The letter arrived in my mailbox at work last Wednesday. I had a feeling that I knew what it was, but I had no idea what it would say. With shaking hands, I took it and rushed into the staff room where it was quieter to open it up. It was, indeed, from the school board.
Dear Ms Hillary
This letter will confirm that your request for a Personal Leave of Absence has been granted for the school term 2009 January 01 to and including 2009 June 30...
OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH!!!!
I wanted to jump up and down and yell and scream and dance around and shout, but I was not alone in the staffroom, and really, I'd have looked a little silly (I know, I know, when has that ever stopped me before?). So I called Trudy to tell her the good news, and she jumped up and down and screamed for me. I LOVE that she did that!!! I was pretty much a mess for the rest of the day - WAY to excited to concentrate properly on ANYTHING. (And also? That sucker came FAST. I dropped my application in the inter-district mail system on Friday morning, and it got TO the board, read, approved, and BACK to me by Wednesday lunch time. Woah.)
Ok. So. Do you remember my mystery post a while back about the exciting, thrilling, terrifying, life-changing thing I set in motion? Well, this was it! I'd gotten my leave, which frees me up to do something that's only been rattling around in my head as a kind-of possibility that I never really believed would actually happen. And now it is.
I don't actually have a lot of details to share just yet, because I don't know many myself.
So where am I going in Africa? I don't know yet. With who? Again, don't know. To do what? Also a mystery, though I do have vague ideas. Ok, ok, so I realize you probably all think I'm crazy now for being so sure about such a big thing that isn't even nailed down yet, but the ball is rolling, and quite quickly. It'd better be, because my job gets posted NEXT! WEEK!!!! AAAAAAAAAHHH! I was hoping to have it posted at the end of November or beginning of December - you know, just in case everything falls through! - but nope. It'll be filled probably by mid October and I'll be unemployed as of January (temporarily).
THIS IS REAL!
I'M GOING TO AFRICA!!!!!!!!
HO.LY. SMOKES.
4 comments:
That is SO awesome!!!
Well - all I can say is you better have internet access because I will NOT be cool with no hello-hillary for 6 months. i'm gonna need regular updates.
Great news - which part? Do you have a purpose or traveling for fun and grand enjoyment?
yay you!!!! biggest congrats on such an awesome opportunity - enjoy every last minute of it (whatever those minutes turn out to be!)
and take LOTS of photos!
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