New Places

I honestly didn't think this would actually happen, but it did.

I got a job in Wales...that's right.  I will be working in the Child & Family Services department of Swansea County Council in Swansea, Wales as a social worker.  It feels a bit surreal right now, but I know that will all change in the next couple of months.

You might be wondering what made me pursue a job in the UK or how I went about getting this job, so I will share a little about that with you.  Since I decided to pursue a master's degree in social work, I have been interested in international social work.  I knew that getting my first job internationally (and still making enough to pay off my loans) would be unlikely, but I also knew of a few agencies that hired new social workers in the UK.  When graduation came around, I contacted one of these agencies and before I knew it I was interviewing for a job.  A few days later, and I heard I had been selected as one of the new social workers for Swansea.  Like I said before, I didn't actually think it would happen, but when the opportunity presented itself, it seemed like something to good to let slip by me.

This job may not be the job I hope to do forever, but I really believe it will give me some excellent experience and knowledge about working internationally, and maybe even open up doors for other opportunities in the future.

So, I'm excited.  I'm excited for something new.  I'm excited to explore new things and new places.  I'm excited to meet the other Americans I will be working with, and the many Welsh coworkers I will have.  I'm excited for new opportunities to build friendships and community.

But, I'm also sad.  And a little scared.  Sad to leave Memphis and the community I have here.  Sad to say goodbye to neighbors and friends that don't mind when you come over to their house all the time, or when you need to borrow something from them...again.  I'm sad that I will miss the next couple of years with my family.  I'm scared that I will get there and hate it, that I won't make any good friends, or that I'll be lonely.

Despite all this, I know I will be just fine.  And I'm excited.

For now, I will focus on the rest of my time here in the U.S.  I have a summer to spend time with friends and family, finish my first quilt with some friends, work on the weekends, go to a cabin in the mountains, and enjoy these last few weeks with people I love.  And if everything goes well, I will leave in September.

Check out this link for a glimpse of life in Swansea:

Swansea