No great picture with this one, but I wanted to drop a few words about life in general for me now, and how I've gotten to this point since I left Longwood back in 2000.
I taught for a year in Fredericksburg at Walker Grant Middle School (6th grade science). It's actually kind of depressing because many of the students I taught that year are graduating from high school... I don't like feeling old. After a year there, I packed my bags and headed west, landing eventually in the suburbs of Seattle (almost as west as I could get in a two seater MR2).
I taught 8th grade math for a year out there getting burned out on teaching in general, like most teachers. I made some great friends while I was teaching there and still have moments when they're greatly missed. During that first year, I built a house and had thoughts of staying there for good. The northwest is definitley one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, and if you ever get the chance to visit in the summer jump on it. (The winter sucks with all the rain, but the summers are about as perfect weather as you can get). I got a job working at Best Buy after leaving school and proceeded to have every piece of my geeky side flourish. It was a great place to work, with 3 great friends that will never be forgotten. Ward, Dean, and Tristan.. I miss ya guys, especially the D&D sessions and movie premiers.
While I was out getting my head on straight the two most important things that have ever happened to me came to fruition. I finally got a full grasp on my faith as a Christian, really coming to believe and learn what it means to be a Christian, and to live my life as one. I still consider myself a Catholic at heart, (and always will despite the many obvious conflicts I have with the Catholic Church), but to fully grasp, believe, and start to understand what being a Christian is all about was/is life changing.
The second was winning back the love of my life, Lindsay Herl (Sutton now!). She and I had dated off and on during my year of teaching in Fredericksburg. To call the relationship tumultous is certainly an understatement. We broke up when I left (because I was a world class idiot), and it took me about a year to realize just how stupid I was. It took a couple of years of begging, pleading, and more than anything else, honesty to win her heart back to me. She took me back, and after 3 years I finally left Seattle and headed home to Viriginia in the summer of 04 with a transfer through Best Buy.
I won't bore you with the details, but I do want to give a very special thanks once more the Solloms and the Broadhursts for being second families for me when I needed them the most... especially a bed and sofa to crash on while rebuilding my life once more.
I got out of Best Buy that summer, and began teaching again. Teaching at AG Wright Middle School. I'm now teaching 7th grade Math in the exact same classroom I took 7th grade math as a student, with my 7th grade math teacher just down the hall from me. How weird is that? Lindsay and I got engaged in December of 2004, and were married December 10, 2005. We lived in small apartment for a year while our house was built down in Locust Grove. (no kids yet.. but hopefully won't be too much longer)
And so, there ya go. That pretty well sums of the last 7 years or so of my life. There were a lot of laughs, (and a few tears), along the way, but I've loved every minute of it. I hope to hear from everyone and rebuild old friendships and share and hear the stories of how everyone else is.
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