Hi everyone,

My teaching career is moving forward as I just got my first year-long job at a school in Virginia. It's named after Henry David Thoreau, a fairly famous naturalist and philosopher who pioneered the idea of "self-reliance" and wrote a book about his experiences and what he learned living off-grid.

I'm excited for the experiences ahead, and it feels like a weight off my shoulders- as I previously had been working part-time hours (which were sometimes sparse) and was somewhat stressed about my ability to sustain having my own apartment/townhome. There is nothing wrong going through periods of not being employed in a traditional way, but it was time for change for me. Now I have a stronger sense of direction and will soon be moving into a new place and meeting some new faces.

What I have realized is that it's so important to connect with actual people as much as possible, and if you find something that is a good fit, it's important to go with it and see where it takes you. That sense of fluidity and "things going right" is not always there, so it's key to embrace it when it is.

Cheers,

Alex