Being In Love...With Life

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter. I cannot tell you how lovely mine was. I really am just overflowing with emotion so this blog post may be a little long (maybe?). The weekend started out with my friend (and basically sister) Laura coming into town. Laura is also a Teach For America teacher--she works in Marksville, LA. Laura was a senior when I was a freshman at St. Ed's. We lived in different buildings and were introduced through our mutual friend Amarette, who is teaching on a Fulbright in Germany, (don't I have the most amazing friends?) and we have been close ever since. Laura is one of those friends who is just super patient and nurturing. I had just come off of a really stressful week so it was nice to have Laura in town. Because I go to a Catholic school, I had five days off for the break. Laura and I spent time in Austin hanging out and then left for the Valley Friday morning (basically afternoon). I never have really liked the car, but I don't mind road trips with my friends. We ventured down to the Valley and into culture shock I went.

Now let me preface that my culture shock in the Valley was not near that of when I went to Chile...it was pretty mild actually and I absolutely LOVED IT. I was having a moment of struggle accepting the transition from college to the job world and going to the Valley with Laura made me feel so much more at ease. Laura is pretty much a wealth of information and her family lives in the Valley. We arrived and there were orchards everywhere. I don't think I can quite explain my obsession with them...mainly because the only crops I grew up around were corn, wheat, more corn, more wheat, and some times cotton, soybeans, and sunflowers (all of which I am highly allergic to). There were also so many palm trees (which I am also NOT allergic to). I'm sure by now you get the gist that I'm potentially not going to be highly allergic to the Valley. This is super important to me because I get sick so often. We stopped at her house and talked to her precious cutie parents for a bit then went to visit her brother, sister-and-law, and kids. Everyone in the Valley that I met was just so warm and receptive. The Mexican culture, like Chilean culture, is just very loving, family-based, and slow paced. Everyone is late, eats late, drives slow, and time just kind of slows down. The Spanish language is also dominant. I really appreciate this. I honestly just have a deep love for the Latin American culture and knew almost instantaneously that this was where I was supposed to be. It is gorgeously hot, crazily humid, and amazing.

We also took a trip to the beach (which is totally right around the corner) and had such a great time:

It was such a fabulous day. It was a day where I just really understood how in love with my life I was. I read the other day that the most genuine form of selfishness was to honor yourself and be in love with your life everyday. I'll have to find the quote and put it up for you all...I definitely didn't do it justice.

I was a bit (actually quite a bit) sad to return to Austin. I do love Austin and everything it has to offer, but I miss the small town life. I have never been a city girl. I don't know that I have ever even claimed to be one. Austin is a great place but I would never want to live here indefinitely. The Valley felt like home and I am ready to be home. Don't get me wrong, I am in no way wishing away the final six weeks of my undergraduate career---I am just looking forward to change (which never happens).

My mom and I were talking about it and she told me that it probably really helped that my first venture to my new home was with Laura. She is totally right about that one. I couldn't be more grateful to Laura and her family for welcoming me like they did and showing me around the Valley. I felt secure, safe, welcomed, and loved in the most familial way.

I received an email today letting me know that I could be potentially working at Raymondville ISD. It is a 3A school--I am hoping to interview later this week. The second exciting news of the day is that I had a new article published on USATODAY College. You can read it here: 2-20+ Play-doh for stress relief.

I will be taking my ELA certification exam this Thursday so keep me in your thoughts and if you have any tips you are willing to share about TX certification testing, feel free to comment below!

Also, my new favorite music obsession, Icona Pop.