Break Time

So it's break time in university land. All of the college students have hurried home to escape the dread of finals and classwork. Ok, not all of us. There are some of us that are stuck in small towns awaiting the day when we can leave our jobs and small towns for the homes we love. I however, due to my pursuit of a bigger town, am stuck here most of the break to try and save money (which is slowly slipping away due to the holiday season) for my eventual trip to New York City. That's right, I plan on leaving this small college town, the laid back style of the west coast and everything I have EVER know for the glam of the big city.

A lot of people (EVERYONE I know) keep asking 'why NYC?' The response every one of them has gotten... WHY NOT?!?! In my family, with the exception on one military cousin, no one in my generation has ever lived outside the northwest. This is just one of the draws to living outside the northwest. And I figure if I am going to leave the northwest why not go all the way?

New York schools may be a big task to take on, between the students and the staff, but I am willing to step up to the challenge and enjoy my time in the city. At this point, the only thing that can stop me is a lack of a job. With figures ranging from 7,000 to 10,000 teachers hired for last school year I figure I have a shot for this year.

When it comes to packing up my entire life.... it seems like a daunting task. As it stands right now, I have a camp job in upstate New York for the month of July, so it seems that I apparently need to be completely packed and ready to move by July 10th, the 6th if I go to Vegas for a wedding on the 7th (not my wedding for those of you who are wondering...) So, one might ask how I plan to pack up my entire life? Boxes...that's right...boxes. Slowly I plan to have my life shipped across the country. At camp I will have an address so I can have things shipped there and I can also have things shipped after I find a place to live in the city.

The top choices for the city right now are Staten Island or Queens. Of course the primary objective will be to get an apartment as close to my school as possible. As for getting a job... where ever they want to put me. I am hoping that in placing 7 to 10 thousand teachers a year the system has some sort of system to help place new teachers....it should be interesting. But this leads into one of the most appealing parts of the New York public schools, it is all one system. If I want to transfer from school to school it should not be that big of a deal, right?! Unlike the lovely city of Eugene where there are many districts, if you switch from a Springfield or Bethal school to a 4J school you chance loosing all of your built up status (pay) because districts do not accept experience over something like 7 years... but that's because they are different districts; NYC however is all one district so I can transfer anywhere and get the same paycheck.

So, it seems that in less than a year I will be living in the biggest city in America living MY dream. I will be sure to keep my readers up to date on my progress and if any of you out there have worldly advice send it my way...