small.town.girl

The Year in Review

In January, at my first InnerPartySystem concert

For me, 2009 was a transitional year. In 2008, I was treading water, working nearly the entire year at a job I grew to hate and searching for the motivation to aspire to something greater. In 2009, I worked through numerous obstacles to find a foundation for successful living. Part of my ability to have a good year was courtesy of resolutions I made last year. Honestly, I don’t remember them exactly because I recorded them in my now defunct BlackBerry, but they improved my diet until about mid-summer, when I gave up and started eating poorly again. Another key factor in how I lived in 2009 was the spontaneous departure from my job. If I hadn’t done that, there’s a slight chance I would still be living miserably, making barely enough to get by.

In December, at my sixth InnerPartySystem concert (with Patrick!)

It’s funny how things work. In January, I quit my job without any sort of back up plan. It was necessary, but scary at the same time. About a week later, I met Dan for the first time. The end of 2008 and beginning of 2009 were fueled mainly by Patrón, but by March and my “official” start of a relationship with Dan. I spent the beginning of the year unemployed and going insane, but able to work on myself through Wii Fit and hiking, so it wasn’t a total loss (but it was some weight loss!). I finally found myself working at a convenience store for some funds, which provided a crash course in how I do not want to spend the rest of my life. By June, I knew that I needed to take steps to get away from a survival job, so I took guest teacher training to obtain emergency substitute teaching certification for fall. My luck improved even more when I randomly saw a position in Hershey’s Central Reservations posted online in June and I switched to a cushier, more fulfilling “summer” job with higher pay and more hours.

Basically, as soon as that job ended, I was subbing. And that brings me to where I am now, staring at a calendar wondering how 2009 flew by and pondering possible resolutions.

Continue reading

My good friend, Kate Amann (Chocolate Cake and Beer), was in from Scotland for the holidays. I haven’t seen her in person since 2006, so when the opportunity arose to visit her, I made the appropriate plans. I’d known about her trip since spring, and I made Dan sign on for the visit in summer. We didn’t really anticipate the decade’s biggest snowstorm to hit the weekend we were supposed to drive to Frederick, Maryland.

Continue reading

Life as a substitute teacher essentially involves a series of unpleasant experiences. Often, you’re offered a job by a 5:30 a.m. phone call. If you decide to take this job, you must then stumble out of bed to a school where you know virtually no one, and you must look professional upon arrival. Depending on who you are subbing for, you will find lesson plans. If you’re in for a high school teacher, odds are these lesson plans will be worksheets, quizzes or “continue working on such and such project.” If it’s middle school level, you may actually have to teach, or at least supervise them teaching themselves.

Depending on how the day goes, your afternoon might involve an energized trip to Wal-Mart or it may involve collapsing into bed and self-doubt. It depends on the school district, the students and your own resilience. Some days, I find myself doubting that this is the proper profession for me. I wonder if everything I’m doing is worth it, or I start looking at the want ads for “real jobs.” Other days, I’m fully confident that I’m making the right decision to continue my education and I’m grateful that I have the opportunity to gain varied classroom experiences.

There is one school district in particular that I dread seeing on my caller ID first thing in the morning. Continue reading

One of the benefits of dating Dan is his proximity to Longwood Gardens. The Gardens exist thanks to the Peirces, who took an interest in planting an array of trees on the land, and the du Pont family (aka those who amassed a fortune from the DuPont chemical company) for purchasing the land to preserve the trees. The place has amazing history going back to the late 1700s, but I won’t bore you with that, because this is mainly a picture post.

Dan’s been going to Longwood since he was a kid, but I only went for the first time when we started dating. I’ve seen the seasons change there this year, and it’s been a beautiful experience. Longwood at Christmas is something that draws in huge crowds. Usually, they have their fountains lit in addition to all the Christmas lights, but the temperature wasn’t cooperative during our visit. It was probably in the low 30s and it was breezy! Thankfully we spent some time in the conservatory where it was warmer, and Dan bought me a hot chocolate when we were back in the outdoors. All in all, it was another amazing experience and he walked away with some beautiful pictures.

So without further ado, the gallery…

Continue reading