A Day Like Every Other...

So much has happened in such a short time that it feels like I have been here for weeks as opposed to 3 days.  Why is that you ask?  Well here we go on a day like no other…

After settling in to a comfortable hotel room, I started to wonder what I had let myself in for and how on earth I could get everything done.  Well somehow I did it (actually I felt like I was just following like a Labrador puppy in training)

VIF assigns every new teacher with a Local Advisor and boy, did I get one of the greatest ones in the world!  I was greeted by Anna at school on Tuesday afternoon and from then on, we were off – going 100mph!

Following the Open House night at the school we had a workshop on Poverty – it was an awesome workshop that applied to everyone’s country and I could see how New Zealand could do with hearing it. 

So the speaker turned up late and the teachers had time to go to their classrooms to sort stuff out – but not us we were off.  We headed to the Cumberland County Schools Human Resources department where I needed to sign documents so I could get paid and work legally in the US.  Everyone in the department seemed to know my advisor so we were rushed in and out of offices and given all the documents we needed to sign – then I was back in the car heading towards school again.

The workshop started and half listening I filled in my forms ready to take back at lunchtime.  It was so good to sit back and listen to a fantastic woman who knew her stuff and made poverty a problem that everyone shares and needs to be aware of in their community.

Lunchtime came around and we were gone again back to drop off papers and get a letter that I needed to help me get an apartment.  Job done and on to the next thing on our list – the car rental place where I was able to get a car in a matter of 20mins – Ford Focus you are mine for now!  (Ok so it kinds looks like this - ha ha ha!)

Next stop, to view an apartment (remember we are still on our lunchbreak – hectic I know!).  We pulled into the place and me being me I wasn’t fussed – my criteria was two-fold – that it was tidy and good price for rent.  Bingo, we had found a great place, for a good price and the manger of the apartment complex was really helpful.  Forms were acquired and it was back to school to finish the workshop and continue to prepare our rooms.

3.30pm and we took to the roads again – back to the Tree Top Apartment complex with papers signed and money orders obtained.   After what seemed like hours I walked away with they keys to my new second story, recently refurbished one bedroom apartment.  I couldn’t believe it – I had just signed a lease and paid my first months rent.

Then back to school to finish my room and then it was back to my hotel by 8pm. 

It was a full on day and I cannot rave enough about my advisor Anna.  She is an amazing woman that takes her role as advisor seriously.  When we were waiting for the apartment manager to finish with another client, she rang up her bed person and ordered me a bed, she called the electric company and helped me get that connected.  She then called the cable and Internet Company, where we left a message so that I could get that hooked up within the upcoming week.  All the time she was with me her attitude and knowledge of what was important to get started was amazing.  She is a woman who enjoys life, loves her family and is passionate about teaching – I thank God for her, as I know I would be lost without her.

So that was my day and you are all up to date with my life outside of school – car, done – apartment, done – bed, done – pay sorted out, done and classroom ready, a tentative done.  I am exhausted but feeling on top of things – I move in on Saturday and start shopping for household items too.

It truly was a day like no other!