Breaking off.
I follow Christopher Jobson’s Colossal blog on Twitter. Colossal showcases beautiful and ingenuous handmade artworks that always cause my imagination to go into overdrive. His suggestions for visual candy never lead me astray, although when I go to his links, I can often disappear into the web for more time than I care to admit. One of his tweets this week led me to the winner of the “Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary, 2012,” Chasing Ice. As I watched the film trailer, both the verbal and written words reminded me of my own situation of the past week: “The story of a visionary,” “The landscape just changed before our eyes,” “All that obsession means nothing if it doesn’t work,” “This is the memory of a landscape, because that landscape is gone,” and “I do not want to go any lower than this.”
As I suspected might happen after the letting go of last week, this week my calving started and the earth started shaking under my feet.
• Within hours of my blog post last week, three additional friends extended an invitation to move in with them if my house sold. (2 other colleagues had already invited me.) There are amazing people inhabiting the earth.
• My daughter got invited to her first career interview and we talked about how we are both in the same boat of applying and interviewing for jobs.
• Within the first 48 hours of my house being listed on MLS, I had 6 showings. As of this morning, I’ve had 15, which is a lot for a downtrodden economic market. Yesterday I wasn’t able to be at my house all day because of so many showings!
Last Monday morning, I sent an email to my colleagues explaining my resignation and spent that day talking to each class about my decision to resign and why. I told my students that I was interested in other cultures and was curious about how other people lived their lives. I wanted to teach art to other children and discover how they are different and how they are the similar with kids here in the USA. I then showed them this video. After watching it, they applauded and cheered.
On Tuesday, I was surprised by how much weight I’d been carrying around trying to be secretive about the possibility of my leaving. Although my administrators had known about this for some time, I had been holding this dream of mine hostage in my heart for fear if the word got out too soon my students would be hurt and would not put their trust in me. I wanted to wait to tell them I was leaving until the time came that they understood that I loved them and would never forget them.
On Thursday, two amazing things happened.
For some time I haven’t been sleeping well because of having to set my alarm to get up early to Skype interview or because of wanting to check email that I may have received from people around the world who are up working while I’m asleep. At 4:00 a.m. I woke, checked my email and found I had one from a Principal in Istanbul with whom I’d interviewed with last week. I could tell that it sounded promising. My heart was so bruised, however, that I didn’t consider it carefully and fell back to sleep. When I woke to get ready for work, I checked my email again and had a note from the Head of that school offering me a position! After my search of many months, I’m thrilled to report that it appears I’ll be going to Istanbul to teach PYP art at an International Baccalaureate school! Although contracts aren’t yet signed, they will be in the mail this week. Istanbul was on the very top of my list of places to go! I traveled there in 2011 and hopelessly fell in love with Turkey. I couldn’t be more pleased. But the day wasn’t over.
I met some friends after work that I hadn’t seen in many months. We shared stories and they were thrilled at my exciting news! I got back at my home at 9:00 p.m. and before I even took my jacket off, I had a text message from my realtor telling me I had an offer on my house!!! Within an hour, I had sold my house. I told him that I was tempted to stay up all night to see what else might happen! What an exciting day!
Since then, my life has been full of paperwork. But I’m not complaining! My dream is coming true! From my heart I want to thank you, my readers, for pulling for me, praying for me, sending positive vibes my way. In closing, I want to challenge you to let go and reach for your dreams. Anything is possible.
Art Teach Travel 
Hi Anita,
I’m so happy for you about the job in Istanbul. As you can see, I’m a little behind the times. I think that’s a great city and you will love it. Congrats as well on your house selling. As I think I told you, the sale of my condo fell through, so I sold my little motorhome (well, I’m taking payments on it) and moved back to the condo. Grateful to have a roof in any event, until it goes away and I move in with my bestie to spend the summer. It’s exciting and exhausting! Again, congratulations and hope to be in touch soon as we both prepare to go. We should meet up somewhere between Turkey and the UAE next school year FOR SURE! Love, Suzanne
Suzanne!! Thank you for writing! I’m so glad to hear from you! Thank you for all the well-wishes.I wish the very best for you too! I will likely be spending a great deal of the summer in California with my daughter and then moving to Turkey around the first of August. When will you go to UAE? We simply HAVE to meet up! That’s a deal! We’ll compare calendars asap and make some plans. I’d love to come see you!
Congratulations!! Moving to Istanbul sounds amazing and I am very much looking forward to reading all about that! This post was an excellent reminder that I should not give up on my own dreams, even when senior year of college can get so overwhelming! so Thank you and good luck!
Never give up on your own dreams. The yearnings of your heart are put there for a reason. Pay attention to them. Hang in there (and good luck) with your senior year of college. When you are my age, you’ll look back on this time with fond memories.
Congratulations! So thrilling–what a day!! When God shows up, He shows off! Never a dull moment…I keep praying for one! : )
He’s a big show off! ha! That was my first thought… “God, that’s just like you to want all the attention!” 🙂
[…] goodness this week was Spring Break. After accepting a contract to teach in Istanbul, Turkey last week, and then selling my home that same evening, I’ve been involved in many activities. […]
Yay, Anita!!! Awesome, awesome, AWESOME!!!!! Congratulations on…well, ALL the above!!!! Yahoo!!!!!!
Hey, Lori! Thanks a million! Keep me posted on you!
Can’t wait to read your messages from Istanbul. Get my room ready !
I am sooooo excited. It can’t get here soon enough!
Congratulations to you Anita! And to those lucky kids and colleagues waiting for you in Istanbul!
Sweet, Wendy, thank you. You have been such a dear friend and encourager through all this. I admire you so much. You kicked my butt when it needed kickin’. You’ve been a mentor. Thank you. xoxo
Anita, I could not be more happy for you! I had full faith that everything would work out for you. Again, you will be missed and I pray you continue to share your life and adventures with those of us back in the USA. I admire your courage!
Shell-Bell, isn’t it so exciting? Thank you for your faith and your good thoughts. Somehow, someway we have to see each other before June. xoxo
Istanbul!!!!!
You are coming closer. There are many cheap flights between Berlin and Istanbul. I am so thrilled for you (and for me). So exciting, so much love extended from your friends to you.
For a few months I have been working as a consultant for a film set in Istanbul and to visit the city has been a desire of my heart ever since I started the project.
Much love, I am so pleased for you. What a Happy Ending with the promise for a new beginning and what an encouragement for us all!
Claudia
Claudia!!! I am coming closer and yes, I’m aware that there are many chep flights between Berlin and Istanbul. We will definitely be seeing more of each other this next year! Yea!!! I feel the love! How wonderful that you’ve been wanting to visit the city. Now you’ll have your chance! 🙂 Thank you for all your well wishes! xoxo
so wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! praise God! thrilled at your courage and excited for what the future holds for you – big hugs from us both, Val and Mark xxxxxx
Val and Mark!!! I love you guys!! Although I’m still in shock, God IS Good and he completely gave me all the candy I want in the candy shop. I am thrilled!!! Are you going to the conference in England this summer? I can now say that I will be going!!!!
I am so thrilled for you. You set your course and you achieved your goal. You are such an inspiration to all of us and I can’t imagine what a wonderful role model you are for Sophia and your students! Hmmm, is a visit to Istanbul in my future?
J, I wish you were here to celebrate with me! It is definitely a dream come true. Thank you for the encouragement. More than anything, I want to be an inspiration to Sophia. That has always been my number one goal. 🙂 You are not the first to tell me that I am inspiring! I am both humbled by that comment and thrilled by it. Thank you.
Woo Hoo! Timing is everything. God granted you your top wish of countries to follow your dream when the housing market is turning around, and Dallas is experiencing a feeding frenzy of home sales. It is amazing after 4 years of a sluggish market how the market is popping.
I am so excited for you. Istanbul is gorgeous, I hear. I am praising God along with you.
Jane Ann
Jane Ann, I’m still in shock! I cannot how excited I am. Even if the house contract is broken, for whatever reason, I feel confident my house will sell, which I really didn’t know. Istanbul IS MAJOR gorgeous! This is a dream come true.