The Winds of Change

For as long as I can remember having this desire to travel inside of me I have told myself, "Nope. It is unreasonable. Impossible. Just wait. Wait until you save some money. Wait until you graduate. Wait until you have worked for at least two years." Wait, wait, wait.
Well, my friends, life waits for no man (or woman!). I must go. My time has come and my courage blossomed out of a trip to the big city this past weekend. I flew alone for the first time. I hailed a cab for the first time. I had a beer in a bar alone for the first time. I walked streets of a city that could eat me for lunch alone and uncomfortable, and I loved every second of it. I was visiting friends too, mind you, I am not a lonely girl. Ever since my plane landed in Atlanta I have been rather depressed. I see that I have taken all of the wonderful things that this city can give me: great friends, family, education, jobs, and put them away in my archive of goodness. Now though I know it is time for me to live in unmarked land. I gotta move, I gotta go.

So, here's what my options are at this point.
I am completing an application for the Peace Corp. I am one essay short of being finished.
Hopefully, the process wouldn't take longer than 6 months and I could leave in August of 2008. I am interested in living in South America. I want to become fluent in Spanish.

Options next:
Move to New York and teach. I loved that city for the independene it demanded. It would only be for a year though. I am more afraid of teaching in a public school in NY than I am to move away to South America for two years! I would have to make some major life changes to go up there too. I have exactly one best friend there for support.

Move to Austin and teach. This plan is one I have considered for a while (just like the Peace Corp). I was actually thinking of Peace Corping it for two years, coming back and going to UT Austin for grad school. Living in a small, underdeveloped land for two years should give me plenty of time to study for the GRE. I'd ace the thing! I will have exactly one best friend living there too. Also, I have a colleague who knows someone who is teaching there now.

Move to Boston and teach. I guess I like the cold places. I have never been here so a visit would be in order. For some reason I have toyed with the idea of one day living in Boston for quite sometime. Other than my face freezing off in chunks every winter, I think it would be cool. My friend across the hall did her student teaching in Boston.

I am filling you all in on this mainly because I want advice about the places I am considering (have you lived there, visited numerous times, just know for sure that I would love it!?) and to see if you are famliar with any other organizations that take good care of you like the Peace Corp. I have discussed the Peace Corp with one of my favorite professors numerous times for the past few years, and the thing that makes me nervous is the two year commitment. So if you know of any other organizations/opportunities for travel and work do tell. I am interested. Soon.

I gotta learn to go and make good everywhere I do. It's time to shake things up a lot.
So, any suggestions, any contacts, any experiences you want to share please do so quickly.
I have to make a decision by the end of February (that is when I am up for contract renewal). Most likely I will not be renewing.

"May you live every day of your life." -Johnathan Swift