I've thought about coming back several times, but didn't know what to write, or how to start, or how much to share. With no further ado, here goes:
Truth is, after the excitement of moving wore off, I fell into a funk. A deep, long-lasting funk in which I eventually realized that I absolutely abhor my job and that dissatisfaction was bleeding out and negatively impacting other areas of my life. It was a dark, dark period, and I feel bad for anyone who had to live with me during that time. I needed to make a change.
After looking around, it became clear that I would need to go back to school to get the kind of job I had expected to be able to get right out of college. As it turns out, a BA in French and English (emphasis Creative Writing, certificate in European Studies) is absolutely useless if you don't also have a teaching license. I know, right?
So after some reflection, I decided to pursue a Masters degree in French with the goal of teaching at the community college level. Because a) you don't have to deal with your students' parents; b) the students are adults and are responsible for themselves (or at least they know they are supposed to be); and c) you don't have the institutional pressure like at the university level. I have always loved French, and loved the summers I spent teaching French with Concordia Language Villages. Returning to the villages this spring to work a few of the Academic Year Programs (read: weekend school field trips) and the Adult Week reaffirmed my decision: this will be a great move for me.
I found a program, and to my surprise the application deadline had not yet passed (it was, however, just two weeks away) and they didn't require the GRE. I quickly got my application and references together, and was ultimately accepted and offered a Teaching Assistantship, which is basically free tuition + a stipend.
At this point, I have three weeks left of that awful job, and then a 10-day break before TA-training starts. And my 10-year high school reunion falls within that break, which I have feelings about that I'll save for another post. The closer I get to July 31 (my last day), the happier I get. There is a bottle of Pinot Noir set aside to celebrate.
What does this mean for the blog? I hope to blog somewhat regularly, but it won't be daily. I'm thinking either weekly or twice a week, but we'll see. I'm not sure how much time I'll have for knitting, or how demanding this grad school thing will be. I have done a better job of keeping Ravelry up-to-date, so you can always check on me there.
