It takes the shape of a place out west

Almost exactly four years ago, give or take a week, I headed out to California to start my adult, post-undergrad life.  I was going to volunteer for the Americorps, teaching kids English and running an after-school program.  This was a rather big revelation for most people I knew, as I had spent the past eight or so years certain I was going to be a lawyer, as well as announcing this fact to everyone I knew.  Studying abroad, to be totally cliche, changed me, though, and to my dismay I found myself wanting desperately to work with languages rather than with law.  With graduation looming, though, I found myself with few options.  So I decided to go volunteer.  I figured a year of goofing off and teaching language would get it out of my system, and then I would be champing at the bit to head to law school, with a nice little experience on my resume.

Of course, this year was probably the most intense one of my life.  The kids came from such a difficult place, avoiding gangs and immigration officials all at the same time.  Their parents were generally illiterate even in Spanish, and spoke little to no English.  And I had around ten bosses who each seemed determined to make my life difficult.  Nevertheless, I discovered I loved teaching.  I still wasn't ready to call myself a teacher, though, so I grasped at straws and came up with Hungary.

And I went to Hungary, and fell in love with it, and now I am a teacher.

Tomorrow my little sister heads from home.  She is going to Arizona to teach high school biology.  I can only hope her journey takes her as soundly to where she needs to be and she is happy.

Good luck, Weasel.