right now i am home in worthington, cozy in my bed, thinking about how quickly the summer has gone by. too quickly... i'm not ready to leave! summertime was great. i nanny-ed for two wonderful kids, explored new parts of the cities, watched the twins for the first time in my life, bet on horses at canterbury, and enjoyed the company of many friends and, of course, my family. everything about it has been so good. it is hard to believe that in a week i will be leaving the state and home i love so much, my dear minnesota.
last week was my last week in the cities. i said goodbye to jack and kate, my hair, and people who i love. needless to say, it was rough. i'm dehydrated from so much crying and achey from all of the painful goodbyes. for some reason this new adventure carries a heavier weight than my previous ones. rather than being excited for the new places i'll see and the new people i'll meet, i'm feeling apprehensive and nervous.
if you're reading this and don't know what i'm doing, or if you're simply hazy on the details, i'll explain all that i know (which isn't much). i received a fulbright scholarship as an english teaching assistant to slovakia. while there, i also intend to continue research that i did with dr. marion larson at bethel on interreligious/interfaith dialogues. specifically, i will be in kosice, slovakia (eastern slovakia) and i will be teaching three lessons a day with 16, 17 and 18 year old students, helping them with conversational english and helping them to prepare for state administered english exams. at this point i'm not entirely certain where i'll be living, but i know that i will be living somewhere in a one bedroomed apartment. and, since it is a scholarship, i will be getting paid... but only enough to cover living and traveling expenses. i leave on september 6, and i arrive on september 7. the official end date of my grant is june 31, though i'm not sure of my return date at this point.
this week leading to D-day, i'm in worthington packing, relaxing, eating and helping my friend erica prepare for her wedding on saturday. i am really excited to help her prepare, primarily because i am so completely happy for her and her husband-to-be, tim. every bone in my body is simply thrilled. and i love the excuse to forget about monday.
although this new adventure is more nerve-wrecking and heavier than previous trips, i feel so blessed by the support that so many of my friends and family have shown me. moreover, i would be blind not to admit that this is a phenomenal opportunity and will likely be an unforgettable experience. i am excited for new challenges, and for the chance to stretch and grow in ways that i couldn't staying here.
until next week,
anna
