Giving Thanks in Hilton Head

Monday, November 26, 2012





Eric and I decided to try and be adults this year by sending out holiday cards.  His dad graciously agreed to take some pictures that we could use for the card.  So we had a mini photo shoot just before Thanksgiving dinner and here are a few out takes. And that sunrise?  That was the view from our bedroom!!  Our favorite thing to do is sleep with the sliding glass door open and blinds cracked so we can hear the ocean all night and roll over in bed to this view.  When I have trouble sleeping at night, I usually try to focus on my breathing and picture the ocean sounds we hear at night in Hilton Head.  It was beyond nice to be in this place for a few nights.  I didn't have to imagine the ocean sounds, just listen to the incredible real deal. 

There is so much to be thankful for this year.  Our wedding, honeymoon, a move back home to  California (San Francisco at that!), a sweet baby on the way, and a new job doing what I love in our new city!  

Two Fridays ago was an especially wonderful day filled with great upon greater news.  To back up a bit, two Tuesdays before that, the substitute teaching pool finally opened up in SF (it's so competitive, that even subbing jobs have been closed since we've lived here!) and I went to the interviews.  After being interviewed for a few minutes and discussing my experience as a teacher in Austin for the past three years, I was recommended for two permanent, full-time positions (not subbing)!  A week and a half later, I had interviewed at both schools and was called back for second interviews/demo lessons at each school.  This brings us back to what I will call THAT EXTREMELY FORTUNATE FRIDAY where:  I began the day at 9am with the second demo lesson at the second school, left for our second trimester ultrasound and checked my phone to see a job offer from the first school, met Eric at the second trimester ultrasound and learned the GOODGOOD news that our baby is healthy and there were no "soft or red flags" to speak of,  received a phone call with a job offer from the school where I had taught the demo lesson that morning, shared I was expecting with my first choice job offer, and was congratulated by my new supervisor who was very accepting and welcoming!  

I am still reeling from all of the fantastic news of that day.  I had spent so much time worrying and fearing having to find a teaching job in California.  At times, I was frozen and overwhelmed by the thought of trying to replace my old job and school, which I loved so much.  But after barely looking and receiving two offers from schools where I could be happy, I am very much relieved, grateful, and elated!!  I am so excited about my new job, too.  It's at a Title I middle school in the Mission (my favorite neighborhood in SF because it's sunny, lively, and home of the best food in the city) and feels like a "sister school" to my old school/job in Austin.  The demographics of the students are very similar,  the staff seems equally as committed and amazing, and overall, I just got a good feeling from the place. I'm really looking forward to being back in the classroom again--I seriously got such a high from just planning and teaching those two demo lessons!  I'm also super excited to learn from a strong team and to be able to contribute my experience and knowledge to help the campus grow.  My new school is a "hard to staff" school.  It was almost shut down.  The same thing happened at my old school in Austin and the amazing folks there turned it around to become the top performing Title I MS in the district; we got to a point where, in certain subjects, we were competitive with affluent schools!  My heart quickens as I type because I feel so strongly about what I do and am just so incredibly thankful to have the opportunity to continue to do so in our new home state.  

Am I worried about returning back to work full-time in a stressful (yet REWARDING) job in the middle of this pregnancy?  A tiny bit, yes.  But overall, I know I am VERY lucky for being able to rest when I needed to during the first half.  I have been feeling great and as you can see, have so many things for which to be thankful.  I think the baby will benefit from mama's heart experiencing the teaching highs once again.  I realize that the lows come with those highs, but the highs always outweigh and are why I couldn't imagine doing anything else.

   

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