Loving life.

Right now I am hanging out at my favorite neighborhood coffee shop, Quacks (fitting for a Duck fan,) enjoying coffee and a delicious cupcake. This may be a mistake because the caffeine from the coffee and chocolate will probably prevent me from falling asleep at my usual 10 pm bedtime, but I will indulge because it is almost the weekend!

I'm still loving my job. I've been working with the kids long enough to be able to see their progress, and even exited a student this week because she has reached above grade level in reading. This job has been really rewarding and I have been putting a lot of thought into my future and think that I will be pursuing a career in education. I have been looking a little into graduate programs at Texas State and the University of Texas, and trying to figure out how to establish residency in Texas. The recession hasn't hit Texas as bad as Oregon and I think that there are more job opportunities here, and I've also begun to create a network here in the school district. Besides that, I absolutely love Austin and am very happy here.

I've made a lot of friends here and am really learning my way around the city. I am starting to feel somewhat settled and have realized that I LOVE city living. I love being surrounded by people and having access to everything I need in a close proximity. The traffic can be a drag sometimes, but besides driving to work, I am able to walk just about everywhere or hop on a bus.

I'm going to be home from December 16-28th, and will be spending New Years in Tahoe with my friend Molly. I'm excited to see many of you while I'm home!

Love, Danielle