New Perspective

Well my plan to write more often kinda fell through.  Last term ended up becoming really difficult and stressful at work.  I found that there wasn't any good to write about.  I am now at the end of a 3 week Christmas break.  I got a lot of rest.  Had hoped to get out of town for a short while but only was able to go a couple hours away for a few hours.  I've now seen part of Pattaya.  Job hunting has been bleak but I have expanded my search.  I'm no longer just hunting in Bangkok.  I'm considering Chiang Mai and even applied for a job in Pattaya.  I've applied for many jobs in Hong Kong.  Unfortunately I've learned that I'm more marketable when I'm a true overseas hire.  So I'm thinking it might be time to leave Thailand for a couple of years and then return as an overseas hire once again.  I'm job hunting in my profession only this time.  For the past 2 1/2 years I have held classroom teacher jobs just to maintain my visa but I've been very unhappy and it's been really clear that I'm trying to fit a mold that I don't belong in.  Special Education is my passion and I am actively looking for a job in it.  I'm actually excited at the prospect of going to Hong Kong or somewhere near it.  It will be much easier to continue volunteering at the social welfare places that I goto in the summers.  It's been increasingly difficult to get visas to China but if I'm already there working, it will be much easier. I can also hopefully save more money as I'm not getting any younger. :)

Winter Concert 2016

Pattaya

I titled this blog a new perspective for a reason.  Tonight in church the pastor talked about going through fire.  I feel like the last 2 1/2 years have been fire especially the past few months.  I've experienced a lot of stress, discouragement, fought to stay optimistic when my mind felt like it was heading to depression and felt exhausted.  I even lost weight.  There were days last term when I wondered how I could get to the end of the year.  But my anchor has always been God.  He kept me moving forward.  And tonight my perspective on the next 6 months completely changed.  I had been bracing myself to return to work.  Hoping that the new principal will be better than the last.  Hoping that my parents are feeling more calm.  But I realized that in 6 months, if I'm heading out to a new job in special education, then my time in the fire will be over.  There is an end and that is something to be happy about.  Something to look forward to.  Something to be hopeful about.  I don't need to dread Monday anymore.

Last concert of 2016- The tribute concert