How I'm Surviving My First Year

Tomorrow is the first day back after the break! It was supposed to be today, but the temperature was "dangerously low" (somewhere in the teens) so they canceled school.

Woo! This is our second snow day and I still haven't seen snow.... so confusing but hey, I'll take the birthday present ;) Speaking of birthdays, I had a GREAT birthday yesterday! I was able to celebrate with my family and friends back home over the weekend and then yesterday we had district PD at my school before going out to sushi with some of my favorite Memphis girls and then watching FSU win the national championship. (This makes my family very happy, so I'm happy.)

When reflecting on the first half of my first year of teaching, I think my biggest lesson has been to take care of myself. It's easy to let teaching (or any first job) just dominate your life. This is how I've survived so far:

1) Books
I LOVE to read and save at least 10 minutes to read before going to bed. Same goes for Saturday mornings. Reading in bed when I don't have to get up early is the. best. thing. ever. Here's what I've been reading lately:

About to start this one!

Read the trilogy and really enjoyed it.
Pretty exciting and a creative concept about a future society

Saw this on a list of books for girls to read in their 20s.
Jennifer Close nailed it.

 2) Birchbox
I told myself I'd start doing this once I got a paycheck! For $10 a  month you get a box of about 5 samples of high-end beauty products. I convinced my roommate, Meghan, and my sister to get them too. Now every month we get a little surprise! It's way  more fun than it sounds ;)

Meghan posing with her first birchbox

3) Bubble baths
I love love love sinking into a hot bubble bath, especially now that's it's FREEZING outside, with one of the books I mentioned above! Meghan's learned that when she comes home and I'm in the bath, it was a rough day...

Minus the dog (missing Sadie)

4) Beale Street
Or just going out in general! All week I look forward to going out with my friends, whether its downtown, midtown, or someone's living room. I've met some of the best people through TFA and they are a strong part of what get me through the day!

Don't mind me posing

5) The Bachelor
Or just horrible television in general. I've never pretended I had good taste in television and as the years go on I see just how far down the rabbit hole I've gone. Oh well. Bring on the dramatic reality shows, ridiculous teen dramas, and absurd people "trying to find love". I'll watch them all.

I also do the brackets for The Bachelor.
Yes. I realize that's not very normal.

So that's a little bit about what I've learned about myself during the first half of the year. Here's to 5 more months of being a first year teacher!

I'm Baaaaaaack

Please tell me you read the title of this post in a sing-song voice. Because that's the way it was intended ;) Well world, I'm back! Did ya miss me? You did? Aw shucks. Well a LOT has happened in the last month. We had our two week winter break (hooray!), celebrated Christmas and New Years (double hooray!), I turned 23 (what?) and I accepted an offer to teach in Memphis for the next two years with Teach For America (hooray!). So, like I said, A LOT HAPPENED. And I'm not even mentioning Les Miserables coming out, which was, um, life changing. Picture tiiiiiiime (also in sing-song voice)

Jess, Matt, me and my mom on Christmas Eve

My dad, Matt, Jess and me on Christmas Day
(notice I'm always shoved in the front)

Sweet puppies! Sabre and Sadie on Christmas

This pretty much sums up my Christmas- lots of family time and puppy time =] And then it was Les Mis time. If you haven't seen it yet, GO SEE IT.

The key is to see it with people equally obsessed ;)

Then came my birthday, which I celebrated multiple days in a row with multiple groups of people. It's birthmonth, people, I do what I want. When we went back to school, I had a surprise for me! A giant chocolate cake and 22 precious handmade birthday cards. They are SO sweet and remind why I do what I do. Also, those kids gorged themselves on cake like they'd never seen chocolate before in their lives. It was terrifying.

If you can't read it, the top right card says:
Dear Ms. Douberly, First of all you are the best intern ever. You are very nice and kindhearted. I hope you had a great birthday with lots of cake. Have a marvelous school year. PS: Boo Gators!

And the sweet child's hope came true. I had a great birthday with lots of cake. THEN, I came home and found out I was accepted to TFA: Memphis to teach elementary school! What a whirlwind.

Eeeeeek!

After thinking about it a lot (Atlanta was the only city I imagined being accepted to), praying a lot, and talking with friends that live in Memphis and TFA staff people, I decided to take the leap! A verse that came to mind and really encouraged me was Deuteronomy 31:8 "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." A guaranteed job, the TFA network, perks of Americorps, and a built-in community in a brand new city sound very appealing as a new teacher! I'm so excited to start this new adventure in my life =] I'll be going up there for Induction and Institute (training) at the beginning of June and I'll have my own classroom this fall.

Ok so now you're updated. Haha hope your last month has been as wonderful as mine's been! Enjoy your long weekend =]