Hello again, friends and family. It has been a few months since my last post so I have LOTS to update ya'll on. I guess where I last left off I had just recently started teaching 5th Grade English at Gimnasio Los Andes. Well, to make a long story short, I handed in my resignation a little over a month ago. Although I enjoyed the experience much more than my time at Montessori, I quickly realized the school was under very similar bureaucratic conditions and I found myself under a not-so competent administration with very little room for innovation or flexibility in the classroom as demonstrated through some of the battles coworkers had been going through. Moreover, I felt a lot of my efforts in the classroom were falling on deaf ears, primarily in terms of students and parents who were just not interested in learning but rather just getting by with good grades. I don't understand why I must pass someone who didn't do any work all semester just to please parents who are more concerned with their child getting good grades so that he/she can get into a good school than with actually learning to speak the language and learning for learning's sake. Needless to say, I quickly grew tired of this illogical approach to education. My immediate supervisor was awesome, but I know she felt the same way like she was fighting against an impenetrable wall. Needless to say, she handed in her resignation soon after me, and two of our colleagues followed suit around the same time. I think the school has such incredible potential, but unfortunately many teachers and administrators are not comfortable with change. Anyways....
Meanwhile, Jeni and I had been talking about relocating to either another city in Colombia or even moving back to the U.S. for quite some time. I, obviously, would have LOVED to stay in Colombia, but I have realized teaching is not quite my favorite cup of tea and I've been itching to get back into community organizing, project management, and writing--which is very hard to do in Colombia. So the latter option--moving back to the States--became a more appealing choice. Now, we had already purchased round-trip tickets to New York back in March or April for the summer recess so that Jeni could visit her friends and fam (and of course, I'd tag along to get to know the City better!) so I thought I could use this opportunity to begin networking with the hopes of moving back permanently. Well, come end of May I was really getting tired of the bs at work and the constant traffic and resulting pollution that resulted in my childhood asthma coming back so we decided (with a LOT of convincing on Jeni's part) to move permanently to New York on our June 20th flight date (and obviously not return to Colombia on the return date). YIKES!!! That gave us only 4 weeks to plan a garage sale, begin the ridiculous Paz y Salvo process with our respective schools, pack, clean the apartment, get the last months rent to our landlord, coordinate pick up times for people buying our larger furniture, and begin the job hunt, say goodbye to friends, reach out to my biological family one last time...okay you get the picture. I was stressed as hell for quite a while but it all worked out eventually.
So, ta-da! Here I am--one month later--writing from my futon (thanks Stacey!) in our lovely apartment in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. I was never one to really believe in fate, but when Jeni said her friend who took over the apartment when Jeni left for Colombia two years ago had to move out, and Jeni had kept in touch with her landlady, I felt like we were meant to move at this time. Now, I am still unemployed and actively networking, attending workshops, community events, etc. but the move has been worth it in so many ways. First and foremost, my health is so much better! Even after just one week here I was no longer coughing, not blowing black crap out of my nose, and just felt happier and more comfortable. There is something about Bogota that just sucks your soul out of you. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of great things about good ol' Whack-ata, but I know that is not a place I would want to spend the rest of my life. Brooklyn, on the other hand, is AMAZING! The people have been so friendly and welcoming and I've eaten some amazing food and had some great conversations already with people from all over. I went to my first block party ever--on our street--last Saturday, which was quite an experience in and of itself. And we've had a crazy heat wave for like the last 2 weeks, which has me taking cold showers every hour, sitting butt naked on the futon as I apply for jobs, and drinking water like it's going out of style. Yes I know, the winter will be here soon enough (sighhhh...) but I have to say I'm looking forward to seasons again and not just the constant rain-sun-rain-sun-rain pattern of Bogota's weather.
As for the job situation...I'm actively networking and applying left and right. I've met some incredible people already, particularly at the Department for Youth and Community Development, thanks to my good friend Abe from Peace Corps who hooked me up with his friend Miguel who works there. I've been able to sit down and talk to a few people about what I'm looking for and my skills and experience, and they have been super helpful in connecting me with other people. Also, my childhood buddy Stacey lives in Brooklyn as well, so she has been super helpful in getting my resume out to her contacts and dragging my non-morning-self butt to workshops (much love, Bob!). I'm positive something will pan out shortly. Although I am quite loving my unemployment since it means I can get up leisurely, explore my new neighborhood, and finally dedicate more time to writing and playing Candy Crush (lol)! But, unfortunately, I was not born rich nor do I have any hopes of winning the lottery or the McDonald's Monopoly game that is back, so I guess I gotta actually do something productive because my bank account is rapidly dwindling and it's not going to regenerate on its own any time soon. Sigh.... So please send your positive vibes my way!
So all in all, my first month back in the States has been great. The culture shock wasn't as strong this time, primarily because I was living in a big city before coming here, but there are still moments that make me realize I'm back in a "real" city. Like having hot water in my sinks (finally!), a more organized public transportation system (NO MORE 24/7 TRANCON!), and food from every corner of the earth (hasta pronto, arepas y aguardiente)! Of course there are some things I miss about Colombia--particularly my awesome friends--but all in all I think it was a good decision moving back. And no better timing than on our--J and my--first anniversary together (July 1st!).
Yep, couldn't be happier! Things are going well and I really count my blessings. I think the plan for now is to spend at least the next 2-5 years here and then reevaluate the situation at a future date and decide whether overseas living will come back into the picture (which I'm sure it will eventually). But at the moment I'm loving New York and really positive that my employment prospects will pan out soon.
Thanks for reading and hope everyone is happy and healthy! Cheers! Saludos! Love and Light!
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