Katie Rivard

So a few years ago, I decided to move on my own from Boston to Tucson, Arizona in July. And the trip was ominous. My car broke down twice. I got there. It was 120 degrees. It was brown. Everything looks like Mars to me because I'm from Michigan. And so I spent the first two weeks on my own just watching Amy Schumer's train wreck over and over in the theaters and crying to myself.

So a few years ago, I decided to move on my own from Boston to Tucson, Arizona in July. And the trip was ominous. My car broke down twice. I got there. It was 120 degrees. It was brown. Everything looks like Mars to me because I'm from Michigan. And so I spent the first two weeks on my own just watching Amy Schumer's train wreck over and over in the theaters and crying to myself.

So a few years ago, I decided to move on my own from Boston to Tucson, Arizona in July. And the trip was ominous. My car broke down twice. I got there. It was 120 degrees. It was brown. Everything looks like Mars to me because I'm from Michigan. And so I spent the first two weeks on my own just watching Amy Schumer's train wreck over and over in the theaters and crying to myself.

But I moved out there for a teaching job, and I felt pretty confident in my teaching abilities. I'd been teaching for a while, and so I thought, I've got this. But then the school year started, and I realized that the school I had signed up to teach at was similarly a train wreck. And I switch into type A teacher mode. I'm doing anything I can to get control back into my life.

But I moved out there for a teaching job, and I felt pretty confident in my teaching abilities. I'd been teaching for a while, and so I thought, I've got this. But then the school year started, and I realized that the school I had signed up to teach at was similarly a train wreck. And I switch into type A teacher mode. I'm doing anything I can to get control back into my life.

But I moved out there for a teaching job, and I felt pretty confident in my teaching abilities. I'd been teaching for a while, and so I thought, I've got this. But then the school year started, and I realized that the school I had signed up to teach at was similarly a train wreck. And I switch into type A teacher mode. I'm doing anything I can to get control back into my life.

cutting up tennis balls and putting them on the bottom of chairs so there's no extra noise with the already excessive noise that's going on in my classroom. But I'm struggling. And there's one student in particular, I'm gonna call her Maria for the sake of anonymity, and we're just not seeing eye to eye.

cutting up tennis balls and putting them on the bottom of chairs so there's no extra noise with the already excessive noise that's going on in my classroom. But I'm struggling. And there's one student in particular, I'm gonna call her Maria for the sake of anonymity, and we're just not seeing eye to eye.

cutting up tennis balls and putting them on the bottom of chairs so there's no extra noise with the already excessive noise that's going on in my classroom. But I'm struggling. And there's one student in particular, I'm gonna call her Maria for the sake of anonymity, and we're just not seeing eye to eye.

She's taking those tennis balls I'm carefully cutting up and like throwing them at people and at me. And so I do what anyone does when you're struggling in your job. I decide to fulfill my childhood dream to become a dancer. And there's a local dance studio and they have auditions for an adult dance company. So I think this is great. This is what I'm gonna do with my time here.

She's taking those tennis balls I'm carefully cutting up and like throwing them at people and at me. And so I do what anyone does when you're struggling in your job. I decide to fulfill my childhood dream to become a dancer. And there's a local dance studio and they have auditions for an adult dance company. So I think this is great. This is what I'm gonna do with my time here.

She's taking those tennis balls I'm carefully cutting up and like throwing them at people and at me. And so I do what anyone does when you're struggling in your job. I decide to fulfill my childhood dream to become a dancer. And there's a local dance studio and they have auditions for an adult dance company. So I think this is great. This is what I'm gonna do with my time here.

And so I go to the audition and I'm wearing this like large gray AmeriCorps t-shirt and soccer shorts from the last time I worked out when I was in high school. And I'm like remembering how do I stretch, you know? And there are people doing stretches I've never seen before. Because University of Arizona is down the road and it's actually like a really good dance school.

And so I go to the audition and I'm wearing this like large gray AmeriCorps t-shirt and soccer shorts from the last time I worked out when I was in high school. And I'm like remembering how do I stretch, you know? And there are people doing stretches I've never seen before. Because University of Arizona is down the road and it's actually like a really good dance school.

And so I go to the audition and I'm wearing this like large gray AmeriCorps t-shirt and soccer shorts from the last time I worked out when I was in high school. And I'm like remembering how do I stretch, you know? And there are people doing stretches I've never seen before. Because University of Arizona is down the road and it's actually like a really good dance school.

And so the students go there to cross train. And so this song comes up for the audition, and it's called Bury Me, and the beat drops, and it's going really quickly, and I'm like, okay, Katie, you've got this, like, stand in the back, blend in, you're wearing gray, it's going to be fine. And then I realized that they're calling up people in small groups, like groups of four.

And so the students go there to cross train. And so this song comes up for the audition, and it's called Bury Me, and the beat drops, and it's going really quickly, and I'm like, okay, Katie, you've got this, like, stand in the back, blend in, you're wearing gray, it's going to be fine. And then I realized that they're calling up people in small groups, like groups of four.

And so the students go there to cross train. And so this song comes up for the audition, and it's called Bury Me, and the beat drops, and it's going really quickly, and I'm like, okay, Katie, you've got this, like, stand in the back, blend in, you're wearing gray, it's going to be fine. And then I realized that they're calling up people in small groups, like groups of four.

And so they call me up, and I bumble through, and at the end, I'm like, I just want to book it out of here. When Todd, the studio owner, comes up to me, And he's larger in stature and used to be a prominent dancer in LA. And he was like, Katie, that was amazing. We'll see you Wednesday. I was like, OK, this is how I'm going to spend my time.

And so they call me up, and I bumble through, and at the end, I'm like, I just want to book it out of here. When Todd, the studio owner, comes up to me, And he's larger in stature and used to be a prominent dancer in LA. And he was like, Katie, that was amazing. We'll see you Wednesday. I was like, OK, this is how I'm going to spend my time.