14th August
After months of 'are you actually going' from my house mates, I have booked up my flights and what a year lies ahead of me.
It all starts back last Christmas '13.. I sat in Stansted Airport, ready to embark on a trip to Edinburgh, a new experience was ahead of me. I was about to celebrate a Christmas for the first time away from home or the surrounding area, times were changing. Teaching had grown to be a fulfilling and enjoyable profession but before I became settled I knew I wanted to explore more of the world.
A move to East London in February brought new changes in my lifestyle and I met new friends, somehow seamlessly adopting my university role of being fed by another house mate. The move out of home, where I had lived for the previous 2 and half years, gave me independence again and easy access to central London. 'Moving out is just the first step' I stated confidently to my mum, 'Next it will be moving abroad'. The travel bug had caught me last summer, where I picked up the nickname 'No Budget'.. however the year ahead will be the extreme opposite! The decision was made, I would travel from September.
After a meeting with my Head Teacher, she once again gave me great support and was filled with excitement by the plans I had shared with her. I have been given the equivalent of a sabbatical but prefer to call it a 'Gap Year'. As my Head of Music said, there is never a good time or easy time to say goodbye, and this proved to be true at the end of the school year. I have been so lucky to have met and made friends with so many supportive, kind and caring colleagues, as well as teaching so many great students.
The year ahead is one for travel, exploration, adventure, culture, knowledge, languages, cuisine..and hopefully new found skills and wisdom I can impart to my future students. Keep up to date and find out what I am up to on this, my first ever blog.
