Piece by piece

Aloha everyone! Sorry I don't have any pictures for this blog...I know those are what make the blog most fun to look at. However, I have barely had time and space to breathe this week so pictures will have to be in the next blog! :) So this week has been an experience in putting the pieces together. There are so many little things to take care of and think about that if feels overwhelming, but the puzzle is slowly starting to take shape.
Ok, here is the update for all of you who are on the edge of your seats (haha!). I started taking care of stuff on campus starting at 8am monday morning. I have met everyone in our office and they are fantastic! I can't wait to get to know them better. Everyone just loves to laugh and play... a perfect environment for me! I have had about a million and one things to get done to actually get hire and get all the little details settled. I am now officially hired which is good news since school starts tomorrow and I am teaching my first class at 7:30 tomorrow morning.
I am teaching a general psychology (Psych 111) class. I was supposed to have the textbook a few months ago, but having never received it I have been frantically throwing a syllabus together. Thankfully, I've had some help from the student who worked here before me (Thanks Russ!). I think I will really like teaching. The class is only an hour long... and how fiercesome can freshman be at that hour of the morning? I will be lucky if they are even awake!
The most stressful thing complicating my already high-stressed adjustment are my internship interviews. I have done 4 in the last two days (5 1/2 hours of them! ugh!). I am really glad they are over and they have been going really well. At least much better than I expected. I even had one today that I actually enjoyed (that is so sick, but it's true!)! Fortunately, I have been learning alot about myself and what I want in my internship as these interviews have gone on. I have 5 more to do, and needless to say that light at the end of the tunnel is a very welcome sight!
In less "professional" areanas...I am no longer homeless. I have moved into the studio apartment and still need to find a roommate but I'm actually enjoying being here by myself for right now. The process of figuring out housing was a total mess and if you want to know the whole story I might tell you if you ask...depending on my mood! :) Anyway, so the apartment is fine minus a few kind of annoying things, like no shower rod or curtain. Making due for now but that is something on the top of the shopping list along with salt and dish soap. The cost of food here is incredible! I've been working on choosing the most nutritionally dense things to spend money on...maybe I will get used to it? and maybe it won't seem as bad once I actually have an income? who knows...I'll keep you updated on that fascinating portion of my life! :) The one advantage to missing important and simple things like a shower curtain is that, as a dear friend of mine informed me, I can use it go gain a little empathy and compassion... "What do you want from me?! I don't even have a shower curtain!" That is about how things have felt with all the little details to be settled. People have been very understanding even if they aren't as pro-active or involved as might be helpful.
My ward also seems very good...time will tell, I suppose. The community culture here kind of eliminates some of the really irriating and difficult things I experience in the church culture in utah. Church culture here is not like it is there and I really like that so far. And we have a fitness coordinator person...she puts together activities to play sports together! What more important calling could exist?! :) We played basketball as a ward for the first time. It was really fun. I'm gonna be really sore probably but that is usually worth it. I never can understand though why co-ed groups of ward members think that they will have more fun or play better if they play full-court. That is never the case...never! Half-court basketball in those groups can be decent...or at least almost decent...but full-court is terrible! It can no long be called basketball really. Anyway, even with the breakdown of the game we still had alot of fun. And I even attended the byu-hawaii men's and women's basketball games tonight. A healthy dose of basketball never hurts!
I'm really grateful for all your support and encouragement. Things have been hard and area getting better, but I know there will still be ups and downs. So thank you for expressing your concern and offering your support, no matter the miles that separate us! It really does mean alot and is extremely appreciated. Ok...I promise to have pictures next time and hopefully something fun to report on! :)