Drum roll please...

* Written on Tuesday, April 10th but technical difficulties prevented me from posting earlier.

Two great offers. Two great schools. Yet the decision wasn’t difficult.


I think I made it more difficult than it needed to be. I was waiting for the same kind of peace God gave me when I was making my decision senior year about whether to join Teach For America or go abroad. I assumed I’d hear that same quiet voice, whispering either “Henderson” or “Nashville” with a gentle confidence. But God had a different MO this time. Instead of one moment of clarity, He blessed me with a string of reassuring experiences that ultimately gave me confidence in my final decision. I couldn’t see them all right away, but as I weighed my options, it became clear the direction in which He was leading me.
So, I’ll finish teaching in my current Eastern North Carolina school on June 14th, and pack my bags shortly after to move to……..drum roll please….






NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE!


I went into my interview with Henderson on Friday praying that I wouldn’t like it, that I wouldn’t get offered the job, or that there would be some glaring reason to turn down the job if it was offered to me. None of those things happened. I liked the school, I was offered the job, and there really wasn’t a giant red flag in the way. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I would always wonder, “What if?” if I didn’t take the Nashville job. I already know what it’s like to live in rural North Carolina—boring, lonely, and sometimes even soul-crushing. It’s time for something different, something exciting, and as my roommate said, something life-changing.


I officially accepted the offer yesterday, after over a week of waiting. And this time, not waiting on God. Waiting on the school leader to come back from Spring Break. Immediately after leaving my interview with Henderson last Friday, I was about 85% sure I wanted to take the Nashville job. I spent the next few days “sleeping on it”, and each day I only found myself more excited about the opportunity. By Monday, Dad had booked us plane tickets to start apartment hunting in May, and I was anxiously awaiting the weekend so I could talk to the principal and officially accept the job. The week felt epically long, as I was also waiting for the beginning of our spring break. But finally, I was able to catch up with the principal, ask a few more questions, and express my interest in joining the team.


This week just keeps getting better—I’m currently sitting in a hotel room in Raleigh, watching the Celtics, eating Famous Amos cookies and packing for my trip to CHICAGO to see my sister tomorrow. I should be lesson planning so I’ll be ahead of the game when I get back, but I’m enjoying this whole break thing way too much to care right now. I have a feeling that these last two months of school will be incredibly difficult, knowing what’s ahead. Good thing I love my kids.

More details on the Nashville job coming up soon. I can’t wait to talk all about how incredible this school is, and what I’m most looking forward to leaving behind.