Packing/Cleaning

Yeah, it is 2:00 in the morning and I am awake. 

I was on my way home from a five hour birthday party this afternoon when my landlord called and said she's showing the house tomorrow.  She doesn't know when the girl is coming, just that it's tomorrow.  So..................I had to stop packing in order to clean the house, and let me just say it sucks!!  It took me like 3 hours just to pick up my room!  (Okay, I was packing at the same time, so it wasn't that bad!)  I will admit that I watched Fantastic 4 sequel and then took a nap (from 8-11) before I actually started doing anything, so it's kinda my fault that I'm up right now instead of asleep like normal people!

But now I have to go clean the living room, kitchen, and bathrooms.  Hopefully they'll go quicker!

Moving

I am already bored with moving, and I have packed -- maybe -- one box!  Okay, I've done a little more than that, but it feels like there's no end in sight!  I'm waiting for that light at the end of the tunnel...  School coming to an end is kind of helping, but I'm also starting to get a little sad.  One of my ex-students came in this morning on the verge of tears, which made me start to cry...I really am going to miss them all.  Well, the majority of them.  Anyway, the more progress I make toward moving out brings along the realization of the life I'm leaving behind.  I'm going to leave a lot of new friends (and some old ones) here in East Texas, and I really don't know what (or who) I'm going back to in Dallas.    Just the physical part of moving in with my family after being on my own for six years now is a situation that I cannot fully comprehend at this moment in time.  I can't imagine what it will be like to be a "real adult" who happens to live at home.  Will I have a curfew?  (Didn't have one when I was in high school).  Chores?  (I may have had them, but I didn't do them).  I know I won't have a dedicated, covered parking space or shade or any of the other independent things I've become accustomed to.  I do know that I will continue to have DVR (a Godsend) and HBO for the new season of Big Love because I'll be paying for it, along with rent which hasn't really been discussed.  I mean, I offered $100/month, but the parental units didn't really say if they felt that was fair.  Until I get to Prague, I kinda feel like I'll be in Limbo.

Then comes my next point.  I am literally selling almost everything I own in order to do this, and if it doesn't sell then I will be giving it away because I'll have nowhere to store it.  I see this to be a pretty significant compromise for the use of one room in my parents' house.  Eventually I will want my own place, and I will have to replace a lot of the stuff I sell.  Who knows, though?  Maybe I will become some type of European royalty and then none of it will matter! ;)  Back to my point...  I keep getting told that this will mean "compromises for everyone," but I'm having difficulty seeing anyone else's compromising.  I suppose that's just the selfish nature of human existence.  Speaking of, I think I am going to start going to church again when I move home in order to keep some perspective.  That should help.  I'll definitely have some personal issues to handle and possible change.  My mindset, for one.  I really am trying hard to not sound or act spoiled, but the differences between my life when I was in high school and now seem astounding to me, and I don't think my family sees that.  Big picture: I am saving money for Prague... this may well become my new mantra!

Sorry if I sound whiney tonight, I apologize.  Again, I am trying to develop myself into a better person, so call me on it if you must.  Accepting constructive criticism is something else I want to learn.  I'm hoping all of it will help me be successful in life.  I don't like being a loser, and I think that's what I'm morphing into.  Well, that's enough about me.  I am ready to move on with the next step in my life, knowing that it will put me one step closer to where I really want to be!

Notes while writing:  I am watching last night's episode of Grey's Anatomy, and it's really weirding me out, so if this is incomprehensible, please forgive me!  I've only seen one other episode this season, so maybe that's what the problem is.  Like, for instance, the chick with Alex... what's her deal?  Did she have a bad abortion or something?  He is taking surprisingly good care of her.  And that dude in the cement.... why didn't he try to get up when it started stiffening?  HA HA!!  His reference to Hans Solo... I totally got that!  Wow, McDreamy is being a real pansy.  I think I should go so I can continue watching it.  Plus, I have to pack.  And wrap a birthday present.  Three, actually, but that's an entirely different story!

Changes

My sister and I are embarking on a new journey together. We are leaving everything we know, and going to Prague to receive our international certification as Teachers of English as a Foreign Language! Our first step in this plan is to pack up and store our stuff, move home to our parents (who seem to be extremely supportive), and save up as much money as we can! Our program begins on January 5, 2009...and I cannot wait!

How it Began...

Well I have been wanting to teach abroad for a long time now, and I just figured this was my opportunity. I love my sister and I know she has always wanted to travel, so we figured why not? And so she's coming too!

Seriously, though, I have been toying with the idea for a while, and I know that if I don't just go ahead and try it now, I will regret it for the rest of my life. So while I was surfing yesterday morning trying to figure out if this was a valid idea, I found this school, TEFL Worldwide in Prague, Czech Republic. We will be certified in 4 weeks, but before you think it's a blow-off, we'll have class from like 8-6 five days a week. I think it's 124 hours of class and 8+ hours of classroom instruction between January 5 and January 30. Upon successful completion of the course, we will have lifetime job placement assistance, so we'll be able to find jobs teaching English whenever and wherever we want!

As far as fun goes, I've already been looking online, and if it's feesible, we're going to get to see Swan Lake on January 10 (or maybe Cinderella on January 11). Other than that, we plan to do some nearby travelling on the weekends. I dunno...Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Austria, Germany? The sky's the limit! We're planning to save up enough money to spend an additional couple of weeks travelling through Europe by moving home and saving practically every cent we can between now and January.

After all of that, I don't know where I'll be, but I will let you know as soon as I do! Check back frequently, as I plan to keep you as updated as possible on the whole process! Leave messages and all that jazz!