So..yeah.

Well, despite my best efforts to update my blog about my Provo adventures, in reality, it's not going to happen. I'd like to say that it will, but I would be a liar, and I've got plenty of other not so awesome attributes to work on, so I probably won't be adding that to the list. There's a lot I could say, but it's going to be a lot of blah, so I won't. Let me just quickly fill in some of the things that I've been up to.

I came home from Provo.
People joked about me moving to Provo. There was a lot of eye rolling, and cajoling, and in some aspects, yes..Provo was everything I thought it was going to be. But in a lot of others, it wasn't. It's a great town. It's not a perfect town, but it's a town I learned a lot about living from. I am grateful for Provo. I'm grateful for the good people I met. I loved being with my family and seeing friends who are good for my soul..the kind you don't see for years and when you do it's like you've never been apart. I loved being so close to mountains and trees and green. The mosquitos ate me alive, but other than that, it was good. I remembered who I was (I'd forgotten, sadly enough...), and I met a lot of really cool people. I felt what it feels like to be accepted for me being me (one thing that did surprise me). I hope I brought that feeling home with me.  Could I live permanently in Provo? Perhaps. If the right opportunity presented itself. But it also reminded me that there's no place like home. Thanks, P-town. You will hold a special place in my heart. Always.

I moved to a new part of town.
Living in the hood has proved to be everything I thought it would be..and more. It's especially convenient to my new school (more about that later) and my other new school (also more about that later), and the people are definintely entertaining. I don't know that I'd want to raise my kids in this neighborhood, but since I don't have any, I'm not too worried. My car has already been broken into. I call it the neighbors way of saying "Welcome to the block." The equivalent of being jumped in;)

I started a new school.
I don't think I knew what work was until I started at my new school. I'm a lot out of my element. I'm teaching theater (yikes!), music appreciation and general music. I'm also starting a music therapy-esque program (essentially private lessons), and go out to a treatment center to teach music every day.  Literally every hour of my day is completely different. And I love it. My students are a challenge, but I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else. Some days are really hard. But I love my students. Every one of them. I knew I would. I've always loved them. These guys are different. Mostly because they don't love back..not the way people might think they would. I'm OK with that, though. Some days it's really difficult. I have no idea if I'm making a dent at all...but I'm changing, and I'm a better, more grateful person because of them. My mom made a good point..if I could be a successful teacher here, I could literally teach anywhere. I believe that. Some ideas work, some don't, and they definitely let me know when they don't. I've got some incredible mentors and a lot of support. I literally can't imagine me doing anything else with my life right now.  It's truly amazing what love can do. I just hope they can feel it..even if it's a foreign feeling to  a lot of them. It may not change them, but it's changed me.

I went back to school.
I started my masters in school counseling this semester. I wonder if there's any hope for me. I'm paying the money and showing up for class, so hopefully it all works out. Again..I have no idea what's going to happen with this. Maybe I'll love my job so much I'll never want to leave..but at least I'll have an even better background to do it with. I'm still on the fence about tacking on a few more classes and getting that mental health certificate, but here I am..ready or not! It's a lot of work, but hopefully it will be worth it. It feels weird to be back at UNLV. I was there 10 years ago, and they've made a lot of changes since then. (I  had to ask a girl where the library was!) I'm different too. I'm there to get the info and go. I don't need to make new besties in the program, but I will say this: there are a lot of wonderful and caring people in this program. There is no limit to the good they can do, and I am humbled to be a part of them. I hope I can continue to learn from them and their experiences. It seems the more I listen, the more I understand and love people even more. Also hearing about those experiences, it helps me understand how difficult life is and how horrible people can be. I am (again) so grateful for the family, friends, opportunities and blessings I have.