Yes, it's true, I have finally gotten around to writing a new blog. I know it's been ages, but it's been a busy year! I decided last fall that it was time for me to explore another new country. Thus began a nearly year-long search for a job, one that ended with me living in Santo Domingo, capital city of the Dominican Republic. The spring was busy, and it was very hard to leave my friends and lovely students 
behind me in Istanbul. After three years at Robert College it had very much become my home, complete with a surrogate husband for handywork and football games (thanks Cenk!) and surrogate nieces/nephews/siblings from three families. My reasons for leaving were somewhat vague; basically I just knew there was more of the world for me to see and I wanted to get busy exploring.
For a few months it looked like I would end up in Moscow, but the school there rescinded their offer, claiming they had decided they only needed three teachers rather than the four they had hired. I guess I just wasn't meant to have a real winter this year!
So I started a frenzied search for a job, thinking I was destined for a year of substitute teaching. Then a school I had contacted back in April got in touch; they'd suddenly had their English department head leave and needed someone immediately! I jumped at the chance, was hired on 
a Monday, and by that Saturday morning was on a plane to the Dominican Republic. After a nice, lazy summer at home with friends and family, the sudden return to work was quite a shock. It still is. I was having plenty of fun hanging out at my parents' new lake home (it really doesn't qualify as a cabin), catching up with old friends, and catching a tan. But since the school had already started two days before my arrival, there was no choice but to jump right in and get to work. Since then, I've been working more or less non-stop at my two jobs (department head and 
teacher of 7th and 12th grade English classes), with a few breaks in between to spend time with my new friends and temporary neighbors. Yes, temporary-I'm supposed to be moving into my own place, but due to a series of mishaps have spent the past three-plus weeks squatting at the apartment of one of the other English teachers, Angie.
It's been interesting, getting to know the local flora and fauna (think giant black scary moths, flying cockroaches, cute little green lizards, and beautiful tropical flowers...with bees), making new friends, learning some Spanish (although it's kind of hard because the Spanish spoken here is very different from anywhere else), and just generally getting settled. I'm sure I'll have more to say once I've made it out around town more. So far I've only been to two real local restaurants, a grocery store, a bakery, and a couple of malls, so I don't have much to say...except: it's HOT here!
a Monday, and by that Saturday morning was on a plane to the Dominican Republic. After a nice, lazy summer at home with friends and family, the sudden return to work was quite a shock. It still is. I was having plenty of fun hanging out at my parents' new lake home (it really doesn't qualify as a cabin), catching up with old friends, and catching a tan. But since the school had already started two days before my arrival, there was no choice but to jump right in and get to work. Since then, I've been working more or less non-stop at my two jobs (department head and 
teacher of 7th and 12th grade English classes), with a few breaks in between to spend time with my new friends and temporary neighbors. Yes, temporary-I'm supposed to be moving into my own place, but due to a series of mishaps have spent the past three-plus weeks squatting at the apartment of one of the other English teachers, Angie.
It's been interesting, getting to know the local flora and fauna (think giant black scary moths, flying cockroaches, cute little green lizards, and beautiful tropical flowers...with bees), making new friends, learning some Spanish (although it's kind of hard because the Spanish spoken here is very different from anywhere else), and just generally getting settled. I'm sure I'll have more to say once I've made it out around town more. So far I've only been to two real local restaurants, a grocery store, a bakery, and a couple of malls, so I don't have much to say...except: it's HOT here!