Iowa is close to New Hampshire, right?

So all continues to go well here. I basically have to pinch myself each day to remind myself that I'm really here! The weather has been gorgeous and I've been lucky to get out and explore a little in between working.

Today has been a day of randomness. First, I drove to Jackson (About 35 miles south of the lodge) to get some groceries and check out the town. On the beautiful drive, I saw several road signs which said "avoid cracked windshields." I thought to myself - don't most drivers strive to avoid cracked windshields always? Also, wouldn't it be helpful to post some strategies on how one might avoid cracked windshields in addition to this general warning? Call me crazy, but it seemed highly random to me! So, I will drive as cautiously as possible now to avoid cracked windshields...

Then at work I was talking to one of our servers who is a lady from California about 35-45 years old. She asked me where I was from, so I replied Iowa. I'm not really sure what to say anymore to that question, so Iowa is what I'm going with. Anyways, she then asked me if that's where Ben and Jerry's is from. I said no, that was from New Hampshire. She then replies, well isn't that close to Iowa? If it wouldn't have caused a scene, I would have fallen to the floor laughing, but alas I did not. I kindly replied that Iowa was in the midwest and not very close to New Hampshire at all. She kind of smiled and quickly moved away from the area we were talking in.

Thus endeth the randomness that is Monday!

Well, I've been here for 5 days now, and I feel pretty settled. I have today and Monday off, and then the madness begins! Because of my job (hostess) I work a lot of split shifts, which is kind of a bummer, but its ok. It gives me a routine and I definitely will have down time to enjoy this beautiful area!

Not much new to report here, but I did want to post some pictures. The first picture is a view of Jenny Lake close to sunset. The other pictures are from Jackson Lake Lodge and my view all day at work...it's rough! :) I'm truly enjoying the downtime and life without much responsibility. Work is pretty easy and I'm starting to get to know the people I work with better.

The Tetons...home sweet home

So, I arrived at Jackson Lake Lodge (http://www.gtlc.com/lodging/jackson-lake-lodge-overview.aspx) this afternoon and I'll be starting work as a hostess in the Mural Room (A fabulous restaurant) here at the JLL as it's referred to by the staff. Wow, I already fit in! :)

The drive across Wyoming was gorgeous. I feel like on part of it (most of it is on 2 lane highway) that I only saw about 10 cars in 3 hours! There really are some vast, open spaces here, but it was gorgeous. A pit-stop in Dubois, WY helped pass the time. I saw a sign for "Large Jackalope exhibit" and had to stop. I went in, and it was truly impressive! It was at least 6.5 feet tall! Even more exciting was the gift emporium that surrounded it! :) I can't tell what was more humerous - the exhibit or the 3 signs outside advertising this exciting exhibit.



Well, I got all checked in, acquired my uniform (elastic waisted black pants - sexy, a tux shirt, tie, and vest). This is going to be a classy look for me. I checked in at the Mural Room where a girl there asked what I would be doing there. I told her I'd be a hostess and she said, "Well, you should reconsider that!" Not exactly sure what that means, but something tells me that it'll be manageable. Especially after living and working with over 500 freshmen!

Then I went over to my room. It's a nice room that I have to myself - thankfully! With a bathroom down the hall. Its simple but cozy. And as soon as I unpack, it'll be even better. Thankfully there isn't much to unpack.

I had dinner in the nice employee dining room and am now hanging out in the lodge watching the sunset and enjoying this gorgeous place!

New beginnings

I've decided to start a blog so that I can share my adventures as I get ready to move overseas to teach English. So, let's just start with a little background information...

I completed my Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate in May and am now certified to teach English as a foreign language. It's a good name for the certificate, don't you think? :) Anyways, my goal is to get a job teaching English somewhere other than the US that starts January 2010. I'd love to end up in Europe to be near family living in Belgium and Germany, however, I'm just excited to get out and try new things and am open to going pretty much anywhere except the Middle East.

You may be wondering what I'm doing now and what I will be doing between now and January. Currently, I'm finishing up my role as an Area Coordinator at the University of Wyoming where I've worked for 3 years. My main responsibility (aside from running the hall and working with the RA staff) is to coordinate our two-week RA training program that occurs in August. So, since I love training so much (this is true - not the typical Suzanne/Q sarcasm), I've decided to stick around to help out with my last training. My last day at UW will be August 24, which is the first day of school here.

On August 25 the adventure begins! I'll be heading to Jackson Lake Lodge in Teton National Park to work as a waitress/hostess/whatever they need me to do. I'll live at the lodge with the rest of the staff. I'm really excited for the change of pace and the opportunity to work with and meet people from all over the world!

My work in the Tetons ends Oct. 5 and then I'll head to CA to run a half-marathon with my best friend, Cate, and hang out a bit. Then I'll head north to Portland and Seattle and my mom will fly out to visit family in Washington. We'll drive back to CA and then head back through Laramie and on to Iowa (hopefully visiting friends along the way) before heading out for my new job.

I'm actively searching for jobs that start in January 2010, however not much is posted at this time. I'm optimistic, and the research I have done has shown me that most jobs are posted 3-4 months before they begin, so there is no need to worry! While my future is uncertain - I do have a plan for the next six months, and I know that whatever occurs after that will be fabulous!

I'm most excited for this new adventure and will keep this site updated as there is more to share! I will also use this once I get to my new location in January...so make sure to bookmark it and come back often!