Reflections

As the school year winds down (9 more days to go!!) and I am soon to say goodbye to a Canadian teacher friend who is headed home, I have found myself looking back at the 10+ months that I have been living in England. My first thought is... Wow! I am still here. My next thought is... I am actually used to living here. Having to drag along a 200 page map book anytime I go somewhere new, getting busy signals instead of being forced to listen to music while on hold, hanging my clothes all over the room to dry, living in a neighbourhood where I am a minority, looking right first to cross the street... all these things seem normal now. It seems incredible to me when I consider all the things that I have done, places I have been, and stuff that I have gone through. Living in another country really is an experience that all people should have. Although not always (or often) easy, it is simply amazing. Students ask me all the time why I would leave Canada to move to England. It's not so much England per se, it is the experiences, the challenges, the joys, the frustrations, having a different perspective on the world. I have had horrible moments, I miss so many things about Canada, yet I would not give back these 10+ months for anything.