Well, here we are. The moment I've fought since I was in the sixth grade. This moment consisted of a child's dream to grow up and be a teacher and the realization of how much work it really was . A never-ending stream of grading, lesson planning and determining curriculum was not the life I picture for myself. Working at the YMCA as a summer camp counselor had turned me off to ever interacting with children that were not my own. Hearing some of the tales of my dear mother's substitute teaching experiences weren't very encouraging either. With all of this working against me, I tried to plan out what I did want from my life. I knew I wanted the adventure and excitement from theatre. I wanted the interpersonal relationships of communication. Now, what can I find that includes those things and also doesn't really seem like work...?

I recall a time in seventh grade when I turned in grammar homework and my teacher told me that I "was good at it," and that "I should become an English teacher." I scoffed, rolled my eyes (as most 11 year olds tend to do) and shrugged it off. I was still determined that teaching WAS NOT the right thing for me. Throughout high school, I resisted the encouragement to "attend Martin Luther College" and "join the ministry." I didn't want to become the stereotype: go to MLC, marry, live in happy, conservative wedded bliss with my children. But that's another topic for another time.

I was always pushed by my parents, especially my mom, to do my best, learn as much as I can and travel. To me, the best way to do this was by leaving the realm of private, religious based education and jumping into a public university in the exotic and distant land of River Falls, Wisconsin where my father attended college. I started out as Undecided Major with a Minor in Musical Theatre. Throughout my college career, that Minor is the one thing that has not changed. Second semester, I lept into Communication Studies. After taking Sophomore Seminar, decided it wasn't for me. Side stepped into Digital Film and Television Sophomore Year, where I made delightful silly friends and became one of the hosts of Focus on U, the esteemed (but rarely watched) student run TV show. Junior Year, deciding I wanted to travel and also for giggles, I picked up and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Minor. Uh oh. I loved it. Diagramming sentences, phonetics, and language acquisition were all the new exciting things that filled my dreams and hopes. Now, I am contemplating changing my Major to an Education TESOL Major (and by contemplating, I mean I'll change it next semester). This is the moment I've been fighting. I'm going to be a teacher. I have to take all the education courses that are required to get into the program, take the Praxis I, take the classes needed to be certified and then take the Praxis II and I'll be certified in WI! And then on to MN! To top it off, I'll probably get my Master's while I'm at it. I mean, I'll probably be here for 5 years at least. Why not just add a year or two?

Now this explanation wouldn't be complete without the travel opportunity that got the ball rolling. At the beginning of this year I was desperate for an adventure. Then in my Intro to Linguistics course, I was introduced to the month long trip to Taiwan in July to teach English at the University in Taipei. There was no going back.

This blog will serve as a means of reassuring my darling parents, family and friends that I'm still alive while I'm there and also to document my thoughts and experiences. It'll be my journal because, realistically, who even uses real tangible diaries anymore. If you do, get with the times!!! But seriously, the purpose of this blog will probably evolve over time so don't get too comfortable.


B