and asked if there was a certain time I needed to get back to her. She told me that there was no pressure and I could take as much time as I felt necessary to make my decision. That was such a blessing. I took about a week really thinking about everything and then emailed her letting her know I'd like to take the job!

I was a little timid to announce this to the world via blog or Facebook because I was afraid something would go wrong with my application for reciprocity, but I got my Arizona certificate in the mail on Saturday, so I felt like it was safe to let everyone know about my exciting news! I'm so nervous about it having to design AND direct AND teach, but I know that I have excellent resources available and that the Lord will help me to keep my life under control as I embark on this new adventure!

Things I'm Obssessed With Right Now

Here is a list of some things that I'm obsessed with right now:

1. Doctor Who. I finally did it, I started watching Doctor Who. I have watched 5 1/2 seasons in just under 3 weeks. It is seriously cutting into my reading time, which is really bumming me out, but I CAN'T STOP WATCHING. I only have a few episodes left on Netflix, which makes me both happy and sad. Happy because I'll get my normal life back, but sad because I'm in love with that mad man with the blue box! I also read that Matt Smith is leaving the show, and I'm very sad about that. I loved Christopher Eccleston and I loved David Tennant even more, so I thought I would never get used to the new Doctor, but he is fabulous! He is so emotional, which I adore about him, I'll be sad to see him go :(

2. William Shatner circa 1966. Captain James Tiberius Kirk is a total fox, he is also the most overacted character I believe I have ever seen. In addition to watching Doctor Who, I've also been watching Star Trek, the SUPER old ones. I must say, I think they did an amazing job finding actors for the new movies that actually look like the ones from the original series. Chris Pine is far better looking than William Shatner and the same goes for Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy, but they really look like younger versions of their original counterparts! I am in the first season of the original series, so I have many more episodes ahead of me.

3. Getting back into reading plays. I've been reading, well re-reading, some great ones, like The Glass Menagerie and several great Shakespearean plays. I forgot how much I miss reading something and figuring out how to stage it in my mind. I'd love some suggestions on plays to read, assuming someone is actually reading this blog, what are some good ones that y'all have read?

Anyways, that's all for now. I haven't blogged in quite a while and I figured I should put something up here.

Adventures in Food Dehydration

I've been diabetic now for almost 15 years. I've had a very hard time controlling it pretty much my whole life because I've never had good eating habits. Well, I went to see a diabetes dietician during Spring Break and she told me that in order for me to finally get on track with my health, I should try to eat 6 small meals a day, 30 carbs each.  Basically, I eat like a hobbit. Breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, and so forth.

One thing I've really enjoyed eating as part of many of my meals is dried fruit. I decided I should try to dry my own, because dried fruit can get expensive if you are eating a lot of it. I went on a search for a food dehydrator. I looked at Target with no luck and then at every department store in the mall and none of them had one either! I figure I'd just have to buy one online. But lo and behold, yesterday at Walmart I found one, and it was on sale!

I'm sure there are much nicer ones out there, but this one gets the job done. First, I dried strawberries, green apples, blueberries, and bananas. All of them were delicious. They were in the dehydrator for about 14 hours. The only downside is that it is rather loud. It doesn't really bother me, but if you can't easily just ignore the sound of a fan, it may bother you. Below is a picture of my first batch of goodies!

  Now I'm trying out some grapes, they are supposed to take longer, but maybe I'll have some delicious homemade raisins! I'm also doing peaches, pears, and pineapples this time. If you like dried fruit and you don't mind to do a little bit of work then I'd recommend trying it out!

The M word

Let me preface my post with this, I have lots of friends that are married and have children. Many of them married young and had their children young. If any of you are reading this, please understand that I think you are amazing people who are doing exactly what you should be doing. I do not write this post to denounce or belittle marriage or motherhood, because they are the two things I want most in the world. The following post is just about my feelings on the matter as of late and how my life is affected by it. 

A few weeks ago I had pretty much made up my mind that I was going to move out to Arizona whether I got a teaching position out there or not. The force driving me to do that was the fact that I'm single and there are pretty much no LDS young single adults in Greenville. By LDS standards I'm practically a spinster. I'm approaching my 25th birthday and I've never even been close to getting married. For a long time I've really felt bad about myself because of this. I've felt like there is something wrong with me or that I'm not good enough because I'm in my mid-twenties and not married. I spent 4 long years at BYU-Idaho being told on a weekly (if not daily) basis that I needed to get married as soon as possible and I watched girls 3-5 years younger than me get married and start families. So it's no wonder that I was feeling like a failure even after graduating and emerging from the "BYU-I bubble". It has been ingrained into my subconscious "GET MARRIED, MAKE BABIES, BE HAPPY."

I am finally coming to terms with the fact that it is OK that I'm not married, even at the ripe old age of 24. Do I want to get married? Of course! I am dying to find that person with whom I can share everything and create a family. Does it have to be right this second? No. Do I wish it was? Yes, but I cannot let the fact that I'm not married dictate my life. I have been telling myself this for a long time, but I finally believe it. I can't just move across the country without a job because I feel like I won't meet someone if I stay in SC. That is an irresponsible and unintelligent decision. I have faith that my Heavenly Father knows what is best for me. Is that hard? Uh, yeah! And you know what, I'm struggling with not knowing where I should live and work or when/if I'm going to find that special someone. So, if anyone else is struggling with this here's what I have to say in a bullet pointed list:

- Not getting married in my early twenties was not the end of the world. It sure seemed like it when I was going through it, and it still hurts now, but it's OK and there is nothing wrong with me (or you).

- I cannot let marriage dictate my life. I have to make smart choices based on what is going on in my life right now, not what's going to happen when I finally find someone. In my case, I have some serious student loans to pay off, so that is what I'm focusing on.

- It is OK to feel sad or angry that I'm not married. I feel upset about it a lot, but I don't let those emotions take over my life. I feel it, then I let it pass. For a long time I used to try and act like I was totally fine not being married and that I didn't care that I wasn't. But that's exactly what it was, an act. I find that when I'm more truthful with myself about it, I don't feel resentment towards young people that are already married as often as I used to be.

- I try to focus on the healthy and happy relationships I already have. I have a loving family who is constantly supportive of me. I am also blessed to have a second family at SCCT where I know people are glad to see me when I'm there. I have so many wonderful people in my life and I am so grateful for the strong relationships I have with them.

Having said all of that. Here's the deal with my pending employment/moving/etc...

I went to a teacher job fair at the Bi-Lo center on Friday and felt really good about all of the connections I made with principals and other administrators. I spoke with all of the schools that are hiring English teachers and many others that aren't sure what they need yet. The principal at Wade Hampton High told me to expect a phone call for an interview, the administrator from Riverside High made special notes on my resume so she'd be able to pick it out from the others she received at the job fair, League Academy asked for me to email them to make sure I can set up an interview, Lakeview Middle also wants to interview me, and I had an interview with Greer Middle school that afternoon! It was such an awesome feeling. If you are feeling down, go to a job fair, even if you aren't looking for a job. It was such a confidence booster.

I'm going out to Arizona later this month to another job fair, I want to keep all of my options open. However, I feel like if I can get a job here in Greenville, it will be in my best interests financially to stay. I can't say that being a 25 year old woman living at home with her parents is the most appealing idea in the world, but if I can get a full-time teaching position while I live at home rent-free, I think I can pay off my student loans in a year. That would be amazing. Would I have much of a social life? Nope. Could I handle it? Yep, I can pull on my big girl panties and deal with it.

If anyone has any advice for me in my job search or just any comments in general about this post or life, please feel free to share them with me! Thanks for reading and for your friendship and support.