Big news

After two and a half years in my apartment in West Chester, I moved into a townhouse in Wilmington. And ((ducking so those of you who know my history don't smack me)) it's a roommate situation. Well, technically, a housemate situation. Yes, I know I've lived with some real crazies, but I have my reasons for taking the plunge.

1. The immediate benefit will be a short commute. I'll go from spending over an hour in the car everyday to less than four miles each direction. Excellent.

2. The next benefit will be saving on rent. It'll be great to be spending a few hundred dollars less each month while gaining benefits like convenient laundry and a TV with DVR.

3. I got to sell my stuff. I spent the last few weeks selling all my furniture and electronics, save for my bed and alarm clock. My ING online savings account is growing by leaps and bounds.

Why, oh, why am I giving up my apartment, stockpiling money, and selling off all my stuff??

Dum dum dum dummmmm ....

I'm moving to Chile!

Here's the short version: In February, I'm embarking on a year-long program in Chile with an organization called WorldTeach. It's a non-profit that places volunteer teachers in under-served schools abroad, which wouldn't otherwise have access to a native speaker. I'll be living with a host family, teaching English classes at the equivalent of a community college, making next-to-nothing, and hopefully learning Spanish very quickly!

And here's the short version of why: I've been a volunteer English tutor since earlier this year and LOVE it. Seriously, I worry that I'm getting more out of it than my students are. Then I spent the time in Ecuador and LOVED it. This lead to a BFO (blinding flash of the obvious): Why don't I find a way to LOVE what I do every day? A little research, an application, and some impatient waiting later ... and I've sold all my stuff and am moving into a house share in Wilmington as I prepare for my biggest adventure yet.

Bring it on!