The Journey Begins
As most of you are (well) aware of at this point, the adventure was getting closer and closer. With the impending deadline fast approaching, I started to get increasingly nervous. I started to wonder if I had lost my absolute mind. What if this is a terrible idea? What if I hate it? What if I sit in my apartment and never actually do...well...anything? The doubt crept closer and closer, my emotions became more and more intense and I started to realize that it was actually going to happen. I said goodbye to all the people I loved who I would be leaving behind. There were cards, and hugs, and joy, and laughter, and fun. Yesterday, I officially packed the remainder of my belongings into one of my best friend's car and my adventure officially began. As I pulled through downtown Northampton, I was laughing and crying all at the same time. Remembering all of the best times I had in that town and unsure when I would see her again.
Now, I am sitting on my sister's couch (sweating like crazy) and trying to process the fact that I am, in fact, gone. My apartment is no longer my home. I no longer have a place to rest my head at the moment. I am, as of this exact moment, a vagabond. I will wander for the remainder of my time here, a guest. I will spend an inordinate amount of time in airports for the first time in years. I will mention Rambo, my roommate's cat that I lived with for three years and tears will pour down my face while I think about how much I'll miss him. I will think of all the people in the valley who I may never see again. I think about the realization that I have NEVER lived alone in my life and that is probably a given once I get to Ifrane. This is not only a crazy, huge leap into the ether; this is a running swan-dive off the "adventure cliff".
That being said, I am not just terrified. I am excited beyond reason! I am living proof that sometimes you just have to be patient and good things come to you. I thought that I was done teaching on my last day in 2017 and now I'm heading off to a city in Morocco where I will not only be able to teach, but will be getting Geography and Ancient Civilizations again! The challenge at this point will be teaching English Language Arts and hoping very much that I can adjust quickly and tie my curriculum together. However, my experiences in the past have prepared me to adjust to these challenges, even without much support. I am capable of great things and I just need to have faith in myself, my education, and my abilities.
I am also nervous about the culture shock. While in the car, my friend and I were talking about her moving from upstate New York to Massachusetts and how that was a very huge adjustment for her. I am moving to Northern Africa. The change in culture will be extreme in certain aspects. For those of you who are reading this and know me very well, we all know I can be a bit rough around the edges at times. I'm a fast-talking, loud-mouthed feminist who is unapologetically gruff and outspoken about the things that I believe in. When discussing this with my sister, she told me not to change who I was. We ended up talking about it and unfortunately I will have to tone myself down a bit, but I find myself thinking how refreshing it will be to reinvent a bit. I could go over there and choose to be a quieter and calmer version of the woman I've become in the "Happy Valley". Whether I do or do not, the point is that I CAN. I can make the choices about who I am and how I represent my family & friends as well as how I represent teachers of Massachusetts and Americans abroad. So whether I choose to tone it down a bit or tone it down a lot, I am looking forward to making the best impression I possibly can to the people I meet and work with abroad.
Now I'm left with less than 24 hours with my sister in Brooklyn. Tomorrow, we made the decision to spend a couple bucks to get a ride to LaGuardia and at 5:50, I start the last leg of my journey down to Atlanta, Georgia to my best friend from college. I cannot tell you how worried I am about standing in the airport tomorrow saying goodbye to my person, my lifelong ride or die, the person in this world who knows me better than any single other human on this planet. I feel terribly for all of the people at LaGuardia who are going to see a very, very, weepy Strem. However, I refuse to feel bad enough about it to not let it happen. I don't know when I'll see her again and she's one of the last people I'll get to hug before I leave the continent. I'm typing this right now while I sit 2 feet away, typing furiously on her laptop. There is one thing that she has always reminded me, though.
Right now, I only see her about twice a year if we're lucky. Realistically, I don't see that many people when I was living in the "Happy Valley". I pick on her for having only come visit me in the valley a handful of times, but realistically I think I've been to Brooklyn just as few. For the last few months, I've been spending a lot of time by myself anyways. So in reality, this is giving me an amazing opportunity to do something that I love, while expanding my cultural knowledge, with a possibility of new friends, colleagues, and students. Now, when I start to panic or feel the tears welling in my eyes, I remember that. I remember that I have restarted my life two other times and while this is far more drastic, I am the master of my own destiny. If I go into this feeling happy, hopeful, and optimistic then I am far more likely to do great. So I will focus on the positivity and excitement and anytime I feel sad or nervous, I'll remember that this is where a new chapter of my life begins and I officially leave behind the old chapter. Right now is where it all starts, and I absolutely cannot wait!
Now, I am sitting on my sister's couch (sweating like crazy) and trying to process the fact that I am, in fact, gone. My apartment is no longer my home. I no longer have a place to rest my head at the moment. I am, as of this exact moment, a vagabond. I will wander for the remainder of my time here, a guest. I will spend an inordinate amount of time in airports for the first time in years. I will mention Rambo, my roommate's cat that I lived with for three years and tears will pour down my face while I think about how much I'll miss him. I will think of all the people in the valley who I may never see again. I think about the realization that I have NEVER lived alone in my life and that is probably a given once I get to Ifrane. This is not only a crazy, huge leap into the ether; this is a running swan-dive off the "adventure cliff".
That being said, I am not just terrified. I am excited beyond reason! I am living proof that sometimes you just have to be patient and good things come to you. I thought that I was done teaching on my last day in 2017 and now I'm heading off to a city in Morocco where I will not only be able to teach, but will be getting Geography and Ancient Civilizations again! The challenge at this point will be teaching English Language Arts and hoping very much that I can adjust quickly and tie my curriculum together. However, my experiences in the past have prepared me to adjust to these challenges, even without much support. I am capable of great things and I just need to have faith in myself, my education, and my abilities.
I am also nervous about the culture shock. While in the car, my friend and I were talking about her moving from upstate New York to Massachusetts and how that was a very huge adjustment for her. I am moving to Northern Africa. The change in culture will be extreme in certain aspects. For those of you who are reading this and know me very well, we all know I can be a bit rough around the edges at times. I'm a fast-talking, loud-mouthed feminist who is unapologetically gruff and outspoken about the things that I believe in. When discussing this with my sister, she told me not to change who I was. We ended up talking about it and unfortunately I will have to tone myself down a bit, but I find myself thinking how refreshing it will be to reinvent a bit. I could go over there and choose to be a quieter and calmer version of the woman I've become in the "Happy Valley". Whether I do or do not, the point is that I CAN. I can make the choices about who I am and how I represent my family & friends as well as how I represent teachers of Massachusetts and Americans abroad. So whether I choose to tone it down a bit or tone it down a lot, I am looking forward to making the best impression I possibly can to the people I meet and work with abroad.
Now I'm left with less than 24 hours with my sister in Brooklyn. Tomorrow, we made the decision to spend a couple bucks to get a ride to LaGuardia and at 5:50, I start the last leg of my journey down to Atlanta, Georgia to my best friend from college. I cannot tell you how worried I am about standing in the airport tomorrow saying goodbye to my person, my lifelong ride or die, the person in this world who knows me better than any single other human on this planet. I feel terribly for all of the people at LaGuardia who are going to see a very, very, weepy Strem. However, I refuse to feel bad enough about it to not let it happen. I don't know when I'll see her again and she's one of the last people I'll get to hug before I leave the continent. I'm typing this right now while I sit 2 feet away, typing furiously on her laptop. There is one thing that she has always reminded me, though.
Right now, I only see her about twice a year if we're lucky. Realistically, I don't see that many people when I was living in the "Happy Valley". I pick on her for having only come visit me in the valley a handful of times, but realistically I think I've been to Brooklyn just as few. For the last few months, I've been spending a lot of time by myself anyways. So in reality, this is giving me an amazing opportunity to do something that I love, while expanding my cultural knowledge, with a possibility of new friends, colleagues, and students. Now, when I start to panic or feel the tears welling in my eyes, I remember that. I remember that I have restarted my life two other times and while this is far more drastic, I am the master of my own destiny. If I go into this feeling happy, hopeful, and optimistic then I am far more likely to do great. So I will focus on the positivity and excitement and anytime I feel sad or nervous, I'll remember that this is where a new chapter of my life begins and I officially leave behind the old chapter. Right now is where it all starts, and I absolutely cannot wait!
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