I feel like I'm having a really nice visit here in New England. It hasn't fully sunk in that I actually live here now.

Almost immediately after I arrived in New Hampshire, I met up with the staff from the school where I will be teaching. We all drove down to Strubridge, Massachusetts to attend a two day teacher's conference. I planned my arrival so that I could attend, not so much because I was really excited about going to a conference... I just thought that it would be a good way to connect with the rest of the staff since I will be joining them half-way through the school year.

These are good people. Everyone has been so kind and welcoming. It seems like they have already gone out of their way to try to make me feel like family. Going to the conference gave me the opportunity to connect with some of the other teachers who are about my age and seem to have similar interests in books and music. (In fact, if I can justify the expense, I am going to see Pedro the Lion and/or Sufjan Stevens in Cambridge with one of these new friends next week.)

Speaking of expenses, I am in desperate need of a job for the next three months. (Ah, something new and different!) There is a possibility that I could work in my sister's fifth grade classroom as a substitute for her aide who will be out for an extended period of time. Unfortunately, there are many unknowns about when the job would begin and end, and there is no guarantee that I could actually be hired... so, I have been looking for other work just in case. Today I went to the post office, Borders Books, and Panera. I think I could handle being around books and coffee, but I don't have any retail experience. I filled out an extensive application with a 37 page personality test, but I won't be allowed to talk to a real person about the job unless the computer decides that I'm worthy. I just wish that they would hire me to sit in the children's section reading books to kids all day. As you think of me, please send up some prayers about this work situation.