How it all came about. I have wanted to travel my whole life, I love to learn about other cultures, that has been limited to meeting people and the internet.

A few years ago my cousin Alec and his wife Nicole went to teach in Korea.  What a great experience, living in another culture and teaching I thought, "WOW, that would be amazing." Travel has always been out of my reach I don't feel comfortable with the idea of traveling alone.

A little over a  year ago I really started to think about it. It would be the perfect situation I would get to continue to teach. I would get to travel and experience the world. I would be with others who want to travel and we could go as a group. I contacted Nicole to find out what program they used. Then I didn't do much. Last summer I contacted my principal to let him know I was going to look into it. Then I did nothing. I finally signed up and got started in October then again I did nothing. I would go and look on the website every once in awhile but really didn't do much. Then I finally decided I was going to really do it, I posted my resume on the website and looked at going to the job fair in San Francisco in February.

I finally applied to 17 Elementary positions in 15 different countries. Just a few of the countries were: Italy, Brazil, Peru, Albania, Egypt & Mexico. I had all ready decided I wasn't going to the Middle East. I have been praying a lot to find out where Heaven;y Father wanted me to go. I went to the temple with the question where should I go in my mind. A few days before I left to go to the job fair I got messages from a school in Qatar & a couple on Saudi Arabia. I called my friend and asked if her husband could give me a blessing. After the blessing I felt at peace and ready for my adventure. 

I left for San Francisco right after school on Thursday the 12th. I flew out of Idaho Falls and got to Salt Lake City with a 3 hour lay over ahead of me. An hour before my flight was suppose to leave the flight was delayed for another hour. Needless to say I really wasn't excited about it. Finally boarded my flight to SFO; right before take off the captain come on the speaker and announced that the reason for the delay was that President Obama was flying in to San Francisco and that was why we were delayed. Once we got to San Francisco  (It was almost midnight California time 1:00 Idaho time) we taxied past Airforce One. It was very cool to see it. I got my luggage found my shuttle (it took forever it seemed) and got to  my hotel.

Friday the 13th got up and ready to go. The plan for the day was to get checked in at the conference and to go to school presentations and information sessions. I checked my mailbox that was set up for schools to contact me. I had notes from 2 schools in Saudi Arabia, 1 in Kuwait, 1 in Egypt, 1 from the United Arabs Emirates & 1 from Albania. I made it to the 1st one I wanted to visit at 10:30 in Saudi Arabia, it looked like an amazing school and I was interested in it.I talked to a lady named Karen and we set up an interview for 12:30. I went to the next one I wanted to in Kuwait. I was impressed with the recruiter video and for the information I was learning. I talked to David the presenter and set up a time for an interview at 2:00. This was all done by11:30am. I went to an information session and then went to my interview at 12:30. The interview was great I felt like it went really well. She said that she wanted to offer me a position at her school in either Kindergarten or 1st grade & would have her HR person email me a formal offer. I was amazed. I have had a lot of interviews in my life but I have never left an interview and felt that good about it.  I went back to my hotel room to get ready for the next interview. My next interview was with David & Kaher with AIS in Kuwait. This interview was amazing it went great and I felt peaceful and able to ask any questions that popped into my head. I was offered the job on the spot, they printed up a contract and benefits and should me they could offer me. Then I was given 24 hours to think about it. Well I didn't make it to any more school presentations I went back to my hotel room and got on the internet and started to research the 2 schools I had interviewed with. By this time I was exhausted and took a nap. I had orientation at 6:00, went to Orientation and they gave me a whole new set of questions to ask and research.  I headed back to my room and did more research and emailed David to ask for a follow up meeting before I answer.

Saturday the 14th was sign up for interview and interview day. This was kind of crazy. I set up interviews with the other schools, before my follow up with David, that had left me notes.
Went to the interviews and they were all great. It was amazing to feel so great after leaving an interview and with job offers. Then it was time for my follow up. I had a list of questions and a decision to make. The follow up was great I learned lots and again felt very peaceful and calm. I decided that this is where I needed to go and signed the contract. After signing I felt like I was floating I was so excited so I started texting family, friends and my principal.
I had 2 more interviews and I canceled those and relaxed the rest of the weekend. The funniest thing was that a Cannabis convention had come into the hotel. I had lunch with David & Kaher on Sunday. On Monday my friend Monica & her kids picked me up and we had lunch and went to a wax museum, I had never been to one before it was lots of fun!

That is how I decided to move to Kuwait to teach for 2 years.