When Crying Becomes The Norm

Well, I have officially moved into my new place in Fort Stockton, Texas. The past four days have been an emotional roller coaster. I have been on every spectrum from incredibly high happiness to the pits of lonely sadness. I miss my home. I miss my friends. It's crazy that my whole entire life, I have been working for this moment of moving on, the moment of being an adult...but why..?

Adult life is really hard. There's an incredible amount of pressure to not screw up, to have a budget and stick to it (that's really hard), and to take care of everything else that happens. So when I moved in, I was on this high happiness right? Then my parents left and I found myself with no working air conditioner, no working stove, a back fence that doesn't latch and a whole bunch of sadness.

I can't count the number of times that I have cried and pleaded with God to please provide me with friends and that I am not making a mistake. I don't know how many tears have flowed and sped down my face because I have felt this overwhelming feeling of sadness.

But great things continue to happen still and I have been able to still produce a smile on my face even though that I have absolutely no friends and the only people I know is one janitor at my school, the principal and my landlord. So although I don't have friends at this moment, I know that God has prepared me to be here. There is some strange reason why I am here right now. I don't know why that is but I am excited and nervous and sad.

Moving is not easy. This is the first time that I have ever moved. This is the first time that I have been farther than 15 minutes from home. Thankfully, this isn't forever. I know that days will be incredibly hard but when I'm in my classroom, when I think about my future kids, when I think about what the Lord has planned for me, it's not so sad anymore. :)

I am excited for this time in life. I would appreciate your prayers and good thoughts/vibes as I am making this new transition in life. #teachingwithKV

Teaching with KV

It has been 7 months since I have written on this blog, so hey. Long time no talk. So here's the thing, in the past 7 months, life has been a for real whirlwind. 

Student Teaching was seriously the best experience ever... I can't even describe the feeling that you get when a student wants to know about your personal life. It's weird that you get so invested in their life and then suddenly, they want to know what you do on the weekends and what you do at night time. Here's an example of a good conversation:

Student: Ms. Vernon, what are you doing tonight?

Me: Sleeping.

Student: That's it?

Me: Absolutely.

The best thing about that response was that it was true. Teaching is exhausting but it is so rewarding when students want to know more about the history that you are teaching or about the things that are happening in your life. It's awesome. I like it... a lot. 

So then, in the middle of student teaching, a week before spring break, I had my second first rib removed which was terrible but has relieved so much pain! It's been more than four months since I had my second rib removed and it's just an awesome time. I haven't felt this happy or healthy in a very long time. Like four years. SO FREAKIN CHEERS TO THAT.

I only had like a few weeks after surgery till graduation and so much happened in that time period. First, I was accepted to Merrimack College to study Higher Education Administration with an emphasis in Student Development. My first week back to school after surgery, I was supposed to have interviews in order to get an assistantship that would pay for schooling. Do you ever just get the feeling that you aren't supposed to do something/be there/do that? And it's obviously God being like, "yo, Katie, uhhh...not now." So, I postponed grad school (which I didn't even know was a thing but there's a better word for it) and decided that teaching, for now, is my life calling.

So there I am, not having interviews, applying for every job and it's a week before graduation - I get certified to teach and nail down 2 interviews. And there I am, Friday, May 8th, accepting a job before May 9th, graduation.

So here I am, starting over, again. I never knew this blog would ever keep the name "Starting Over" and that it would continually ring true. Yet, I am now moving away from a town that I have known for 22 years. Fort Stockton will become my new home and my new place to live and work and do life and community. I am excited to teach history to a bunch of kiddos and hopefully teach them a little bit about life as well. 

If you are at all interested in my next adventures in life... I am going to try and blog more (hahaha) but also, my hashtag for this new life adventure is: #TeachingWithKV

Thanks for reading. :)