some days allow you to give pause, and notice - hey, I'm happy!  It may have something to do with the 2 hour nap I took (surely, the quickest way to zen).  I am happy.  Big changes are happening in my life, and I'm happy.

I recently had my summer orientation for school, where I sat at a lunch table with fellow students and faculty members.  The discussions haunt me to this day - not that I said anything wrong, just that I could have made a different impression, one that would have hopefully lasted.  One student ask me where I work, and I said at Macys.  I've worked there since I moved to Seattle, in order to pay bills until school started.  There is not a lot of 'academic value' in this job.  Although I am grateful I work at Macys, I failed to mention that I previously worked as a German teacher in Chicago.  And before that, lived in Europe for 3 years teaching ESL to adults and children.  So I left the impression that, I am a denim sales girl who's really excited about going back to school.  I think I botched this opportunity.  Is it the end of the world?  No.  Does it matter that much?  No.  What bothers me, is that I am so concerned about what other people think.  And I would rather be unscripted and natural, instead of always speaking with some strategic notion in mind.  I want people to see me as an asset.  I believe I am an asset.  But I just fail to get that across in person.  I think I need to choose when to speak up and when to be quiet. 

I feel blessed to have this opportunity to express this.  It's every thing I think about, everything I hope for, everything I day dream about - put on 'paper' where I can see it.  That is strangely powerful!

My purpose in life is to connect people through language and culture.  I want to become a foreign language teacher. 

I think you figure out your purpose in life when you find the most unselfish thing that you are passionate about and will do anything to make it a reality – way of life, or career.  That passion for me is foreign languages and teaching them to people.  I love to travel, learn languages and gather experiences to share with others.  The most fulfilling of my travel experiences was traveling to German speaking countries.  I have studied German for 13 years and this country and its people sprung to life when I was able to experience things abroad within a context I understood and could explore in a purposeful manner.  The most amazing thing is to speak to someone in their native language, even when it’s foreign to you, in order to gain unbridled understanding.  While speaking to a German friend or colleague, they would often do the most beautiful thing: they would crinkle their eyes up and blink, as if to non-verbally say, you understand, thank you.  It is often said that it is more important to be understood, than it is to be loved.  I agree.  I believe I can connect people by teaching them the foreign language skills I have.  I know that feeling of triumph when you can communicate with someone in a foreign language, and I always feel so empowered when I observe my students during that learning moment.  I believe people are different and special; learning a foreign language is a vehicle of understanding.

Wanted: a courageous, enthusiastic, open person who would like to expand other peoples’ horizons.  As a cultural ambassador, it is your duty to learn as much from a people and destroy pre-conceived notions and stereotypes.  It is your responsibility to pass these truths down through informal discussions with students and encourage them to experience these lessons on their own.  A cultural ambassador must visit foreign countries and live with the nationals, speak the native language, attend concerts, festivals, political discussions and other gatherings in order to attain invaluable experiences.  No reference guide is required, although language fluency and prior knowledge of the country are invaluable.  This position must be held for a lifetime, since the information will be acquired at a pace that is natural and not forced.    

Do you ever feel like your heart is going to explode?  Like you have so much to give but no where to put it?  This is why I want to teach. 

So this is the beginning of a new journey; I've been accepted into the Master in Teaching - Secondary program so that I can be certified to teach German.  It has taken a year to get to this point, and while I feel all of the benefits from my efforts, I know it's just the beginning of a challenging experience.  My biggest obstacle right now is my finances.  I think that I will find a way, I think the universe has sent me in this direction and I will be provided for.  I'm a big believer in 'The Alchemist' philosphy.  I may get beat up on the way to pyramids, but I will be fulfilling my purpose in life.  I know if I make it through this, there will be rewards in one form or another.  I think you figure out your purpose in life when you find the most unselfish thing that you are passionate about and will do anything to make it a reality.  That's what teaching is to me.  And it's mutually rewarding - that's the best part!