Taking the Leap

I don't even know where to begin in this post, since so many things have been going on. Right at the end of July my prayers were answered and I was offered a position at a middle school in Phoenix and accepted. School began for them at the beginning of August but they didn't expect me to arrive right away. Good thing, because I had a lot of packing and preparation to do!

I spent my time trying to pack for my trip and also not leave a big mess behind in my hurry. I packed many many boxes! The plan was for my mom to accompany me in the Jeep and for us to drive across the country. I'd never driven that far, thankfully my experience with driving long distances to YSA conferences helped prepare me for such a long drive. Boy, I loaded that Jeep up full and it took a lickin' and kept on tickin'. So thankful it made it to AZ!

Bye Zebby, love ya.

Filled that Jeep FULL!

Bye PA!

I brought with me enough stuff to survive and start up an apartment when I got settled. The rest of my many many boxes will be shipped to me (like a pod) soon. I made arrangements to stay with some friends in Mesa, I'll always be so thankful for their help. 

Mom and I left on Aug 14th and arrived in Mesa in the afternoon on Aug 17th. I did most of the driving and Mom did some, mostly in the mornings. It was neat to see so much of the country that I'd never seen before, and now I've added a bunch of states to the list of states I've been in!

Not going to lie, I knew this was the right thing, but still it was a big leap of faith to leave and drive across the country. There's always this small voice of doubt, what if it doesn't work out?

I was glad to have my mom with me for some moral support. We had a real nice time together and I'm thankful for the memories.

St Louis arch!

Gotta love cars sticking out of buildings! 

Waffle House!

Red dirt in TX

New Mexico is beautiful!

And so is Flagstaff, AZ! 

As we headed south from Flagstaff to Phoenix, it got warmer and warmer.....and boy is it warm here! Everyone complains about the humidity (it is monsoon season) but I'll take it over PA! 

It's interesting to see where I ended up. I had no idea where I'd find a job. Everyone asked me where I wanted to go and I had no idea. I did feel that 1) I'd be moving quickly 2) I'd be moving far away and 3) I'd be going someplace warm. 

I'm 3 for 3.

It's pretty crazy and exciting to start a whole new life, but I think I'm up for the challenge. 

Stay tuned for more adventures!