200th post - in which I reveal what I look like in real life!

Yeah, that's me in the picture... fooled ya! As I get to know some of you, I've Facebook friended you and kiwi bloggers who follow me on Twitter will know there's a small photo of me as part of my mother's article in the largest weekly woman's magazine (and a tiny pic of me wearing massive glasses on Twitter itself) but this blog will probably always remain anonymous. With teenagers becoming very Web 2.0 savvy, the last thing I need is one of my students next year finding my blog and finding out I'm not the roaring lion that I come across as... that really I'm more of a wallowing hippo :D

Speaking of students - EXCITEMENT! I have just under two days of full-time work left and then I'm at orientation for my GradDip in Secondary Teaching. I am beyond excited, completely nervous and totally rapt at the same time. Our first practicum (when we're actually teaching in a class) is only four weeks after we start. Full on, no? Tied in with this is the chance meeting I had with an old English teacher who is now in a senior management position and told me to do my practicum at his school as that's the pool of applicants they usually hire from. So with my wonderful powers of persuasion at the Faculty of Education I will have a fantastic position in a school that will allow me to grow my career in the way I want!

More EXCITEMENT! It is my birthday on Sunday and I turn the ripe old age of 24 (I actually hate the phrase "ripe old" - it makes it sound like I smell). I waver between the "Hooray, it's going to be my birthday" when I think about my birthday dinner, "It's not that important" when thinking about how mum isn't feeling well enough to come to aforementioned birthday dinner and "Oh my giddy aunt, I'm turning 24 and what have I done with my life?". I'm trying to focus on the birthday dinner though, and think of other things I'd like to do to make this weekend special. This time last year I was coming out the other side of my depression so I did nothing at all for my birthday... this year I feel like I really need to make a big deal about it.

Blog EXCITEMENT - 200 posts? Amazing! Seems hard to believe but then I was writing daily posts when I was underemployed in Nov/Dec 08. If you read my blog and are yet to comment, please delurk and let me know who you are! I'll consider it an early birthday present. I hope to have a guest blogger in for you guys this weekend for Sunday Afternoon Reads - also let me know in the comments if you would like to do a guest post at some point for me!

Look forward to hearing from you guys!