Greener pastures....

I have officially resigned my position at Chesham Park as of today. I literally felt lighter as I walked home today. The stress of the situation has been turning me into the most weepy, ridiculously emotionally needy freak and I HATE being like that! I have had a chapped nose for the last month because I have cried so freaking much!

I actually feel sort of hopeful again…I know that sounds extremely melodramatic (it is) but I have been feeling extremely down lately and it feels so nice to maybe feel a bit like me again. So, to the many people I have sobbed to over the last month…THANK YOU…I really appreciate you in my life! The low-efficacy, life-stinks Liz is hopefully gone for awhile. Knowing I only have to get through 3 ½ more weeks there allows me to not internalize stuff so much now.

So, what now, you ask? Well, this is the joy of working for an employment agency. There are other positions around that I can apply for and the first one coming up is at an all girls school teaching biology about three towns over. The idea of an all-girls school is so appealing to me as I have come to despise teenage boys with the passion of a thousand burning suns…don’t worry, I won’t say that in my interview. Granted, several of the ones I teach right now are likely jail-bound. I know that there are people out there who are amazing at working with kids like that, but apparently, I am not one of them- at least once they are out of middle school. Also, the biology aspect is the most exciting part as I am SO not into chemistry and physics. I am hoping to get an interview. I would have to teach up to Key Stage 5, which translates to Years 12 & 13, which translates to Juniors & Seniors. So, hopefully, they will think I am qualified even though I haven’t taught kids that old. I even added my HS biology student teaching experience to my resume just to spice it up a bit!

I am also applying to attend an international school job fair in January in London through the Council of International Schools. I have to apply just to attend the job fair and have all of references and qualifications checked before they even let you come to the fair. But, there are international/American schools from all over the world and four in London alone. So, we’ll see what happens with that. That wouldn’t start until next school year anyway. But, I think that those schools might be more in line with my beliefs but I don’t want to make any gross generalizations because I have only been in one English school and that would be quite premature. I could get to my next school and be much happier...hopefully that will be the case!

Last night was my first official driving lesson. It was really scary!! It is super-weird to have to concentrate so fully on something that is so automatic on the right side of the road. I am most nervous about roundabouts because it is my instinct to stop at an intersection, but if the way is clear, one keeps going. And, I have to know which lane to be in going on to the roundabout based on where I am getting off the roundabout. So, once I get the idea of going down the left side, I am going to buy a cheap car. If I am working outside of Chesham, I will need one and I would like to stay in my current house for now, for sure as I have everything I need here.

Though Chesham is a cute little town, it does get annoying to be in such a small town that doesn’t have a movie theatre or any sort of shopping at all unless you want to go to thrift stores that close at like 5:30. And, without a car, I feel pretty stuck since the buses aren’t exactly convenient and the only train is into London- which by the way, I went to London last Saturday to see “Chicago,” the musical, and it was AMAZING!! So, I am signed up for another few lessons and then I think I’ll be okay. If I had my own car to practice on, I wouldn’t be as scared but considering I have to go around like 5 roundabouts just to get out of Chesham, it is necessary to have a few lessons!

It does really suck to be gone for Thanksgiving and I miss everyone a lot! But, I am just keeping it in my head that in a mere four weeks, I will be skiing in the French Alps! WOO HOO!!! So, Happy Turkey Day to everyone…I am going to American Thanksgiving on Saturday with friends of my friend Tim from high school. He is bringing a crew of Americans to London from Brussels and we are having a feast. So, though I will be at Year 11 Parents’ Evening on Thursday night telling a bunch of parents how ridiculously rude and lazy their kid is (not holding back…truth, because WHO CARES!?), everyone else will be feasting!

Have fun! J