Ready to cross the pond

Well, I guess it's now officially the departure day (though I still have to actually go to bed yet and try to sleep). Soon, I will be able to get into a classroom and play with physics toys and biology models and chemicals (like in the picture) and get students excited about that, too. These past few weeks I have not taken the opportunity to talk to newly hired high school teachers, so I have not been able to soak in and share excitement about the first teaching position. But today I got to have a little chat with a Canadian teacher I knew from the U of M who taught in the UK this last year (and will again this year). I've been so caught up with the stresses of moving and relocating to another country that I almost forgot why I'm going in the first place. Thanks to friends and family's conversations, I am reminded why I chose teaching as a profession.

This last week has been busy. I've have to do a lot of driving recently, to get health insurance, exchange shoes, exchange money, etc. I have been quite anxious about the first few weeks in Colchester. I don't have a place to live yet, and I hope I have enough money to cover until my first pay cheque. Most places for rent start at £450 (usually closer to £550) plus usually a month and a half for down payment and additional £125+ for the agency fee. (Current exchange is about 2.17 £ to $1 CND). I have a meeting with a letting agent the day after I arrive in the UK, and I really hope I get something that is either with good bus connections or, ideally, in walking distance. I guess I'll have to cross that bridge once I get there. A wise person once told me. "If you cross the bridge before you get there, you have to pay toll twice." Hmm.

Back home, I have been able to get some projects done before I take off. I was able to visit a high school friend and family and visit my grandpa one more time. I also spent Friday packing. I have basically everything I need in my luggage and I still have room and I'm not close to my luggage weight limit. It feels odd because I usually pack a lot more than I need and squeezing the last few items in was always a feat. I guess the last time I traveled (to Africa in 2003 for the Mennonite World Conference), I just had my backpack and my carry-on, and this time I've been given a large used suitcase. I'm starting to put in secondary and tertiary items just because I can. Most of my room is in the suitcase, which is on wheels, so I don't worry about making it too heavy for me, 'cuz that one will be rollin' along. The down side about all this room is that I'm getting paranoid that I've forgotten something huge.


Just a note about this whole blog thing. As mentioned in the description, this is meant to keep friends and family updated with what I'm up to while I'm teaching in the UK. I invite responses to my blogs with you wish (don't forget to add your name). Just remember that anybody and his/her dog can read your comments, so please keep them tasteful and refrain from posting sensitive information. (Why a dog would want to read your posting, or anyone's postings is beyond me, but I guess they could if they wanted to...) You can also just e-mail me. (Snail mail will be appreciated, too. Just let me know if you want my address and I'll e-mail it out to you - as soon as I get a place to live.)

I will only post pertinent things and try to make it interesting. I won't start listing off what I had for breakfast and how I brushed my teeth that morning. I apologize to my blogging colleagues, but no one really needs to know that kind of detail about you. If you want to get more details about a story I've posted, just let me know and I'll either add it to the next entry or simply e-mail it you.

I will be taking pictures while I'm out having my adventures, which select a few and add them to my yahoo photo albums. There is a link to my albums on the right side bar. (You will also see some of my Zimbabwe pictures.) I will inform you in my blogs when I have updated my pictures.
Anyway, I guess that's it for today. I hope I get some sleep.
Kevin