First a Tiger, Then a Norse, Now a Catamount

Usually the response I get from people when they find out that we moved here from Iowa is, "Why Vermont?" I usually have to pause before I can offer a concise answer, because there really isn't one. Let me attempt to explain.




Five years ago, I found myself at a sort of professional impasse.  I
had just returned from teaching in Belgium, and was trying a stint at substitute teaching around Des Moines. With an abundance of free time, and not really a clear professional goal in sight, I decided to take the GRE's with the hopes of one day attending grad school. After studying for months, I took the tests, and ended up sending my scores to the University of Iowa. In the meantime, I also applied for a sixth grade position at St. Francis School, where I regularly substitute taught. I was accepted to both, and ended up staying to teach.

Flash forward four years, where I reach another impasse, both professionally and personally. It was time for a change of location, but where? After encouragement from my family, I decided to consider grad school again, especially since my GRE scores were only valid for one more year. I again looked at Iowa, but decided I needed a little more distance.

So, I literally Googled "good educational grad schools on the east coast" and let the search engine do the rest. I inevitably stumbled upon the University of Vermont, which I found after further research was located in a town called Burlington. The more I researched about both the school and the town, the more intrigued I became. The school had a good ranking! The town was on a lake! The school had a beautiful campus!  The town was only an hour away from Canada!

Eventually I took the next step, which was to visit the campus itself. And so, with the help of my
supportive Aunt Jeanette, I set off on the twenty hour car ride to the town I would eventually call home. And it was love at first sight. Though it was March, the town was covered in snow. The campus was jaw-droppingly beautiful. I had a successful meeting with the head of my department. Everyone we met was friendly, and all of the food we ate was delicious. It was obvious that Burlington as well as UVM place high importance on sustainability. Not to mention there were TWO bookstores and THREE coffee shops located in the half-mile of the main downtown strip, Church Street.

If you look closely, you can see the
Adirondack Mountains across the lake

After an arduous application process (I apologize to anyone who had to hear me complain for the two months of impatiently waiting), I was finally accepted. Clint moved here to find a job and an apartment, and I joined him after I finished out the school year.

In two years, I will receive my Master's of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on literacy (what a mouthful!). I will only go to school part-time this first year, which means I will take two classes each semester. When I'm not at class or working on homework, I will continue to be in the classroom, but as a substitute teacher. I know I will miss having my own classroom, but it will be so handy to have the flexibility I will want as a student.

I know it's early. But I feel right at home already. One of my first assignments was to read the first half of a book called The Power of Kindness, a book I probably would have read on my own. It feels so good to be a student again. I may never want to graduate. :)