shabbyblog

Monday, April 18, 2011

Nashville on the horizon

So here's the skinny:

Josh and I have been working really hard these past 4 or 5 months since the shock of the wedding and holidays wore off and we have been planning to move. We have paid off two lines of debt and all we have left are one student loan and the car. We were considering waiting until we at least got the loan paid off to move, but why? Our payments are manageable right now and we aren't getting any younger. Besides, we are kinda at a financial dead end in Hattiesburg. We are stuck in part-time jobs, I can't for the life of me find a full-time position, and moreover, I have no idea what my long-term career will be. I need to get my feet wet and learn HOW to work full-time. I'm really looking forward to it though.

I'm starting to consider ESL (English as a second language) as a career. I would teach English to non-native speaker. That way my Spanish can still be put into use, but I like the idea teaching English better. Maybe that will open the doors for Josh and me to live abroad for a period of time. Maybe after Nashville. There is a certification program in Nashville that is offered twice a year (conveniently enough in August) for three consecutive weekends. It would be quicker (and cheaper) than a Master's program in TESOL, that way if I decide it isn't for me, I won't have spent so much time and money into that career option. I just wonder how much luck I'll have finding a job in ESL.

Josh has a plan: music. When we move, the biggest factor is finding a job for me. He will work at a coffee shop or restaurant to start off and hopefully after some networking and God's favor, he will be able to either a)go back to school at Mid Tenn and get a better education of the recording industry or b) make a viable connection that shuffles him in the biz.

We are thinking Nashville will be a 5-7 year home, probably not a forever home. However, that is long enough to buy a home. Home buying in my mind is a huge marker of adulthood. I think we will be great homeowners though. We have some many plans for "when we someday have a house." That and all my HGTV skills. The first year or so we will probably rent so that we can find jobs, have a steady income to impress the banks, and so we can find what part of the Nashville area we like best. I really want to live in a studio or loft apartment. Now would be the time for that, but we'll just have to see what is available in a few months. We are planning our first trip to nashville in the next couple of weeks to do a preliminary search for apartments/rental homes and jobs.

Wish us luck!
H+J