how things change

A year ago this weekend, I was in northern Iowa for the international job fair. I've been thinking a lot about this lately, and how so much has changed in the past 12 months. The job fair was one of the most difficult weekends I've ever experienced, beginning with an 8 hour drive that turned into a 12 hour drive thanks to the weather and a small sliding-off-road incident that left me rather hysterical and extremely pessimistic. The entire weekend was a huge emotional rollercoaster, as I walked into the fair expecting a job offer from a school in Abu Dhabi only to not get offered the job. I also interviewed for a job in a Swiss boarding school close to the Italian border, which also did not pan out. At one point, I checked out of my hotel and thought I would end up heading home jobless, when I landed an interview for my school here in Ecuador. It was crazy to suddenly be considering a job on a continent that was not even on my radar, and I had a small meltdown when it came to make the final decision. Now I understand that this is the place I was meant to be, and I would not change my experience for anything. It's crazy to think all this has happened in a year, and I can't possibly imagine in what direction I'll be moving this time next year.