It's been almost six months since my previous blog post but I'm happy to be back sharing a life update on everything that's happened in the last half year! For some context, my partner Dan, and I were living and teaching in Budapest, Hungary from July 2022-the end of June 2023. In just shy of a year, we traveled to more than 18 countries in Europe. The cultural experiences I had are ones I will never forget and am so thankful for. I dearly miss my co-teachers and students as well as the friends I made in Budapest!
With all of that being said, we had the amazing opportunity to relocate from Budapest to Reno, Nevada at the end of July of this year. Dan and I served in the Peace Corps about 4 years ago. The Peace Corps offers Coverdell Fellows Program scholarships for returned Peace Corps volunteers. This is a graduate fellowship program that offers financial assistance to returned Peace Corps volunteers. Around this time last year, Dan was applying to a few different programs across the U.S. We were absolutely thrilled when he was offered a graduate assistanship with a full tuition waiver at the University of Nevada- Reno at the school of journalism.
It was a very easy yes and before we knew it, it was time for me to begin the job search and for us to start looking for a place to live in "The Biggest Little City in the World". I was very fortunate to not be looking for a job for long as I applied to the Washoe County School District and accepted a job in May as a first grade teacher set to start in August of this year.
I went home to be with my family in Arlington Heights, Illinois during the month of July. I even bought my first car as well! Dan and I along with our cat, Nala, set out for a cross-country road trip to move to Reno, Nevada on August 1st. After 3 days in the car, we were so happy to arrive safely at our new apartment in our new home of Reno, Nevada. Once we arrived, I only had a couple days before work started so I jumped in head first.
Work has been going amazingly well for me which I am so grateful for. My first graders are adorable and amaze me everyday. My co-workers particularly the other 3 first grade teachers have been so kind and helpful to me and have made this transition much easier than I could have imagined. I feel very fortunate to be working at a school that values and supports it's teachers. As for Dan and grad school, it's been going very well for him as well and it's hard to believe he is already 1/3 of the way finished. It's been a little over 4 months since moving here and we have been so lucky to have had lots of adventures so far including several trips to Lake Tahoe, visiting Virginia City, Sacramento, and exploring Reno.
Overall, I'm very grateful for this smooth transition and I'm excited to see what the next 4 months of living in Reno bring. Stand by for more regular blog posts!
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