2 posts tagged “transition”

Man, I hate that song.

This first week at MTC couldn't have gone better.  Well, maybe I could have gotten into my apartment with the first, or second...or third set of keys that was issued me.  Or, perhaps the weather could have been a little more mild.  There will always be little things like that, but really, this week has been awesome.

As I mentioned earlier, I am really anxious and nervous about what is to come in this journey.  I still very much am.  I also mentioned that I have never felt less prepared for such a major transition as I did when I was coming out to Mississippi.  I no longer feel that way, thanks mostly to the other people in MTC.  I am very pleasantly surprised, and, to be honest, inspired by the feeling of comfort and welcome that nearly every single participant and staff member promotes.  My experiences with fellow first years have been altogether pleasant, friendly, and much more comfortable than should be expected when first meeting someone.  Justin said it well in his blog that the awkwardness of college orientation is lacking in this experience and making friends and enjoying myself with this group has been almost effortless.  The second years have already been infinitely helpful, never tiring of my many questions about everything from "What kind of food do they have here?" to "What made you decide to return for a second year?"  I really appreciate their candor and honesty, especially when relating the darker, more difficult part of the journey of a first year teacher to me.  I have tried to learn all that I can from them and will continue to.  As far as I'm concerned, they are a wealth of knowledge, and a good time, too.  They have contributed a great deal to my nearly seamless transition from college student to MTC participant.  All of the second years have been great, but I take a lot of comfort in knowing that I will have a really good group of them in Jackson to continue to lean on for support in the coming year.  I am thankful for that.

I am also pleasantly surprised about my overall feelings about Mississippi.  Coming from a beach town in Southern California and having never been in the South basically translated to my knowledge of the South consisting of stereotypes.  That being said, I didn't expect all of those stereotypes to be true.  Regardless of my preconceived notions, and despite the heat and humidity, I really like it so far.  The Ole Miss campus is beautiful, as is the surrounding area, and Oxford is a nice little town, from what I've seen.  I'm anxious to go down to Jackson to get a taste for where I'll be spending the bulk of my time in the next two years.  The next Two Years.  I hope they're as smooth and enjoyable as this last week!  No, that is unrealistic, but I do hope they are as rewarding.

***I am a terrible blogger.  Well, I have never blogged, but I see myself being a terrible blogger.  I am an introspective person in that I think about all kinds of things all the time, but its usually confined to my inner monologue.  On the other hand I don't have a problem discussing most things with people, but I'm afraid the problem will come when I must transform the web of thoughts and feelings that are going on inside into a coherent set of thoughts that others can read and understand.  I'll try my best.***

I am very nervous.  As people asked me about how I felt about coming down to Mississippi in the last few days while I was home, I realized that I have never felt less ready for a major life transition than I do for this one.  Starting high school and going out of state for college were big deals, but I was definitely ready for those.  I felt neither physically, mentally, or emotionally ready to start MTC.  The good news is, since being here it hasn't been as bad as I anticipated.  In other words, I'm still very anxious about my first teaching experience and being successful, but I am starting to feel like I will do ok.  I'm not convinced of much more than that at this point, but I think I'm getting more confident.  Oh well, fake it till you make it.