The Move

Grace and peace, friends.

I'm writing from my under-furnished living room after an eventful Saturday night of unit planning. Getting back into saddle with teaching is great and all-consuming :)

I suppose you may have some curiosity surrounding some details about my move and my beginnings here in San Jose. I am overwhelmed at the idea of where to begin because to begin at the beginning seems like five lifetimes ago. Instead, I think I'll boil this whole thing down into a few poignant items that you can pack away nicely in your brain.

1. The drive out was without hazard. My mom and I made it safely to my apartment after driving about 36 hours on I-80 W. For those of you who don't know, this is the interstate that begins in Iowa and continues through Nebraska, Utah, Nevada, and into California. I can confidently say that Nebraska is the worst state ever for sightseeing (although I'm sure they have other fine things to offer, mainly agricultural goods).

2. My apartment is a two-bedroom place one block away from downtown Campbell. The location of this apartment is incredible. The property manager is a British woman with big glasses that magnify her eyes when she wears them making for a cartoon-like portrait. She calls me "love" and "dear"--much like a grandmotherly figure. After 3 trips to IKEA, 6-8 trips to Target, 3 trips to Bed Bath and Beyond, 1 trip to Kohls, 2 trips to Staples, and 1 trip to Sleep Train, I managed to fill my room with some essentials. I'll spare the boring details, but I will say that my bed is like sleeping on a cloud. Soo nice.

And yes, I will have a roommate, but she's just beginning to move in. She seems really great, and I'm excited to get to know her better!

3. Traffic, palm trees, BMWs and Mercedes, In-n-Out Burger--yes, this is California. The thing about California is that literally any type of food, store, activity you could ever want to do is probably about 20 minutes away or less (things are proximally close, but it's the traffic that slows you down). I'm overwhelmed by the options of where to shop, where to buy gas (prices ranges dramatically with stations just across the street from one another), where and what to eat, etc. It's probably because it's all new, too, but it just seems like life happens here.

One of the things that I'm discovering is how much I love not being the majority... in San Jose, no one is the majority. It's a richly diverse place with people from all over the world speaking all languages, wearing all clothes, eating all types of food. When I go to Whole Foods or Target, I love people watching. Calvin could have given me CCE for this.

People in the Bay Area are remarkably happy and helpful--probably all that sunshine they get 320+ days a year. I feel like I make a friend every time I go to the bank, buy produce at the market, or order coffee at Starbucks. I love it! With all these positive people around, it's easy for me to be positive too.

4. I need to devote a five paragraph essay to the wonderful community that is San Jose Christian School. These people are walking it, people. Their hospitality has been above and beyond anything that I could have expected. I am self-reliant. You all know this. But when I was thrown for a loop with this move, I needed to be dependent on people. I hate it. But it teaches me a lot about what it means to accept love without having the ability to pay back (I heard this called grace around here, but when I learn more about it I'll get back with you...). People go above and beyond--letting me borrow their cars, helping me move furniture, taking me out for ice cream, giving me a bike... who are these people??! they are so generous! It challenges me to be less possessive of what's mine and more open to sharing myself fully with others. This is the body of Christ in action!

5. School starts on August 25. It was a little chaotic at first because my room wasn't clean or set up as a language arts classroom when I arrived. So just now am I able to begin starting to put up bulletin boards, decorations, organizers, etc. and now I am finally able to get hold of my textbook at begin unit planning (not to the lesson planning quite yet).

I am thankful. I'm excited to be a teacher. This will be one great adventure!