Updates

So it has been QUITE awhile since I've blogged... almost a month actually. I left off after I had accepted the position to teach first grade, right before I flew out here for a training. I secured my casita, and ended up having it and a rental car for the 5 days I was there for the training.
I have flown about 40 times in my life, most of them alone, and had the worst experience EVER flying from Indy to Albuquerque the night before my training. I was in the midst of the packing and the moving shenanigans, and so I was already fried from that... I had decided to rent a car from Budget, then found out the morning of my flight in ITTY BITTY TEENY print that I would have to have a major credit card in order to rent from them. I would have been screwed if I wouldn't have seen that. So I had to call around, yell at Budget, and finally found another rental car company to accomodate me. (for $100 more). They were open until "11:59" p.m., but my flight into Albuquerque was supposed to get in at 10:38 that night, so I knew I'd be fine.
You can imagine my distress upon flying into Denver (flight which was delayed 30 min due to a broken lavatory) to find that my Albuquerque flight was delayed and would not land until 11:42. So what did I do? I start balling. In the middle of the ginormous, maze-like Denver airport, I am a 28 year old woman on a "business trip" haha walking around sobbing. And what did I do next of course? What any logical, practical, professional 28 year old moving across the country would do- call Daddy. his advice? stop crying, and call the rental place. So i did, and they were so very helpful, telling me "well, we close at 11:59, so if you get here before then, you'll be fine," to which I repeated, "yes well i need the car for a work training, and my flight has been delayed so I'm wondering what to do" to which she responded, "well we close at 11:59" to which I (with my little attitude) responded "Okay well then perhaps you can advise me on whether to cancel my reservation with you since you are unwilling to give me any other suggestions, as a flight delay is certainly out of my control." and she responded (such a helpful woman) with "well, we open at 6 a.m.  tomorrow." I ended our conversation, got ahold of myself, and went up to the terminal, explaining to the airline person my situation. she fumbled around on the keyboard making various "ummm" and "noooo" and "welll..." sounds while rubbing her chin, then finally said "ok, i can get you there on time, but you have to run." I was crouched down in a sprint position, asking her "where to?" when she told me it actually wasn't leaving for an hour, but it was a charter flight on another airline that she could get me on, which would get me into albuquerque around 11:10. I wanted to leap over the counter and hug her but figured a gracious "thankyousomuch" would be sufficient as I still had to quickly walk about 3/4 mile to the next gate (that airport is BIG).
Lindsey was onstandby to come get me in albuquerque at midnight, then get me back to pick up the stupid rental car and yell at the people at 6 a.m. Thankfully, I got in at 11:10, went and got my rental car (which was a blue nissan sentra, a nissan version of the car I already drive, that cost me nearly 100 dollars more than my monthly car payment I had already paid to drive for 5 days) then drove back to the airport for short-term parking, just in time for my other flight to land (which had my checked bag) and claim my bag, then begin the 50 minute commute at midnight from albuquerque to my little casita in La Cienega.
What kept me most alert during this unfamiliar midnight drive through the desert was counting the mile markers (there was a new one, one more, for every mile I had traveled.) when I arrived to my casita, all was pitch black and as I was unloading at 1 a.m., I heard a shuffling in the "brush", but quickly was able to identify that it was probably an animal shifting in its sleep, rather than a criminal waiting for the next unassuming girl to pull into the 1/4 mile long gravel driveway on a road that is nearly isolated. I got into the casita, and laid down, since I had to be up at 6:20 for my training. Of course, I laid there from 1-2, hearing the various sounds of the desert, including a plant scraping against the screen of my bedroom window... trying to keep my wild imagination at bay. Finally, after listening to this plant play music on my screen, I (very un-Andie-like) got up and shut the stupid window. ha! I must be becoming a grown-up! I slept 4 hours and woke before my alarm, not wanting to be late for my first day of training, especially considering I was 10 minutes late to the interview that got me the job.
a little about the rest of that week- I finally got to meet my principal, who is caring, kind, laid-back, and amazing, and my coworkers, who have immediately taken me in and made me feel completely at-home in every way. The training was beneficial, despite one teacher who was particularly... difficult... but my partner and I had fun conducting all of the science experiments that went along with the new series, and laughing and whispering :) Friday night Lindsey and I attempted a "slumber party" which quickly became an epic fail when 3 of the 4 dogs were awake all night barking, and at 4 a.m. Lindsey drove us back to her apartment in santa fe. I got to sleep in zach's bed though, and in the middle of the night he leaned over and put his arms around my shoulders and cuddled. so I was ok with it :)
The flight back to Indy had no unexpected events, just some incredibly annoying passengers who invaded my personal space constantly. (I think I was just REALLY sick of flying). At the baggage claim, people were standing around crowding the assembly belt, yet not even looking for their luggage. I was so fried at that time that I think it was an act of God that my luggage came out so soon, so that i did not shout at those people who had all the time in the world at 11 pm on a Saturday night waiting at a packed baggage claim.
More to come...