It's a busy time!

I feel like I've done nothing but paperwork. I've assembled transcripts, inquired for letters, ordered more transcripts, scanned passport pictures, fingerprints and clearances, diplomas, more transcripts, more letters, and gathered more documents for an official process known as "attestation". I guess the Embassy wants to know "It me."

I've also been in contact with the friends I've made at the NYC event who are also in the process of assembling and attesting. Each school and each country has their own document process but it's basically collect a ton of educational paperwork documents, send to a company, pay a fee, get it attested (fancy notarized), send it ahead. Some International Schools are hiring many teachers and some just a few. My new school has 16 new hires and one of the current teachers there has made a social media group so we can all ask questions, exchange info, and interact before we arrive in August. (My apartment building has a rooftop pool, did I tell you that yet?) I've heard from two of my future teaching colleagues who are working at the school this year and they seem friendly, social, and as engaging in the classroom as I hoped to find in this adventure. They also have some innovative ideas and classroom management styles. I've been assigned K-1-2 music and am really excited to have another (guitar playing Irishman) music teacher (3-4-5) to pal around with and bump ideas.

I've also written a leave-of-absence request to my current job regarding the international teaching assignment. That was by far the most difficult of all the paperwork. I like my job. The district has been good to me over the last 15 years. I had to go back to the very beginning of this whole adventure idea and remember why I am adventuring... I am content with the grant winning, program creating, curriculum writing, innovative classroom design. Yes, I am... but I feel like there's more to discover about school design, teaching, music, and life - and it's not going to come from a $600 textbook in a Doctoral Level "Philosophy of Music Education" : face-to-face, on-campus, full-time program course. (the last part is an attestation pun, but I digress... and the challenge of getting 12 passport photos with a blue background in .jpeg format is making me feel like this is all a scavenger hunt)

The two-year leave request should pass at an upcoming board meeting. There's no actual turning around now... and that's a really fizzy feeling. I did a thing. I did a really big thing. After gathering lots of documents, meeting with my current administration, and discussing the benefits of taking this international post, it hit me. I've been so busy working on building a program that I forgot to stop and see all the incredible professional things I've accomplished these last 10 years. Like a gardener who has focused on planting seeds, weeding, and pruning but forgot to look at the flowers that bloomed. I guess I am pretty awesome. I've accomplished some incredible professional goals... and now I did another thing. I did a really big thing.

I feel like I'm just a person doing a thing but my mother told me what I see as "normal"is what everyone else sees as "spectacular". So I ask you : What's your own version of being "spectacular"? Does it make your brain fizzy when you think of doing spectacular things or being spectacular in your own way? I challenge you all to make the best of what you've got in your things. Live your own best life. The energy that rushed in after I was done complaining and being angry about stuff is what called me back to the adventure. If you can't fix what you're complaining about, quit complaining about it. If you can fix it, then work on fixing it. I encourage you, and others will too. There's no wrong answers in life except giving up or giving in.

So go be awesome and spectacular in your corner of the world. I'll see you there, you awesomenesspeoplepersonyous... as soon as I'm done collecting paperwork and scanning documents...

Slainte.