I've wanted to move to a foreign country for as long as I can remember. I never thought I'd actually have an opportunity to do so, unless if I served a mission in the future. I'm not sure what I will be doing in the future, but I have been given the chance to really do something with my life and make a difference in others lives.
I first heard about ILP through my cousin, Adriane, when I was in high school. At a Christmas party, she told me that she'd be moving to Mexico after graduation and would be teaching English to children. I thought this would be such a cool experience, I was so excited for her and never thought an opportunity like this could happen to me.
ILP remained in my thoughts for the next few years, but it always seemed like nothing would be able to work out for me to go. I didn't want to put a hold on my education, and I figured I'd probably be married by the time I would be done with school anyways. But life is kind of funny, things don't always turn out how you planned. I had originally hoped to be almost done with my education by this point in my life; instead, I still have probably another 3 years before I can get my bachelor's degree. Because of the way things have turned out, I have a free semester. There is nothing more for me to do at Snow, and I can't transfer smoothly to USU until next year. I was super bummed about having nothing to do from January until August, except to work and move back home with my parents.
I felt stressed about what I would do, I was looking for an adventure! I considered moving somewhere different in the US so I could see a different culture, I considered staying at home and working my previous job as a head teacher at a daycare, and I considered moving to Logan early to get a good job and still be in the college environment. The idea of moving foreign to teach English to children was in my mind, but I never thought I could afford something like that.
About a month ago, ILP visited Snow College and had a meeting about their program and what they do. It just felt like the absolute perfect situation for me, and my roommate Kris Walters decided she was going to do it. She was going to move foreign, so I figured why not? I'll do it too! I've always wanted to move outside of the US, and what better way to do it than to serve and work with children? I'm majoring in Elementary Education, so this is the absolute perfect opportunity for me.
I made my decision: I will be moving to Russia in January! It's a little bit scary, but extremely exciting. I'm doing it, I really am! :) I got a letter of acceptance into the program, and am now working to finalize what city I will be living in. Can you believe it? I almost can't, it's incredible!
I am so excited for this amazing experience I'm about to have. I really believe that it will change my life! It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I'm going to do it. The only thing in my way now is the money...
You see, I still don't have quite enough money to make it. Kris and I are planning on doing fundraising to make it work, but we still might not make it. No, I'm not asking anyone for donations. I am simply saying that if you would like to donate, feel free to do so! I don't expect anyone to, but any money that any friends could send my way would be greatly appreciated. I've included an easier way for you to donate online, there's a PayPal link on the right if you feel so inclined. Any way you could help would be an absolute blessing to me! :) And just so you know, it is a non-profit organization, so any donations are tax-deductible.
I still don't know all the details about where I'll be living, what my schedule will be like, or even when I'll be leaving. As soon as I have the details, I will post about it and keep you updated. I plan on posting as often as I can while in Russia, I'll be taking lots of pictures and hope to post at least weekly. Thank you friends and family for your support, I can't wait to go! :)
