Telling My Story: Part 1

My new favorite tagline that I pass on to graduating seniors is: Live your story. This year, I want to help my students become better writers by exploring their own stories. To prepare, I think it's a good exercise for me to do this myself. Without further ado, here is my story.
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I was 17 years old, turning 18, and full of dreams and ambitions when we packed the rented van full of my personal belongings in preparation for the 21 hour drive to Point Lookout, Missouri. I already had a full year of college behind me, as I had taken classes at the local community college.

At 17, my dreams were solid. I knew what my path was going to look like. I was going to be an elementary teacher. I was going to finish college as quickly as possible and head to Hungary to teach English. Why would I do anything else? The two summers before I left for Missouri I taught at an English camp in Szeged, Hungary. I loved the people, the culture, and the city. Everything was perfect.

Me (front, center in the green shirt) with my team and students, the first week of English camp in Szeged, Hungary.

Except... it wasn't. I wanted to stay in Hungary. I didn't want to come home. I willed there to be some way for the plane to turn around and head back to Europe. It didn't. I had to face the reality that there was work to do before I could return.

So a month after arriving home, I was on my way to a part of the country as unfamiliar to me as Antarctica. The school I chose, College of the Ozarks, appealed to me because of its work-study program. All tuition is covered by students working on campus at various job sites for 10 or so hours a week. I loved the idea of exiting college debt-free, ready to do anything and go anywhere.

I got to campus a day or two after orientation began, due to a scheduling conflict at home. All incoming freshman and transfer students were put into "families" with an upperclassman Mom & Pop. I can't remember how big my family was - maybe about 10 people or so? I felt awkward coming in to a situation where everyone had already met and formed bonds. I was the odd one out. But then, everything changed that night in the cafeteria.

To Be Continued...