Tip-Toeing Austrians and The South

AN UPDATE!

My classroom, those 2nd grade stinkers, have provided me with such an enriching and challenging experience that I honestly feel, pinky swear, that I could write a book. Or two. I may or may not have started already. Last school year was rock bottom. I often found myself on my knees, full-well knowing that there was absolutely NO way I was going to make it through on my own strength. I was planning my out - An Americorps position in NYC (fulfilling my dream, to say the least). Little did I foresee MY dream coming to a halt as another, unexpected dream came forward. My Oliver. I pinned something on Pinterest recently that went something like this: I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I ended up where I needed to be. Oliver tip-toed his way into my life at exactly the moment I needed him most. With his support, encouragement, shoulder, and faithful ear, I survived.  The Lord and His timing.

Then there's this year.

While I love my home at Detroit Enterprise Academy, I've been feeling a tug toward something different.  I want the chance to take what I've learned from Detroit and apply it somewhere fresh.  In an interesting turn of events, apparently Oliver's Visa is also soon-to-be in need of a fresh face.  If he stays in Michigan, he will be under Austrian contract (as he has been), which states that, given at most a 4-weeks notice, they can bring him home if needed.  With our future in mind, he asked for US contract options.  The only department in his line of work which would be able to bring him on under an American contract and offer him a Green Card:

Charleston, South Carolina.

It is this, Michigan with unstable contract terms, or Germany.

With heavy hearts and our dreams in mind, we weighed the options.  I would love the opportunity to live in Europe, close to his family.  Their language, culture, traditions - all pieces of him I am eager to continue learning.  He, however, desperately wants a home-base.  Europe would still only provide short-term options.  So, with all of this weighing heavily, the day of his "Decision Meeting" came.  At this point, we were ready for anything.  We really didn't know what they would suggest - best to be flexible and relinquish control, right?  Right.  We would go wherever led.

They suggested he pursue Charleston full force.  Considering his role in my life, this means that we pursue it, together.  NO, we are NOT YET engaged.  Formal proposals and engagements are foreign to him - he wants to do things "his own way".  I trust him :) We do, however, know that we're stuck together!

As of now, I've applied for South Carolina teaching certification, and I've sent in a stack of resumes.  His company will provide him with an apartment, so we just have to arrange something for myself.  We'll be anxious to get a wedding in the works once there, I'm sure :)

All that to say this: Come end of July, I will be headed to Charleston.  I will continue to keep you updated as we thoughtfully and prayerfully navigate these new roads.

:)

Bits and Pieces

Feeling: All the grumbles of a Monday mashed with the chaos of a Tuesday. Muesday. Mmmhmm.

Smelling: Taco Bell. Hey, it is Muesday afterall.

Listening to: Joseph Arthur's "Honey and the Moon". This song has been my faithful companion for so long. Years, really. You know that song that immediately sends chills down your back and releases an uncontrollable "ahhhh, yes" with every repeated play? This would be mine.

Remembering: To breathe and breathe calmly when faced with the moans and groans and growls of those lovely seven-year-olds. Honestly? Change the ages to six-seven-eight and this just about sums it up.

Wishing that: It weren't too late for coffee. Actually, define late. Muesday, Betsy. Muesday.
[If you think I didn't leave my computer after that previous thought, you're terribly mistaken]

Looking forward to: Spending some time Downtown on Friday with an old friend. yummyfoodandartandmusicohmy!

Thankful for: 1. Remembering to buy myself a delightful bundle of crisp, fresh flowers. 2. The growth my kids are making academically. 3. Those working tirelessly on behalf of this. 4. A solid night's sleep. 5. These beautiful ladies who consistently enrich my world.

I want to bake some cookies.

Happy Saturday night!

I am thrilled to say that today has been a true day of rest. Lounging and [need I even say it?] napping in some leggings and cozy socks has been beyond blissful.

Thanksgiving is just a few days away - A truth I had nearly forgotten about until I was asked whether or not I'd be attending Detroit's Thanksgiving Day Parade [Hot chocolate, chunky scarf, and Santa? Yes, please.]. So, in the spirit of all things delicious and lovely, I'd like to take a moment and remember a few of the manymanymany things I have been blessed with.

My Sister. The friendship that we have is beautiful and, to be honest, I'm often in awe of it.

My beautiful, patient, selfless mom. This woman has the most precious heart.

Lemon-Scented Hand Lotion. Mmmmm.

Hot Cocoa-Scented Bubble Bath. I'll say it again..Mmmmmmm.

Boxed Wine. No explanation needed.

Christmas Lights. They're heart-warming and classic and they symbolize everything I love about my childhood.

Dove Chocolate Wrappers. I find myself eating chocolate when I need a little boost to my mood. Props to you, Dove, for knowing this and being one step ahead of the game. My favorite recent wrapper? "When two hearts race, both win"

Laughter. It's healing in so many ways.

My Vintage License Plate Collection. I have 8. Only 8. But that's OK because there's something beautiful about taking a lifetime to discover little bits of history.

Culture. Our differences are poetic - language, religion, dress, music, art, food, dance - I cannot wait to have the chance to devote more time to discovering the beauty in cultures different from my own.

Marvin the Mouse [and all those involved in making his journey a reality]. He puts smiles on my kids' faces, and for that I am immensely thankful.

My Dream. He has kept the fire burning since I was 16. Rather incredible that I'm not there yet, but it won't be long.

My 28. They hurt, frustrate, confuse, test, and warm me daily. They are who they are, and I love them.

Love. Hope. Authenticity. Faith. Struggle. Peace. Grace. Generosity. Harmony. Provision. Chance. Life.

Grammas, Power, and Doggy Tails

Right now,
Everything you want is wrong.
And right now,
All your dreams are waking up.
-- Joseph Arthur, Honey and the Moon

Feeling like I'm at a point in my journey where I need to stop and do some serious reflecting. It's been awhile.

This past week, my sister and I, along with some of our closest family members, spent some time up north for a traditional and annual family getaway. Much needed on many, many levels. So much so that I hadn't even realized how badly I needed a few moments simply to breathe - A vital gift I have been taking for granted.

One morning, while chatting with my Gramma over morning coffee (I'm convinced that no member in my family can make a bad cup of coffee. ever), I found myself trying to hold back tears while topping off my cup. The sun was shining, I had gotten a beautiful nights sleep, a day of boating was ahead, my bangs were looking awesome...why the tears? Well, leave it to the women in my life to say exactly what I need to hear, when I need to hear it. '

What I got from that wise woman that morning is this - In these last three years, I've seen nothing but change. Every external area of my life, by choice and by force, has changed dramatically, quickly and repeatedly. When extreme life change happens to you, it's easy to forget about it once you're in the swing of new forces, especially when others take the central focus over your own needs. Story of my life.

#1. Changes. Constant, uncontrollable changes have been throwing me around like a leaf. Or a puck on an ice rink.

I'm not going to lie and pretend like it's easy for me to talk about leaving New York, my dream, behind. I don't expect anyone to understand the significance of that in my life - I'm only beginning to understand it now. New York has a very powerful force over me - a force I think only a few understand. I can joke about rebounding on NY with Kentucky, putting NY in time out for not letting go of me, and toasting NY to seven long years of exhausting joy and hope, but I'm not joking when I say that it's been hard to leave. My heart sinks when I think of how close I was, and when I remember what I left behind. A dream. To this day, if someone asks me what I want, my answer is the same as it was 3,4,5 years ago - I want to be in New York. I want it more now than I ever have (this past year has proven that to me). What I've learned is this - the answer is never that simple. What I want is of little importance and, in this case, what I want is very clearly "wrong".

#2. What I want. What I want is to never, ever give up on the dream God has laid before me. To never, ever let weaken that passion He has so abruptly and painfully burned on my heart.

What I want and what I need to do usually coincide. Very simple, no complications. In this case, however, I've seen an evolution of want to need that has severely impacted my life. For a very long time, the passion that I had for inner-city work coincided with NY. The two were inseparable [when I say inseparable, I mean no other option could even be considered]. Leave it to the Lord to separate something inseparable.

Eventually, I grew to understand my God-given passion to be centrally focused on cities [joblessness, illness, homelessness, high crime, addiction, vicious cycles, generational poverty...], and less on a specific region. You can imagine what this did to my perfectly organized and color-coded plan.

What I wanted was to go to NY. What I needed was to follow the Lord's whispers and trust that He would use my passion where He deemed necessary.

#3. The dream. To live a life of service unto others by unconditionally and actively loving those in the inner-city, be it the city I love, the city I was trained in, or city in which my roots were grown. A city is a city, and love wears no masks.

Detroit. Tricky fellow that God. If you want to chase something other than God's purpose you might as well be chasing after your own, nonexistent tail because that's about as far as you're going to get - vicious circles.

All this to say, for now I rest in peace knowing that I'm where I need to be. I still believe very fervently that my passion for NY also has purpose, a very strong purpose, but timing is everything, eh?

Until then, DETROIT. Whew!



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I should take a screen shot to show you my lists. They're colorful.

The first week in August I'll be up in Grand Rapids for a week-long orientation. It's nice - while we're there, we have the option of venturing out on 3 different 'excursions' in the evenings to bond and kill time - A White Caps game, a trip to a local conservatory, and an evening in Grand Haven enjoying the lake and [I believe] Coast Guard festival. I'm anxious to get to know some other new hires, my administration, and the system. I believe our planning will officially begin a week or so after the orientation. Photos to come.

Many, many, many many photos to come.

I LOVE...

Detroit, and its people. Especially its people. I couldn't be more excited to come home.

Thought I should throw that in there :)

Herb-tastic

Holly and I are growing an herb garden in my bedroom window. The garden will consist of basil, mint, and chives. The thing we were most excited about? Watching the small dirt pellets (shout out to Target's dollar section) expand in a mere 10 seconds upon being doused with 12 ounces (1 Mountain Dew can) of water.

We may or may not host our own gardening show in the future.