Mardi Gras 2009

Here's a picture of us at Higland Ball for Mardi Gras. The theme was British Invasion. Our costumes and masks are made of duct tape. We had a great time (the last Shreveport Mardi Gras for a while). Didn't get in trouble this year-darn it!

A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step

Contracts are mailed-waiting on confirmation of receipt. We've been contacted about making travel arrangements to Kiev. Passports are in the works. Ebay auctions are going well. We've taken the first few steps of this journey. We are settled in for the long haul till the end of the school year and the roller coaster finish in August. Hopefully that will just be a layover on the BIG trip.

Signed, sealed, delivered

We got our contracts via email Thursday! No more lingering doubts. I guess this is real! We are already selling things on ebay and to friends trying to shed belongings. Need any furniture? Shop with us first! Have any big suitcases? We can make a trade! 6 months till lift off!

R U CONNECTED?

Are we more connected with blogs and websites and twitter and cell phones and facebook and texting? Or less? If you read a blog, then you know more than if you didn't, but less than face to face time. But you can't see everyone you know everyday. I don't see my cousin, won't for years, but I read her blog daily so I know her, about her life, her kids.

Maybe sometimes we know more about people from online connections than we need to.

But I'm still not getting a Facebook. And I still screen my calls.

In August, you won't see us every day unless you are in UKRAINE!

And the waiting...

So now we have to wait. For contracts in the mail, for a call from the director of the school, for passports, for appts for shots, for summer, to sell all our stuff, to buy some new stuff we might need, to pack what is left, for summer, for August, for that first step onto the plane. Can't wait! But I guess we have to. Waiting...

Better News!

Never assume! New email this afternoon! Our recruiter spoke with the director and convinced him to change our assignment to KYIV!! We're going to Ukraine!

Initial shock, then an instant of disappointment (we'd already started to "buy in" to Kazakhstan), then joy. Our initial goal was to see Europe (and Christine). Kyiv is the best way to accomplish that. We can always visit KZ. Everyone is excited! Ukraine, here we come!

Good News / Bad News

First the bad news. After an exceptionally positive family interview with an international school consortium, we made our ranked list of choices for our recruiter Mr. Philpot to submit to his director. In order, they were Kyiv, Ukraine, Shengou (sp?), China, and Almaty Kazakhstan. We have invested many hours of research and focused attention on Kiev. Our friend is there, she's convinced us it is a wonderful place, enjoys the teach abroad experience, etc. That' what we were determined to get. But when Mr. Philpot returned with an offer from the director, it was for ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN. Where the HELL is Kazakhstan? Oh crap! What happened to our #1 and #2 choices? Christine??

Then the good news. As we considered our options, we realized that saying no to the offer was saying no to teaching abroad, which is the heart of what we want to do. As difficult as it is to shift focus from Kyiv and (already I miss...) Christine, we remembered that we embarked on this endeavor to show our kids the world and look for some new experiences ourselves (not to mention the ridiculous money). We were resigned to choose China if that's what came through, but Kazakhstan?

Hell Yeah! We are going to Almaty, Kazakhstan! Turns out KZ is a beautiful country (check photos on travel sites). Almaty is right next to the Tien Shen Mountains. The school (building, website, staff, program) looks awesome. There is access to all of Central Asia and North and East Africa. The list goes on-like the house and car the school provides, the travel, bonuses, 100% insurance, housing expenses paid, and more.

So we are going to Kazakhstan! The letters of intent have been sent. We're in!