Last week marked one year since I moved to Madison to be with Fisch and the start of this new chapter of our life together. It seems as though the year flew by but I suppose that's how every year feels when you look back at it. A lot has happened in the last year, though.
When I moved to Madison last year I did not have a job or any close friends in the area. I kind of knew my way around from visiting but not very well. And Fisch and I were still just boyfriend/girlfriend.
Twenty-two days after moving here I got my first full time teaching job. A week later, school started and I was thrown into the craziness of being a new teacher traveling to three schools in an area to which I was just introduced. Trying to learn my 300+ students and 100+ colleagues names, a new curriculum, and my way around the district was overwhelming to say the least. Fisch was there for me though and reassured me that by October I would be comfortable with my new postition. He was right.
Along with my new job came new friends, the other new teachers who I bonded with over new surroundings and the other art teachers in the district who became my mentors as well as friends.
Even though I was always partial to Milwaukee, having lived in the city for 5 years and in the area most of my life, I have fallen for Madison and the surrouding areas. I love that we are so close to any resturant, store, or entertainmet we could ever need or want but we can still walk across the street and hike in a wooded park (as seen in the picture above), drive 10 minutes and be in the rolling hills of the country, or 40 minutes to enjoy one of our favorite state parks.
A year ago I was unsure if I had made the right decision moving to a brandnew city, to be with my boyfriend, before we had made anything official, and before I even had a job lined up. I realize now that I chose the right path, made the right decision and have just had one of the best years of my life.