There was an art opening, and I applied, but nothing came of it, but Woodstock was now on our our short list, even as we prepared to go to University of Northern Iowa, in January (!!!) for a convention for international teaching jobs.
Before we went to Iowa an opening for a Social Studies position at Woodstock was posted. I nudged Trish into applying because we both agreed the website spoke to us. I have said many times before Trish has done more in her 6 or 7 years of teaching then many teachers do in a lifetime. She is one heck of a teacher and while I don't know how that comes across in the resume and interviews, I knew she had to try.
Trish had her interview, her references were contacted and then a lull, and we were on pins and needles. Just about the time we decided that she was passed over, I got a text message telling me to call immediately, which I couldn't do, but I knew something was up but I didn't think it was Woodstock, but it was! She had been offered the position.
Now excitement turned to fear, and questioning about rupees vs dollars, all the logistics of moving, Cassidys need to go to camp, and the fact I still had no job. We wrestled with it and asked some questions and read the webpage, and it seemed so obvious to say "yes," but we still had lingering doubts honestly,
Those doubts were nothing about Woodstock, but more about the unknown. Eventually we knew the unknowns would be the same for any school or country. The unknowns won't ever be reality until we take that chance and make that move, and we had talked about overseas living for too long.
So when Trish signed the contract and sent it in, it was exciting and scary, and it still is. We are a mixed bag of emotions, but excitement is the main emotion. It is front and center in our lives now.
Ultimately I was able to secure a job teaching art, (yeah!) and that was huge, but we still have so many hurdles to clear, and that is the glacial speeds we are working at.
So much to do, so little time, and how do we juggle all of it?
I have given up on the worry, ok, not completely, but have come to a calm realization that it will get done one way or the other. All of our stuff will be sold, given away, trashed, and a couple of items stored, but as a whole we are stripping out lives to the necessities, like we did when we left Baltimore and our lives fit in a 5x5x8 storage unit. Its refreshing, its cleansing and I look look forward to not having cars, auto insurance, long drives to stores, a fist full of keys, electric, gas, water bills and more.
No matter how much we get done though it seems there is still more that needs to be accomplished and every day the "To Do List" gets longer not shorter, but ultimately we will be landing in Delhi, and making our way up to the foothills of the Himalayas.
Its exciting, its scary, its a chance to teach in environment that has the same ideas about education that we have, and we can't wait.