Why Macau, why now?

The first blog post of this site (and my life) should be cathartic. It should set a foundation. It should give you, the reader, a sense of my style and what you can expect in the future. It should be a commitment to you that I am going to spend time regularly sharing with you how things are going and proving that I am, in fact, alive. Please know that I am going to be raw and genuine with my posts, including this one. Giving you a glimpse of how I am doing and what I doing is the goal. Being grammatically or politically correct are not. I know not who is reading and am using this outlet as a means of expression. So, if you find things that I say to be inappropriate or you don't enjoy it, you will not hurt my feelings if you choose not to continue reading. I hope, however, that you do enjoy this blog and will let me know what your thoughts and feelings are. I want this to be a conversation, so please feel free to engage. If you are taking the time to read this, it is highly likely that I miss you terribly. Do not hesitate to drop me a note or suggest ways to improve this blog. Also, please forgive me as I figure out how to do this well. It will take some time :).

I think it is important to first share with you how I have arrived at this crossroads in my life. Most of you know that I used to work at Transylvania in admissions. It is a job, office, and institution that I love dearly. In late August, I made a terrible decision that not only endangered myself and others, but also made my employment at TU no longer possible. Drinking and driving is something that I greatly regret and there is no excuse for my choice. Letting so many people down, myself included, has been one of the toughest experiences of my life. To anybody who I have hurt or let down through this, I am forever sorry. To those who are learning about my mistake for the first time through this, I am equally sorry. The embarrassment that I have felt for these past few months has been debilitating. I hope you find it in yourself to forgive me, but I completely understand if you do not. Thank you to my family, friends, and Alyssa who have supported me during this challenge. Without you, I don't know where I would be now. There is a silver lining, however. I have been forced to re-evaluate my priorities and have been given a clean slate to explore new challenges. This is where Macau comes in...

With the end of my employment at Transylvania, it was time to find something new. I came across a job doing college counseling at an international high school in Macau and quickly applied. I was not even sure where Macau was, but the chance to do work that I love in a foreign country was incredibly appealing. In one of the fastest search processes ever, I had two Skype interviews and an offer to become the University Guidance Counselor at the School of Nations. There has never been a full-time person in this role in the school's history, so the chance to build a new college counseling program and help students find a college home across the world was incredibly exciting. The people with whom I interviewed were both lovely and everything that I can find about the country and school were exciting to me. I took the job without reservation and have been spending the last couple months working through the visa process. If you want to learn more about the school, go to here: School of Nations Website

This post comes to you from L.A., where Alyssa and I are spending my last few days in the US with her family. From now on, you will hear from me from southeast Asia. I will update you about my move and transition, about my travels throughout the region, and about my work. As 2015 begins with another opportunity for renewal and change, I cannot imagine a bigger leap than the one that I am experiencing. I hope that you and yours take the opportunities, however scary, that present themselves to you. As the old basketball adage goes, "you miss 100% of the shots that you don't take." Let's see where this ride takes us and know that I love hearing from you. Leaving the home that you have known for 30 years is a scary proposition. Thank God we have Skype, Facetime, and Gmail to keep us connected. Happy New Year!

Until next time, much love.