3/28 -- Invitee Musings

The past few weeks have been chock-full of work, play, and pondering.

First, the work. I landed a job as a long-term substitute for a middle school special educator. It's a very different position than I'm accustomed to, but I think it'll be good experience for future teaching jobs. I'm getting to see a different side of education than I did while student teaching.
Also, it has allowed me to cultivate some more relationships within this school system. Who knows, maybe if/when I return to this area, I'll be able to call on these connections to get a full-time job. For now, I'm content with having steady employment and a real paycheck.

Aside from work, I've been trying to visit and spend time with as many friends as possible. Something about the fact that I'm going to live in a far away land for two years makes me really appreciate the time I can spend with friends and family now. On the other hand, I'm a person who tends to enjoy a lot of "me" time and I haven't gotten that much lately! C'est la vie!

The time I do have to myself is mostly spent daydreaming about PC and stressing about what I need to purchase and, ultimately, pack. I can't imagine fitting my life for two years into two suitcases. I had a hard time making the weight limit during my study abroad semester (five months in England) and that was pretty much just clothing! I went ahead and have purchased one big thing in anticipation of my PC service--a digital SLR camera. I've had a good ol' (and I mean old) film SLR camera, adopted from my dad, for a while, but I've been thinking about the ease of a digital one for a while. The combination of PC and a nice paycheck finally pushed me over the check-out line. Unfortunately, the weather is still pretty cold here so I haven't been able to go out and shoot much, but here are a few shots from the first few days of ownership.

Oreo, my roommate's kitten

Foxy, my roommate's dog

Pubs on Thames Street, 3/22/11

Max's Taphouse, Fells Point 3/22

The Horse You Came In On, Fells Point, 3/22

The Horse You Came In On, Fells Point 3/22

I hope to spend more time in the upcoming weeks taking photos and learning about Armenia. When I first learned that I would be going to Armenia, I went into research overdrive. Lately, however, I've slacked on this and feel like I should get back into it. Hopefully by putting this thought into writing here, I will be more likely follow through!

That's all for now!