Before you read this post, you need to open up a new tab and pull up this website:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5NcXMBacRc
At first you will think, "Whaaaa--???" But I promise, this has a point.
You see, I am moving, yes MOVING, to India. And this is the song that comes to mind when I say the words "moving" and my beloved "India" in the same sentence. So, while you read this post, sing along with that wonderful falsetto: "Marla is moooviing, mo-ooh-ooh-oo-ooving off to Indiiiiaaaa."
Anyways, yeah. So this is happening.
I'll just say it's a "God-thing" because this time last week, I was totally planning on moving to Boston or Indianapolis or Florida or wherever I could get a hospital-based pediatric job in America.
I even laughed at Grandma at the after-graduation dinner when she suggested that I go to India now instead of waiting a couple years. I mean...Grandma? The person who is least likely to want any of her grandchildren away-in-a-foreign-land-Grandma??? Well, I guess God must have been preparing her in ways I didn't know about, because I am still unable to get over this shock.
Over the past month, I had applied to a few jobs--only five, as I didn't want to waste money on fancy paper and mailing for jobs I didn't even really care about. No hits, because, for the type of job I want, anyone with any experience and more than one limb is going to win in a competition with me. So, I just kind of told God that I was going to keep looking, but I wasn't going to stress about it because I didn't even know what part of the country he wanted me in. I asked him just to lay something before me that made me go, "Oh! yeah, that's what I'm supposed to do." (All the while praying of course that this did not involve the town of Lebanon).
And so I halfheartedly continued the search in America, just waiting for something to land in my lap. Well, then last week, I started thinking that since I was going to be in India already this summer, and it wasn't appearing that I was going to have a job to come back to right away, mayyybe I should just consider staying in India longer. Job-wise and employment visa-wise, it just wasn't going to work out, but maybe I could contrive some deal where I volunteer somewhere and get room and board cheap or something in exchange?
Looking at NGO's was just as frustrating as most don't have updated or existing websites, and the others, well, it's just hard to tell if they are legitimate or not. I emailed Sarah, the director of SCH where I worked last summer, to ask if she had any recommendations of other places in the North, where I could maybe use my terrible hindi instead of starting over on ANOTHER language.
Then my dreams came true! Sarah mentioned that a new home in Hyderabad (city where hindi can be sort-of used) is in the works, and what did I think? Well, long story short, I am going to Hyderabad for my volunteer-based, no-salary job! :) And I am thoroughly happy and confident about my "very first real OT job" even if it's nowhere near the $50-60k, studio-apartment-living, gym-membership-having life I had previously expected.
The details: I will stay in India after going to Ethiopia with the Segebarths. I'm in the process of selling my car, my GPS, my Chi, my racquetball racquets, textbooks, etc. which is kind of making the whole "sell (almost) everything" concept seem weirdly real. Money-wise: That's going to be an adventure of its own, but I'm just trusting that God will provide through odd jobs/opportunities and a well learned frugality from Mom & Dad. I'm hoping to find American/NRI families who might want an English tutor, help homeschooling, OT services, etc. to help pay the bills. We'll see! Housing-wise, I have contacted various people I know who are from HYD or near there, and will hopefully be able to come up with something significantly cheap.
My realistic expectations: Getting lice and permanent tanlines, loving on my baby girl and prince charming, regretting my Delhi belly, holding and caring for beautiful children as our sweat glands pour out love, learning a lot as an OT, living with very little, being a "paying guest" with a family or sharing a 2 room apartment with 4 Indian new professionals, growing closer to God, not having reliable internet, occasionally carrying pepper spray with me, eating way too much rice, loving my life, missing home and my nieces/nephews, improving my bargaining skills, hopefully learning a little more hindi in addition to Telugu, and falling in love with India and my many new-to-be-met babies and children.
What will actually happen? No idea. This time last week, I didn't even know I was going to be living there.
--Oh, sidenote: I'm also completely terrified. But that's normal, right? :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5NcXMBacRc
At first you will think, "Whaaaa--???" But I promise, this has a point.
You see, I am moving, yes MOVING, to India. And this is the song that comes to mind when I say the words "moving" and my beloved "India" in the same sentence. So, while you read this post, sing along with that wonderful falsetto: "Marla is moooviing, mo-ooh-ooh-oo-ooving off to Indiiiiaaaa."
Anyways, yeah. So this is happening.
I'll just say it's a "God-thing" because this time last week, I was totally planning on moving to Boston or Indianapolis or Florida or wherever I could get a hospital-based pediatric job in America.
I even laughed at Grandma at the after-graduation dinner when she suggested that I go to India now instead of waiting a couple years. I mean...Grandma? The person who is least likely to want any of her grandchildren away-in-a-foreign-land-Grandma??? Well, I guess God must have been preparing her in ways I didn't know about, because I am still unable to get over this shock.
Over the past month, I had applied to a few jobs--only five, as I didn't want to waste money on fancy paper and mailing for jobs I didn't even really care about. No hits, because, for the type of job I want, anyone with any experience and more than one limb is going to win in a competition with me. So, I just kind of told God that I was going to keep looking, but I wasn't going to stress about it because I didn't even know what part of the country he wanted me in. I asked him just to lay something before me that made me go, "Oh! yeah, that's what I'm supposed to do." (All the while praying of course that this did not involve the town of Lebanon).
And so I halfheartedly continued the search in America, just waiting for something to land in my lap. Well, then last week, I started thinking that since I was going to be in India already this summer, and it wasn't appearing that I was going to have a job to come back to right away, mayyybe I should just consider staying in India longer. Job-wise and employment visa-wise, it just wasn't going to work out, but maybe I could contrive some deal where I volunteer somewhere and get room and board cheap or something in exchange?
Looking at NGO's was just as frustrating as most don't have updated or existing websites, and the others, well, it's just hard to tell if they are legitimate or not. I emailed Sarah, the director of SCH where I worked last summer, to ask if she had any recommendations of other places in the North, where I could maybe use my terrible hindi instead of starting over on ANOTHER language.
Then my dreams came true! Sarah mentioned that a new home in Hyderabad (city where hindi can be sort-of used) is in the works, and what did I think? Well, long story short, I am going to Hyderabad for my volunteer-based, no-salary job! :) And I am thoroughly happy and confident about my "very first real OT job" even if it's nowhere near the $50-60k, studio-apartment-living, gym-membership-having life I had previously expected.
The details: I will stay in India after going to Ethiopia with the Segebarths. I'm in the process of selling my car, my GPS, my Chi, my racquetball racquets, textbooks, etc. which is kind of making the whole "sell (almost) everything" concept seem weirdly real. Money-wise: That's going to be an adventure of its own, but I'm just trusting that God will provide through odd jobs/opportunities and a well learned frugality from Mom & Dad. I'm hoping to find American/NRI families who might want an English tutor, help homeschooling, OT services, etc. to help pay the bills. We'll see! Housing-wise, I have contacted various people I know who are from HYD or near there, and will hopefully be able to come up with something significantly cheap.
My realistic expectations: Getting lice and permanent tanlines, loving on my baby girl and prince charming, regretting my Delhi belly, holding and caring for beautiful children as our sweat glands pour out love, learning a lot as an OT, living with very little, being a "paying guest" with a family or sharing a 2 room apartment with 4 Indian new professionals, growing closer to God, not having reliable internet, occasionally carrying pepper spray with me, eating way too much rice, loving my life, missing home and my nieces/nephews, improving my bargaining skills, hopefully learning a little more hindi in addition to Telugu, and falling in love with India and my many new-to-be-met babies and children.
What will actually happen? No idea. This time last week, I didn't even know I was going to be living there.
--Oh, sidenote: I'm also completely terrified. But that's normal, right? :)
