Someone asked me the other day what I would do if I didn't need the money.
My answer came automatically & surprised me.
I said, without even thinking about it, "Teach".
Ummm.....what?! Isn't teaching what I said I'd never do? My degree is in Psychology, not even Education! But after sub-teaching for three years, I love it. And now I have my own class. Teaching Reading. And I love it.
I've never been happier.
So how lucky am I to be 21 years old and have found the thing that makes me happy. The job that I WANT to go to, not have to go to. And I can see my future in education developing easily. I'm very blessed.
That's not to say my life isn't still in utter chaos!
I've hit a stand still in the Peace Corps process. But I'm not giving up, & I see the way through all of the hardships.
It's almost May (by the way, how did that happen so fast?!), which means in a month and a half I'll be back at Eisner! I'm so excited. And after that, if I get things figured out this month, I'll be heading out to Europe to teach for the Peace Corps.
Yes, I really am lucky. :)
April 18, 2010
April 5, 2010
Critical. Confused. Crap.
I feel like I'm in that critical place, where one wrong step could ruin the entire climb.
I could explain every problem that I am encountering, but I don't want to use this blog entry as a ranting spree. I've just gotten myself so confused.
I'm at a crucial place in the PC process, & I've managed to second guess myself so much that I don't know if i should even continue. But I am going to try.
That's all I can do. TRY. and Try again.
Hoping that somewhere along the line, life takes over, and it all just falls together.
I could explain every problem that I am encountering, but I don't want to use this blog entry as a ranting spree. I've just gotten myself so confused.
I'm at a crucial place in the PC process, & I've managed to second guess myself so much that I don't know if i should even continue. But I am going to try.
That's all I can do. TRY. and Try again.
Hoping that somewhere along the line, life takes over, and it all just falls together.
February 24, 2010
Back Up
Good things come to those who wait
Hopefully this will be proven true to me soon.
Unfortunately the Peace Corps process is VERY long and is torturing me. Not knowing if I am going to be nominated and placed in a country in the fall is honestly killing me. I'm used to having my life planned out, never not knowing what's about to happen. But lately, my plans end in August and I have no idea what will happen after then.
So, in order to keep myself somewhat occupied and to create a back up plan, in case I don't get into the Peace Corps, I've been applying to a bunch of jobs. Mostly volunteer positions, mostly in education, in various places throughout America. The good news is that all of these applications take much less time than the Peace Corps, and I already have a phone interview, for a position in Denver!
I'm very excited. And hopeful.
The other thing I've heard lately is that waiting for something shows us how much we really want it. Well I've been waiting and waiting & I am learing more everyday how much I Want to get into the Peace Corps. I also feel this is the right choice, right now.
My recruiter is going to be here in Vegas next week, hopefully she brings good news with her.
February 19, 2010
Be My Valentine?
Valentine's day is a very interesting day. A day that I love.
There are others however, that seem to hate this day of love. I get the anti-commercialization debate, is there really a need to spend $80 on a teddy bear? I don't think so. But a day devoted to showing love? Now that I like. :)
I've spent past Valentine's Days doing various things, but most years I like to spend it with friends, the ones I truely love.
This year was extra special. The Friday before Valentine's, I led my students through a Anti vs Pro Valentines Day essay, their papers were just so great! And I got to watch the oh-so-special event of middle school kids giving each other roses and candy, its quite fun to watch! I even recieved some gifts myself! However, I do remember that in middle school it was a very scary day!
On Valentine's Day I spent my evening with some of my closest friends at a very nice resturant, it was absolutely wonderful to get to spend such quality time. I think this is how every Valentine's Day should be. I looked around the room while we were eating and saw adorable couples everywhere, but many looked bored, unable to come up with conversations. We however enjoyed ourselves very much. I hope that every Valentine's Day in my future is like this, spent with just the best people that I love very much.
Oh, and our server looked JUST like Shia LaBeouf. Amazing.
There are others however, that seem to hate this day of love. I get the anti-commercialization debate, is there really a need to spend $80 on a teddy bear? I don't think so. But a day devoted to showing love? Now that I like. :)
I've spent past Valentine's Days doing various things, but most years I like to spend it with friends, the ones I truely love.
This year was extra special. The Friday before Valentine's, I led my students through a Anti vs Pro Valentines Day essay, their papers were just so great! And I got to watch the oh-so-special event of middle school kids giving each other roses and candy, its quite fun to watch! I even recieved some gifts myself! However, I do remember that in middle school it was a very scary day!
On Valentine's Day I spent my evening with some of my closest friends at a very nice resturant, it was absolutely wonderful to get to spend such quality time. I think this is how every Valentine's Day should be. I looked around the room while we were eating and saw adorable couples everywhere, but many looked bored, unable to come up with conversations. We however enjoyed ourselves very much. I hope that every Valentine's Day in my future is like this, spent with just the best people that I love very much.
Oh, and our server looked JUST like Shia LaBeouf. Amazing.
January 25, 2010
Just Breathe
I had a great idea for writing this blog, but it seems to have escaped me.
[I think I'm going to start drinking my morning coffee out of my staff mug from camp....anyone remember this? It's my favorite]
Here's something else that escaped me, but I think I'm getting it now...
I've been under the impression that I needed to fill my newly open time with things to do.
However, I don't. It's okay to just work. I'm so used to keeping myself so busy with school & work and everything else, I've forgotten how to relax. How to..."Just Breathe". One of my favorite quotes, I try to remind myself to breathe all the time. Slow down. Enjoy it.
But I forget that quite often.
Now I have the chance to relax, not stress out, just enjoy life for a bit. Life has its ups & downs, ebbs & flows. This is, I think, one of those resting periods in my life.
I'll (hopefully) be looking back on this time thankful that I got to relax for a bit.
So for now, I'm learning that I really do enjoy simply going to work, coming home, making dinner & watching TV. So completely peaceful & 'normal'. I get to spend more time with the people I love.
I also get to take naps. I forgot how much I love naps :)
It's just another learning experience, but maybe it's an important one.
[I think I'm going to start drinking my morning coffee out of my staff mug from camp....anyone remember this? It's my favorite]
January 21, 2010
The Waiting Game
Ever since my decision to apply to the Peace Corps, I've been playing the waiting game.
You fill out some paperwork, and then wait.
Then you updated some resume, send in your transcripts, and then wait.
Do some more paperwork. Wait some more.
And then not only that, but this whole time, I have to wait to find out if all of this is even going to pay off. Am I even going to get into the PC? And when will I know? I have to wait.
On top of that, I am doing the responsible thing & applying other options.
Volunteering here, teaching there, travel, work. All of these things, they require more paperwork.
And more waiting.
I know I should have patience, but I just want to know my future already! But alas, I have to wait.
One more thing, Vegas has been getting rain all week. I love it. Rain makes me very very happy.
One day, I'll have to live somewhere other than the desert. Looking forward to it :)
You fill out some paperwork, and then wait.
Then you updated some resume, send in your transcripts, and then wait.
Do some more paperwork. Wait some more.
And then not only that, but this whole time, I have to wait to find out if all of this is even going to pay off. Am I even going to get into the PC? And when will I know? I have to wait.
On top of that, I am doing the responsible thing & applying other options.
Volunteering here, teaching there, travel, work. All of these things, they require more paperwork.
And more waiting.
I know I should have patience, but I just want to know my future already! But alas, I have to wait.
One more thing, Vegas has been getting rain all week. I love it. Rain makes me very very happy.
One day, I'll have to live somewhere other than the desert. Looking forward to it :)
January 17, 2010
Not a small decision
Second try....here we go. :)
As I mentioned in my previous posting, I am applying to the Peace Corps.
So, I'm going to do my best to describe the why, what & how of my decision here, which thankfully, most of you support!
So where to begin?
When I was a sophmore in college I started taking my Pscyhology classes. I remember this one guy in one of my study groups. Total Hippie. And I mean, TOTAL. I say that with respect, by the way. Anyways, he was fascinating. His ideas of how getting his psych degree was just leading him to more understanding of people & therefore the world, and how college was just a stepping stone to something greater. How he was going to change the world. And how would he do that? Peace Corps.
I was only 17(maybe 16 still) when I took that class. I wasn't naiive, but we all know that the journey through college opens our eyes to many different views & ideas, peoples & cultures. So that was the first time I heard about the Peace Corps. It intrigued me. I put in an interest form & read up on the Peace Corps.
But I had a different plan. It involved Doctorate degrees & big offices.
So I continued in school. My junior year I became a Substitute teacher. This had to be one of the scariest things I ever decided to do, but I'm so glad my friends and family MADE me do it!
Once I started teaching, my ideas started to change. Of course, as with any experience, this happens.
So, to paraphrase what could be a realllllly long story....I had thought that teaching was a means to an end. A way to get through college. A good job that paid well & looked much better on my resume than Starbucks did. Never did I think that I would love teaching. Never did I think that I would have major thoughts of changing my degree(which did not happen, by the way).
I fell in love with teaching.
Not only that, I fell in love with helping. With knowing that what I did today, could potentially better the world. With helping one child learn. With making a difference.
And then, I graduated college with a BA in Psychology.
What do you do then? I made a plan. And a backup plan. Plan A....go to grad school! Of course, this is the obvious plan. I've got my top graduate schools picked out, decided upon where I want to live etc. Plan B...Take a Year Off. Plan C...Combine. Take a year, then go to grad school.
I went with plan C. Sort of.
The first thing you have to do after deciding to take a year off? Figure out what to do with that year. I had a few ideas, teach in Las Vegas, travel, get a "real job" (By the way, what IS a real job?), but nothing was certain.
And then I spent a life changing summer on the East Coast. Somewhere between graduating in May & coming home from the summer camp I taught at in September, I made a small decision.
-If you are taking a year off, make it count.
Enter Peace Corps. The seed that was planted back in sophmore year started to grow. It took every small decision, every experience, every encounter to help me make this decision.
So I came home, did my research, & started my application to the Peace Corps.
What will I do? Where will I go? Will I be safe?? These are the questions I get asked by all of you these days. Lets see, after my interview I can safely say that I will most likely be teaching English. Seeing as I'm still in the application process, I can't say where I will go. But I do know that wherever it is, it'll be amazing & life changing. And as far as safety, I teach in a Clark County School District school everyday. Do you think I'm safe as it is??
Anyways, this is a huge decision, & a long process, but it's one I'm very excited about. I'm not a Peace Corps Volunteer YET, but I'm hopefully confident that I will be.
And, I know that I have your support. Which I will need very much if I do indeed get into the Peace Corps.
So, there it is. It's VERY brief and probably missing ALOT of important pieces. But, I felt like I should write it down :)
More to come (soon hopefully) on the Peace Corps status.
<3
As I mentioned in my previous posting, I am applying to the Peace Corps.
So, I'm going to do my best to describe the why, what & how of my decision here, which thankfully, most of you support!
So where to begin?
When I was a sophmore in college I started taking my Pscyhology classes. I remember this one guy in one of my study groups. Total Hippie. And I mean, TOTAL. I say that with respect, by the way. Anyways, he was fascinating. His ideas of how getting his psych degree was just leading him to more understanding of people & therefore the world, and how college was just a stepping stone to something greater. How he was going to change the world. And how would he do that? Peace Corps.
I was only 17(maybe 16 still) when I took that class. I wasn't naiive, but we all know that the journey through college opens our eyes to many different views & ideas, peoples & cultures. So that was the first time I heard about the Peace Corps. It intrigued me. I put in an interest form & read up on the Peace Corps.
But I had a different plan. It involved Doctorate degrees & big offices.
So I continued in school. My junior year I became a Substitute teacher. This had to be one of the scariest things I ever decided to do, but I'm so glad my friends and family MADE me do it!
Once I started teaching, my ideas started to change. Of course, as with any experience, this happens.
So, to paraphrase what could be a realllllly long story....I had thought that teaching was a means to an end. A way to get through college. A good job that paid well & looked much better on my resume than Starbucks did. Never did I think that I would love teaching. Never did I think that I would have major thoughts of changing my degree(which did not happen, by the way).
I fell in love with teaching.
Not only that, I fell in love with helping. With knowing that what I did today, could potentially better the world. With helping one child learn. With making a difference.
And then, I graduated college with a BA in Psychology.
What do you do then? I made a plan. And a backup plan. Plan A....go to grad school! Of course, this is the obvious plan. I've got my top graduate schools picked out, decided upon where I want to live etc. Plan B...Take a Year Off. Plan C...Combine. Take a year, then go to grad school.
I went with plan C. Sort of.
The first thing you have to do after deciding to take a year off? Figure out what to do with that year. I had a few ideas, teach in Las Vegas, travel, get a "real job" (By the way, what IS a real job?), but nothing was certain.
And then I spent a life changing summer on the East Coast. Somewhere between graduating in May & coming home from the summer camp I taught at in September, I made a small decision.
-If you are taking a year off, make it count.
Enter Peace Corps. The seed that was planted back in sophmore year started to grow. It took every small decision, every experience, every encounter to help me make this decision.
So I came home, did my research, & started my application to the Peace Corps.
What will I do? Where will I go? Will I be safe?? These are the questions I get asked by all of you these days. Lets see, after my interview I can safely say that I will most likely be teaching English. Seeing as I'm still in the application process, I can't say where I will go. But I do know that wherever it is, it'll be amazing & life changing. And as far as safety, I teach in a Clark County School District school everyday. Do you think I'm safe as it is??
Anyways, this is a huge decision, & a long process, but it's one I'm very excited about. I'm not a Peace Corps Volunteer YET, but I'm hopefully confident that I will be.
And, I know that I have your support. Which I will need very much if I do indeed get into the Peace Corps.
So, there it is. It's VERY brief and probably missing ALOT of important pieces. But, I felt like I should write it down :)
More to come (soon hopefully) on the Peace Corps status.
<3
January 13, 2010
First Things
I am Sage. Sage I am.
Sage has time. Too much Time.
This has never happened to Sage. Ever.
So what should Sage do about it? Enter Blog.
I recently graduated college. After four years of working full time & going to school full time, I have forgotten what one does when they don't HAVE to do anything.
I go to work at 730am, get done around 2pm, come home...and sit & wonder, "What next?"
I have found myself in a sort of Limbo. My application into the Peace Corps is taking some time, so I wait. Wait til I find out if I do get accepted to the Peace Corps. Wait til I figure out what to do next.
But what does one do while they wait?
I'm faced with endless possiblities. All those things that I wanted to do when I was in school, I can now do. All those things that you say, "Oh, if only I had the time!"...Now I have the time!
So this will be my New Adventure. Try my hand at blogging & share with you, whoever You might be, what I do to occupy that empty time. I'm thinking of trying out Art, Music, Fitness, new Books...oh the possiblities.
It could be interesting, or it could be miserable & boring.
But thats the chance you take when starting a New Adventure.
Sage has time. Too much Time.
This has never happened to Sage. Ever.
So what should Sage do about it? Enter Blog.
I recently graduated college. After four years of working full time & going to school full time, I have forgotten what one does when they don't HAVE to do anything.
I go to work at 730am, get done around 2pm, come home...and sit & wonder, "What next?"
I have found myself in a sort of Limbo. My application into the Peace Corps is taking some time, so I wait. Wait til I find out if I do get accepted to the Peace Corps. Wait til I figure out what to do next.
But what does one do while they wait?
I'm faced with endless possiblities. All those things that I wanted to do when I was in school, I can now do. All those things that you say, "Oh, if only I had the time!"...Now I have the time!
So this will be my New Adventure. Try my hand at blogging & share with you, whoever You might be, what I do to occupy that empty time. I'm thinking of trying out Art, Music, Fitness, new Books...oh the possiblities.
It could be interesting, or it could be miserable & boring.
But thats the chance you take when starting a New Adventure.
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