The first real, difficult thing

Hey everyone,

So, I need some advice about the first real, difficult thing, but first I'll update you on my amazing life. I'll try to make it short. ha. Please make it to the end of this (Or scroll down!) because I REALLY need some help.

First of all, apparently, I am now officially marathon training. For what marathon, and where I'll be, no clue, but, it's happening. I ran 6.5 miles on Monday. Down by the water. (I'll take pictures of it soon so you all can see the beautiful estuary and the pretty wildlife, but it's annoying to run with a camera!) I'd have run today as well, but I was dragged out of my house for disgusting amounts of pizza at lunch (thanks David!) and now I can't move. It was, however, an excuse for me to finally see the Village of Swords, which, as it turns out, is much closer to me than the Village of Malahide. It's cute, isn't it? Kind of New England-y? Is my love for this place a secret way of telling me that I actually want to live in New England??? And own a car? And have a picket fence? What?

I'm feeling unable to write chronologically today, I think because I feel frazzled about life decisions, but I'll try to go from Monday, where I left off from my last post. Have I bugged you all to get skype yet?? My social life now centers around it. Haha. Regina has skype AND a video camera thingy. Yea, hi my sexy friend.

Seriously though, I am lucky for many, many things in my life, and I won't even start to list them now (my gorgeous niece, my amazing friends, okay not listing. NOT LISTING!), but I am especially thankful, currently, for my innate ability to be social, and to make friends. I know it isn't natural to everyone, and I'm lucky to have this ability. Socially, things have been amaaazing here in Ireland. I went to one of those "meetup" things my mother has been nagging me about (love you mom!) and I actually met some great people, both Irish and otherwise. I met a girl, Mariel, who I super click with, you all would LOVE her, and last night we decided to see what the local music scene in Dublin had to offer. We went to this place called Whelan's which has, apparently, some of the best gigs in the city, and it did not disappoint. We went to see this band called "The Minutes." I think they just got signed and are destined for famousness. They are kind of bubble-gum rocky, but lots of fun. However, what stole the show was the opener, Ollie Cole. Check HIM out. (Myspace. Do it!) He was one of those rare instances when openers blow you away and make the headliners pale by comparison. In addition, he's totally sound, and I have been promised the meeting of fun people and more good music in the future. Yea, I totally chatted up a rockstar. No wait. He chatted ME up. Anyyyyway, It was, hands down, the MOST fun night I have had so far in Ireland. Well, most fun night I've had so far in Dublin. It wasn't blurred by staying out too late and being cranky in the morning.

Okay, NOW FOR THE REAL REASON I'M WRITING THIS BLOG TODAY:
I have adopted puffy-brushed curls. It's all the rage. I'm telling you. So, advice, what do you think??

Ha. Kidding. Here's the real deal: On a whim I sent my CV (resume) to a kind of prestigious agency that recruits teachers in ENGLAND. And, today they called me. We talked for awhile. And I have a very serious decision to make...do I try to get a job in England? It isn't something that I can "half-ass" because I have to apply for a "highly skilled migrant workers visa" which is a LOT of money. However, it is the easiest type of visa to get if you have your masters, and I would most likely be accepted for work in the UK. The problem in Ireland is that it is IMPOSSIBLE to get a work permit without having a job already to sponsor you. And, it is REALLY hard to get sponsored as a teacher. I ALSO have to wait approximately 4 months for my teaching certification to be processed here (Thank you LEHMAN COLLEGE. grrrrr.) before any schools will even consider me. In England, though, once I got that migrant visa, I would be wicked marketable AND legal AND I could just substitute teach if I wanted to.

SO, I don't know what to do. I know that I want to be in Ireland, however, I also am beginning to understand that, at least right now, that is not really a possibility for me. I definitely still plan on doing all my paperwork for my certification, but it is a slow process wherein I probably won't even be legal to teach here anyway, until NEXT school year. I also know that if I were in England teaching, I would have lots of holidays (9 bank holidays, plus christmas, and easter) where I could come to Ireland and hang out OR, better yet, travel to all of the places in Europe I have never been, and I will have the money to do it, because I will have a job. (Did I mention that after speaking with the woman in England, I PROBABLY wouldn't have a job in England util January so I may potentially be living in my parents' house in CT twiddling my thumbs? ha.)

With all of this being said, I am trying to figure out if doing my TEFL certificate in Galway in September is a good idea. Should I spend all of that money on my certificate in Galway when I don't know if it is actually going to help me get a job here, or should I use that money for the visa in England. But I LOVE Galway and think it is amazing and beautiful and IRISH. I really should only do one, and I feel like choosing means giving up one plan for another. And, I am scared. So, I need advice. Bring it.

Loooooove Sarah

PS: For those of you that may give advice based on the "sarah is never coming back to the states" notion, please note that if I were in England, it would be for only a year or two, and then my work visa would run out and I would be returning to the US...plus, teachers get summers off, remember?