"No parachutes or safety nets here, one foot in the water to face these fears..."

After 11.5 hours of driving, 4 stops at the reststops, 3 gas fill ups and 1 coffee toffee twisted frostee, I made it to Charlotte!

For those of you that know me, know that I truly believe in the power of music and how it has an uncanny ability to fit in the the most appropriate situations. Although it's incredibly corny, as I merged onto I-485 and caught the first glimpse of my new skyline, Natasha Bedingfield's song "Unrwritten" came on the radio. I got this inexplicable feeling as I heard the lyrics we've all heard too many times. I'm starting on a new path. This is a new town with new people and new places. Although I'll take the good ones with me in my heart, this is just a brand new experience and I am so excited and can't wait to see what this experience has in store for me. I can't wait to step foot in my classroom and meet my students and just find my place here.

Tomorrow, I begin my commitment to Teach For America. This day is finally here. After so much waiting and anticipation, I will finally meet the other Corps Members who have decided to dedicate two years of their lives to make difference in this world. I spend a week in Charlotte getting aquainted with the others, the TFA program in Charlotte, and the area through sessions and mixers and then it's off to Chicago for Institute on Sunday.

I think the hardest part so far is being way from the people who know me. It's an incredibly hard thing to move away from the familiar and step out into the world with just yourself. I have to remember that this is a huge learning process for everyone and most likely there are others in the same boat as me.

Here's to a good first week in Charlotte, my new home!