6 Month Anniversery (or How the Time Does Fly)

Time is a funny thing - at times it is like slowly moving molasses bubbling along, each grudging tick of the second hand an eternity; at other times it seems to pass like the blink of an eye.  The later metaphor appears to be a more apt description of my England adventure.  It was a strange feeling for me waking up one morning only to realize that 6 months have elapsed since I first came to England.  Where has the time gone?  Of course, this all just a bit of poetic nonsense for time has passed just as it always has - neither faster or slower than usual.  Uncaring of these minor events in our brief lives.  To believe otherwise would suggest delusions of grandeur at best (and lunacy at worst).  But I digress - we were exploring the differences 6 months has made in my life.

Things have changed quite a bit (for the better) since I first stepped  off that plane one balmy September day.  There I was, a struggling expat, aspiring to be a teacher and full of worries about money, accommodations, meeting people, handling British classrooms, delivering a curriculum I didn't know, etc.  As I sat in that backpacker inn I confess that I had my moments of doubt - had I made the right decision?  Work was not initially encouraging and I stayed up late into the night scouring the internet for any and all teaching tips and jobs.

Looking back on it now, it seems another lifetime.  As you all know, regular work has come through for me and I have built up a good reputation among the schools I've worked at.  I've also met friends I can hang out with and have a decent place to live.  I still think about money, but the questions have gone from "can I afford groceries next week" to "can I afford to go to Paris next week" - a welcome change, no?  (Yes, that is an exaggeration to make the point.)  And if I have late nights, its not necessarily because of stress ;).

Speaking of traveling, I've recently booked my first European vacation!  I'll be spending time over the term break in Amsterdam and Ireland - I'm so excited about it! :)

So things are definitely looking up and I look forward to the changes (improvements) the next 6 months will bring!