but mom, I work in ... Maine?

And we're back to the little llama-drama. The downside to graduating in the spring, as opposed to the winter [December] is that your diploma isn't posted until May, and you can't file your paperwork for your credentials until your diploma is posted... so if someone happened to drop you an email that said "Hey! Our island school is hiring! You should come up!" and the deadline for applications is less than a week from today, and all you've got going for you are your state and federal clearances... you might find yourself wishing you had, in fact, started taking classes that first summer when everything was a little insane but instead you backed out because, well, everything was cattywampus and no one could give you a clear answer about what was going on in favor of starting in the fall when everything was a little more clear cut. Maybe starting anyway would have meant that you'd be sitting here right now with a diploma in hand, a semester of subbing under your belt and your clearances, freshly minted from the department of education, having shown up in the mail a few days hence.

It also would have meant no Cutest School Ever, with the sort of experience that one needed to say, see? you can so do this. I do have some understanding of how the universe works; and much as I hate when people have the gaul to use the "things happen for a reason" line, sometimes, things do. "Things happen for a reason" is one of those do-not-say-under-any-circumstances lines, though. So don't say it. And stop it if you're smiling. I know who you are if you are.

Maine. A school - on an island! - in Maine is hiring. I've never been to Maine. I've never been further east than... is Syracuse further east or Harrisburg / Hershey?

Things I know about Maine [mostly off the top of my head]:

1. Maine is a two day drive from here. 
2. There is a stretch of the Appalachian trail in Maine called the 100 mile wilderness. So named because it's 100 miles. Of wilderness. Of the entire Appalachian trail, the 100 mile wilderness is considered the wildest part, and there is a warning sign at the beginning not to attempt passing unless you have 10 days of supplies, and PS, you're on your own in case of emergency because there is nothing out there. Good hiking! [I'm not kidding about the last bit].
3. Lobsters are from Maine, crab is from Maryland. Do not confuse the two.  
4. Winter in Maine is a bear; more of a bear than where I grew up. Or a moose. But not a loon. But you can find loon in Maine. And moose. [You can't find loon and moose where I grew up, but you can find black bear. One tried to break into a high school - they have it on the security camera.] 

And that is what I know about Maine. This is paltry. I know they have a rich and storied maritime heritage, and I know that maritime pertains to the sea/large bodies of water [I used to volunteer with a maritime museum when I was in high school] but I don't know any particulars about that maritime heritage. Also, that the musical Carousel was set in Fin de Sicle Maine, and that the 1950 something film was done on location in Booth Bay Harbor, which, as the crow flies, wouldn't be that far from the island where this school is, but by car, it would be way longer, by nature of the Maine coastline.

Also, I found the school blog [the school I'd be teaching at]. And the elementary students learned archery this year, and they had OWLS brought in the classroom. Mmm hmm. Owls. I couldn't swing owls. Well, real ones. Okay, the thought didn't occur to me to track down a rehab program and try to bring in owls for the kids to see and interact with, but it might not have been appropriate for 1st graders. Maybe 3rd grade. 

I realize that by applying I'm not signing my life away; but my inner introvert is screaming. Yes, friends, I'm an introvert. Not an incredible introvert, but enough of one that the thought of moving to Maine is giving me pause, even though living on an island sounds like a fabulous adventure and they have what appears to be a thriving cottage arts industry [I would be quite at home] according to the chamber of commerce of both Mt. Desert Island and website of Cranberry Island [Isleford]. Should none of my handmade mugs survive the move, I would be able to replace them on-site, and support the local economy. Bonus. We all, it seems, love the arts.

Does anyone quilt up there? Quilt shows? Knitting ...? Anyone?

I never really thought about what moving my [entire] fabric stash would mean. What about my piano? There's no way I'm moving a piano to Maine. They have second hand pianos in Maine, yes. Let's put one of those on a ferry... The logistics are making my head hurt. I'm moving into the dangerous territory of supposition. I still have to nail down my papers. Write a cover letter. First things first. 

I always did say I would be willing to move once I got this degree. Watch and see how far away I would go! So far - I was talking applying for the DOD, and teaching abroad in someplace like Guam or South Korea, speaking of adventures. What I wasn't counting on was falling in love with something so close to home.