Dear Friend

Dear friend/roommate/jerk/Isaiah,

I'm trying really hard not to be stupid, but it's not working. I miss you. Our apartment is half empty, it's stinking hot, and I know for the first night since I've been here, the futon across the room will not be occupied tonight.

Three months was not long enough. I don't actually think it was three months. Someone lied to us, cast a magic speed-up-time spell, because it was only a couple weeks ago that we loaded up my car and drove out here. We are still trying to recover from watching that horrible production in Spokane, and I just started teaching my summer courses. It's really only June.

I came home tonight, and you weren't sitting on the futon in our tiny, stupid apartment watching a TV show. Sadly, that is not the end of travesties I now have to deal with. There will be no one to drink half a gallon of milk in the first twenty-four hours of buying it. The dishes will not be washed regularly. I won't have anyone to tease me about tripping over cords or running into furniture. No one will roll their eyes when I tell them about what I heard on NPR. Who will I watch Harry Potter with over and over again (even if you rarely watched it, engrossed in something else on your iPad...)? I will have no judgmental looks to rebuke. And no one is as good at telling me when I'm being crazy as you are.

How dare you leave me with such gaping holes in my life!

But in all seriousness, thank you, my dear friend. Because without you here on this ridiculous, hard, wonderful, terrifying journey, I would not still be here. In all likeliness, I would have packed up my car and went home. Because this summer has been hard and lonely and stressful.

It has also been a summer to remember.

I know this is where you were supposed to be this summer, and I'm so glad it happened to be where I was supposed to be as well. And as hard as it was to drop you off at the airport today, I know you're once again where you're supposed to be. You will have an amazing four months back at college. (Let's hope it passes as fast as the past three months did, so you can hurry back in January...)

Long blog post short, thank you. For being my steadying affect, my taunter, my adventure buddy, my roommate, and my friend. I'm glad the summer worked out the way it did, our epic Isaiah and Kristin adventure.

Until next time you're in Seattle (or the phone call you'll suffer through), do your homework.

Summer Evening

Tonight was unexpectedly wonderful.

Not that every night spent with Dan and Isaiah aren't wonderful, but this one was sublime. The evening was spent on Dan's patio, watching him grill, drinking wine, eating good food, telling and listening to stories, eating ice cream cake, and existing.

Isaiah's current stint of time in Seattle is coming to an end in a week, leaving us behind to return for his final semester at Northwestern. I will be moving out of Seattle closer to my new job within the next two and a half weeks. Our summers are wrapping up, and the nostalgia is setting in.

There were multiple moments tonight when I found myself thinking, "This is what adulthood is," or "I know this is where I'm supposed to be right now," or "I can't believe this is my life." And I couldn't help but laugh, because it feels good. It feels really good.

With everything coming at me within the next few weeks as friends leave and arrive, school starts up, a move happens, it is good to have simple, relaxing moments where there is no pressing work to do and no stressful decisions to be made. Taking the time to be present in the room I'm in and with the people I'm with.

Life is good with wonderful friends, wine, stories, and cool summer evenings. And a late ice cream birthday cake doesn't hurt either.

Until next time.

Next Step: Real Job

I have a job. A real life, full time English teaching job. The dream job.

Praise the Lord! (or whatever deity you've been praying to for me, I thank them all, and you too!)

Here's the school's website: http://www.edline.net/pages/bsd403_gkhs

I interviewed for this position at Graham-Kapowsin High School yesterday morning. The panel interviewing me was two assistant principals and the two English department heads. Right away, they were joyful and kind and joking with me, which was so wonderful. I felt comfortable almost immediately, which is a really great sign for my upcoming year.

The school has a student body of approximately 1900 students, and is located about an hour south of Seattle, close to Olympia (the state capitol, for those of you who don't know). It is a very different atmosphere than where I student taught, but I am seeing that as a new challenge and adventure. From what I found out in the interview, I will be teaching 10th and 11th grade English classes, so that's pretty exciting.

Truthfully, I don't know much else about it. My grandma informed me that I didn't ask enough questions about benefits and such things, I told her that I'm 23 and don't think about such things.

For kicks and giggles, I will dictate the conversation I had with the Principal this afternoon:

Principal: Hello, this is (whatever his name is...) from Graham-Kapowsin HS. I wanted to call you and let you know I was very impressed with your interview yesterday, and we would like to offer you the position.
Me: Oh my goodness! Are you serious?! Thank you so much! (Much giggling and other embarrassing word vomit gushing) ...Okay, you go ahead and talk so I don't say anything else really embarrassing...
Principal: So, I am assuming you would like to accept the position?
Me: Yes! Of course!

So, there's that. Good thing that was my second impression and not the first... :)

In the next few weeks, I have a few days of training and professional development to do, and school starts on September 4th.

I am through the roof ecstatic, and so very, very blessed. I can not thank you all enough for the constant support and encouragement you have given me through the past few months. It has been rough, but you have all be wonderful. And I am beyond excited to get into a classroom!

Until next time, dear friends, thank you.