20,000 Hits?! .. and still no further in the process... Sigh

I've been watching my ticker lately and it's been creeping up ever so slowly. Today it finally reached 20,000 hits! Wow! When I started this blog, it was just for my close friends and family. But now, almost two years later most friends and family don't even check in. I know my mom checks it every once and awhile but no one else in my family reads it. Maybe a few friends read it but mostly it's folks whom I have never met; really nice and supportive people all over the world. Who knew it was going to blossom into such an obsession wonderful way to connect with other PAPs and APs! I love my blog! It makes me happy.

This time last year I was debating about going overseas and ultimately decided to do it before adoption. It was strange to go back and read those old posts and really discouraging to feel that in many ways I am in the exact same place. I didn't get to move overseas this year but I didn't get my baby either! In fact, I am doing the exact same thing - trying to complete my homestudy. (grrr) For the past several weeks two of my good friends, Hattie and Tracy, have been calling me every night to talk overseas jobs.

Hattie taught in Brussels and right outside of London for a total of five years abroad and she swears by overseas teaching:

"Laura, you'd love teaching abroad!"
"Your colleagues will be interesting and well traveled."
"You won't have behavior problems."
"You can travel the world and still save tons of money."
"Come on! Let's go together!"


Tracy has never taught overseas and is more practical in her approach but also has a good angle.

"You know you've always wanted to teach overseas."
"You don't want to be in the exact same spot next year wishing you had done it."
"Do it now before you adopt--it'll be so much easier."
"C'mon! Let's go!"


Hattie:

"You know childcare is so much more affordable overseas."
"You could afford a live in nanny!"
"There are so many more men your type in that type of setting... other men who love to travel."
"You could meet someone in the diplomatic core or in international development."
"We could share an apartment to save even more money!"
"Come on! Let's go together!"


Tracy:

"Your whole adoption could be paid for in one year!"
"Imagine being able to pay off any remaining debt!"
"Go now before you get settled into a routine here with your child."
"You can even rent your house out and make even more money."
"C'mon! Let's go!"

Dang.
They are both right.
I want to go.
But I can not adopt from overseas. I already tried that. Didn't work.
But this time of year is so difficult because it's job fair season. The wanderlust in me gets all worked up and I foam at the mouth thinking of the exciting life I could have if I lived abroad. And the crazy thing is, I already have lived abroad more than many people I know so you would think I'd be satisfied (a year in Nigeria, seven months in France, ten months in St. Thomas,USVI) but sadly I am not. I still want to go.

I wanna, I wanna, I wanna!

I thrive off of experiencing new lands, traveling to parts unknown, learning about new cultures, trying new foods, living an amazing life. And right now things just don't seem all that amazing. They are downright humdrum at times.

So as I work on seemingly never-ending adoption paperwork I pray that my child will arrive in 2009 so I have the option of attending the job fair in February 2010. Will I want to go next year, once I am a parent? I don't know. But living a remarkably life is so important to me so right now I trying hard to suppress the urge to run off...

A few pictures from Senegal, Dubai and Ethiopia...







I miss you big world! But I will see more of you at some point, I guess...

On a happier note, how 'bout The Bachelor?! Last night was so good! He's cute. I think he's really feeling the ex-cheerleader and the hot dog girl. I like Sophia's mom (the one he has the date with next week) but I think she's too serious and mature for him. He seems to like the happy go lucky ones without any baggage. The light and breezy type who Sophia's mom most definitely is not. I also think it''s high time he axed the lacrosse coach. She is so negative and has a major chip on her shoulder. Right?!