So I don't officially leave for Hungary until August 21st (at 12:15pm, well I leave JFK at 6:45pm but that's just getting nitpicky) but I figured I'd get this set up now seeing as how internet may be a bit spotty in the beginning over there.
Anyway, not that I expect anyone who doesn't know me to be reading this but just in case here's a little background into how in the world I got a job in Central Europe.
I was a student at Ohio State University when I happened upon a linguistics course and thought what the heck!? In the middle of a transition from pre-med classes to anything-but-pre-med-classes I was a little lost but having always loved languages I figured I couldn't go wrong with a few ling classes. One class in I was hooked, ecstatic to have a major again and one that I loved I rode that high for a bit before realizing I had no idea what to do with a degree in linguistics. After some googling, reading and frantic talks with kids in my classes I decided teaching English abroad seemed like an amazing idea. I hadn't got the chance to travel as much as I'd have liked so combining a job with new countries was a tantalizing combination.
Thanks to the resources in the Career Services Office where I volunteered, both books and the brilliant director Dr. Ford, I managed to find the Central European Teaching Program. The website was helpful and Dr. Ford knew a former PCA'r who had worked with the program so I figured it was legitimate and sent an email asking for some information.
I have to say I was very impressed with both the quality and the quickness of the responses I got to my query emails. That gave me the confidence to apply in January and I appreciated their patience with my seemingly constant questions. Fast forward a handful of months and I got confirmation that I would have a place in Mezőtúr, Hungary. <- (That weird formatting is because I still can't figure out how to do the double accent above a vowel so a quick cmd + c/v is needed)
Knowing I had a job in the fall made it both easier and harder to get through the last few weeks of school. I could relax when many of my friends were scrambling to find post-graduation options but motivation to finish tedious classwork was in short supply when all I needed was that diploma in my hand to go teach.
I managed to buckle down and now I have that diploma as well as flight confirmations, a luggage set and a giant list of things I need to figure out how to cram into two suitcases, a carry-on and a personal item come August. I know more trips to the Container Store are in my future as well as several serious cleaning and organizing fits, but time is getting short and I couldn't be happier.
So that's how I got to this point and as anyone who knows me can attest to, I am beyond ready to go which leads to things like my premature blogging :D
