jaclyn/bealer
Heyo! Here's my year in review:
January - February:
Moved back to NEPA, reunited with so many good friends, and applied to jobs in the international relations field. At the end of February, my parents rented out our house and and moved to Charleston, South Carolina (retirement has its perks!) Since I was broke and unemployed, I went with them by default.
March - May:
Learned that Southern living is not for me. Granted, the beach is only 20 minutes away and I got to visit with a few friends who just happen to be on holiday in Chucktown (including Mr. Nick Vita), I'm a yankee at heart. The downside to living below the Mason-Dixon Line? All of the jobs I had been applying to were predominately in New York, DC, or Philadelphia which made going to interviews a bit tricky. Needless to say, I was in a bit of a rut.
June - August:
Reluctantly, I resumed my role as the Counselor in Training (CIT) Coordinator at Lindley G. Cook 4-H Camp. Those 10 weeks in the woods proved to be the best life decision I could have ever made. I worked with amazing people and as corny as it sounds, was so inspired by the teenagers I had the privilege of teaching. Highlight of the summer: an autistic boy who needed one-on-one attention and barely spoke the 2 weeks he was at camp stood up and gave an eloquent speech about his condition and how everyone just wants to be accepted; and at camp, he is. Yes, I cried. As did the other 25 kids, counselors, and supervisors who were lucky enough to hear it.
This summer also marked 3 years with the Englishman. In August, Tom came to visit and spent a week as a counselor at the camp where we first met. The kids were outrageously excited to have him back and I was, too. After camp, we went to NYC with a couple of pals from Wales, got to see some of you fine folks, and had a roadtrip down to Charleston.
September - December:
After realizing that every thing happens for a reason (i.e. no job = the freedom to go to camp and travel, win) I went back to Charleston renewed. While filling out applications, I asked a local English language school if I could observe some classes since I have my Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certification and wanted to see it in action. After a few weeks, they asked me to teach a beginner class. For 3 months, I taught 8 Brazilians, a Mexican, and a Cuban how to speak English. In addition to teaching, I started my little Teacup Candle Co., completely random and surprisingly successful thus far. Thanks to those of you who have ordered a teacup candle and special shout out to Kyle Daley for being my first online purchase!
With my beginner TEFL class ending, I booked a 3-month trip back to Newcastle and can't wait to be back my favorite city. All-in-all, life has a funny way of unfolding, but I feel like I'm exactly where I'm meant to be.
January - February:
Moved back to NEPA, reunited with so many good friends, and applied to jobs in the international relations field. At the end of February, my parents rented out our house and and moved to Charleston, South Carolina (retirement has its perks!) Since I was broke and unemployed, I went with them by default.
March - May:
Learned that Southern living is not for me. Granted, the beach is only 20 minutes away and I got to visit with a few friends who just happen to be on holiday in Chucktown (including Mr. Nick Vita), I'm a yankee at heart. The downside to living below the Mason-Dixon Line? All of the jobs I had been applying to were predominately in New York, DC, or Philadelphia which made going to interviews a bit tricky. Needless to say, I was in a bit of a rut.
June - August:
Reluctantly, I resumed my role as the Counselor in Training (CIT) Coordinator at Lindley G. Cook 4-H Camp. Those 10 weeks in the woods proved to be the best life decision I could have ever made. I worked with amazing people and as corny as it sounds, was so inspired by the teenagers I had the privilege of teaching. Highlight of the summer: an autistic boy who needed one-on-one attention and barely spoke the 2 weeks he was at camp stood up and gave an eloquent speech about his condition and how everyone just wants to be accepted; and at camp, he is. Yes, I cried. As did the other 25 kids, counselors, and supervisors who were lucky enough to hear it.
This summer also marked 3 years with the Englishman. In August, Tom came to visit and spent a week as a counselor at the camp where we first met. The kids were outrageously excited to have him back and I was, too. After camp, we went to NYC with a couple of pals from Wales, got to see some of you fine folks, and had a roadtrip down to Charleston.
September - December:
After realizing that every thing happens for a reason (i.e. no job = the freedom to go to camp and travel, win) I went back to Charleston renewed. While filling out applications, I asked a local English language school if I could observe some classes since I have my Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certification and wanted to see it in action. After a few weeks, they asked me to teach a beginner class. For 3 months, I taught 8 Brazilians, a Mexican, and a Cuban how to speak English. In addition to teaching, I started my little Teacup Candle Co., completely random and surprisingly successful thus far. Thanks to those of you who have ordered a teacup candle and special shout out to Kyle Daley for being my first online purchase!
With my beginner TEFL class ending, I booked a 3-month trip back to Newcastle and can't wait to be back my favorite city. All-in-all, life has a funny way of unfolding, but I feel like I'm exactly where I'm meant to be.