There's a Change A-Comin'

So as some may know, I have decided once again to move!! This feeling I woke up with one day is so unexplainable (no pun intended small group!) that I have to think it's right. At the end of the month, I will be leaving Fayetteville and going back to my hometown of Paragould. Here are some thoughts on how I've made my decision: Fayetteville is an amazing town! Great small-town feel with a pretty large population. There's a huge variety of things to do for entertainment. Big selection of stores and food places. Due to my job at Just Like Home, I have formed relationships with amazing co-workers, children, and parents. I can't even put into words how grateful I am for some of the parents I have come to know and the things they have done for me. I found a great church after a few months of being here. Through that, I have met amazing people in my small group and went to Guatemala on a mission trip! That is one experience that I wouldn't trade for anything. Not only do I have a connection with the people that went from ChurchatArk, but also the amazing Guatemalans I met there; some of which I have come to love as sisters in Christ and believe that I will stay in contact with for a very long time. This experience has opened up my eyes to how different other countries are (not necessarily bad) but most certainly in much more need of things than our country as a whole. It has made me want to spend my money more wisely or even give it more freely to good causes. I now have a love for missions and helping people who need it, wherever they may be. I can't wait to be able to do more!


Now for the not so good things about Fayetteville and my year+ here: The past two summers, I have had a total of one interview for a public school teaching position. I'm not going to go over again what all I've done in order to make principals interested in me (it's A LOT!!), but it obviously hasn't worked. Administration in this area only care about who they know and nobody else; regardless if the unknown name could be a 100X better teacher than the one with "connections". So done with that! In the past few months before deciding to move back home, I also wanted to look into buying a house. I'm definitely not the kind of person who likes to throw money away on rent if I can help it and what I pay on rent would be a decent mortgage payment. So I started looking at houses around Fay and found out prices are ridiculous! My idea to buy a house went back to relying on getting a teaching job. I defintely do not like every single goal riding on one thing here - a job! I think it's unfair and I don't think I should put up with it anymore. The last thing that made me seriously think about going back home is simplistic: times I haven't felt so good. I was (like all the migraines, stomach aches, etc. before) by myself on the couch with no one to "take care" of me. Yes I have friends here and know great people, but they aren't my family and no one will take care of you like your family will (in my case, my Mema :) I think soon after that, the overwhelming feeling of wanting to go home started.

Immediately after deciding, I sent in certified apps to the school district that I completed my internship at and later to the one that I attended my whole school career. It was late in the summer and I don't expect any positions to come up for this year. I'm okay with that. I am signed up to be a sub for three districts and I've been told they'll keep me busy every day! I'm also looking to get an evening/weekend job too. I've got things I want to do for Jake (first and foremost) and then for myself. That extra money will help. So I'm really hoping things will work out for me in that aspect.

I'm also hoping to get involved immediately with a church and am looking to try out my "old" one from college first: Central Baptist. I'm really excited to meet more people and be actively involved in the community. Maybe things will start happening in my life then.

I don't know what my purpose was for this past year. Was I suppose to learn something, experience something that has changed me, or meet someone that has made my life different? I know that my initial purpose was to come here and teach. Since that didn't happen, I haven't for once considered myself or my effort a failure. I moved quite awhile away from any family I knew, found a job, and paid every bill or expense I had (after the dead battery I had a month after moving here). I survived on my own and I am dang proud of that! I also thought that if I can't be happy with living in a town where all my family is just because there's not a Neighborhood Market, Ulta, or Catfish Hole within a 40 mile radius, then there's something wrong with me! That'll be something that needs to be worked on if it happens!


I am so excited for this change! And just a side note, I will bid good riddance to the over abundance of 2-lane roads and ignorant people driving with their heads up their butts down those roads in this town! Whew...my number one irritant here, just had to get it off my chest! I will definitely make time to come back to Fayetteville (2-3 trips a year) to visit everyone. I can't just meet all the people that I have and never come back! Keep an eye on Facebook NW Arkansas friends!

Love you all!