I just got the bill for my domain name and website hosting stuff and decided that if I don’t start posting I have to close it down. I am pretty out of practice with posting so bear with me while I try to get the hang of stuff again!

If you follow me on Instagram you probably know that we have been in Egypt since August 2020. How did I go from loving Indonesia in my last post to teaching in Egypt a few months later? Covid. Yep, I remember my principal and the CDC saying that it is simply like another flu, but nobody could have predicted how drastically it would change all of our lives. 

My school in Indonesia lost about 30% of the students due to everyone moving back to their home countries. We thought we were just going online and teaching asynchronously for a few weeks.  Online learning went well with students participating in my class from Canada, the USA, China, South Korea, and Indonesia while I taught from my brother’s basement in WA State. However, once families realized that online learning was likely going to continue for the entire 2020-2021 school year they started leaving left and right. The class that I was supposed to get had already been small with only about 10 students, but once Covid hit the numbers dropped to 4. So the PYP coordinator/third-grade teacher ended up getting a 2/3 split to lead and I ended up getting laid off 10 days before school was supposed to start! Luckily for me, I always had a list of places I was wishing I could work at one day and a professional network to tap. 

Within 3 hours of getting laid off, I had applied to a position I saw advertised in one of my favorite international teacher Facebook groups. It was at Schutz American School and I knew as soon as I saw the name that I was perfect for it. I had applied once or twice earlier in my career and was told to apply again once I had more experience.  When I learned that the school was a Candidate PYP school and that they needed a 2^nd Grade PYP teacher, I knew I would get it because that is exactly what I had been teaching for the past two years. 

Soon I was interviewed via Zoom with the elementary and vice principals and then I spoke on the phone with the director who offered me the job a few days later. Then, within 2 weeks I had sold my minivan, the furniture I had 9made for my son and me from local hardwood (bye cute house-bed and roomy rocking chair!), and given away most of our possessions that had previously filled my wonderful 3 bedroom, 2 bath apartment, and flew directly to Egypt!

Moving during a pandemic is not for the faint of heart. All of the teachers hired alongside me were very experienced which is thankful because there was no real orientation. No trips to local restaurants or historical sites. We went from quarantining in Indonesia to another campus quarantine since we moved on campus in Egypt. Thankfully, our campus is basically like a little country club with a small pool, gym, soccer field, basketball court, volleyball court, and two playgrounds. My son and I are still happy to stay on campus even after living here for about a year and a half so far!

I’m so lucky that I was able to get a great job that I love!

I hope I can start updating here more regularly too!