Life changes...

I've been thinking about this a lot for a while, and I figure by writing it, I'll work through and see if my reality in my head actually makes sense. And I blame it on an assignment I GAVE to my Life Transitions class. Actually, not all, but a bit... really just wanted to blame students for something :)


The Life Trans class did a goals unit and a life planning unit last year. One of the most successful assignments was the "bucket list" assignment. While I was getting ready this, I remembered doing the same exercise in a "teaching creative writing" class in university. Because I keep everything in classes I find relevant (as an English teacher), I found my original assignment. I was 21. Here's what I had (my smart-ass comments and follow-up in italics):

1. Travel to Scotland, go to Blantyre (Glasgow) to learn about my grandmother's life pre-WWII/grandpa. Done - went to the church they were married in, met my Scottish family. Plus Inverness, Edinburgh, Wales and England...
2. Go to all the 4 world centres to experience Guiding internationally. Volunteer at (at least) 1. I have been to 2, and will go to the other 2... Could've been to 3 - stupid Icelandic volcano.
3. Intern internationally. ... communication problems and unrealistic expectations (the school in France wanted me to teach 100 private lessons/ week, not band... the UofS didn't like that.)
4. Use my teaching degree to teach. I'd say that was successful. Dumbly didn't put down permanent contract - that MUST be the reason it took so long lol.
5.  Earn my 50 year membership pin in Guides. Have 27 years left on that one... on year 23...
6. Travel to all the continents. Asia, done. North America, done. Europe, done. Africa: most definitely, hopefully soon! Australia, South America, on the list. Antarctica, we'll see.
7. Earn my music and education degrees.  Looking at this now, wouldn't this make sense to have put this BEFORE the teaching? Still done.
8. Get a tattoo. Figured out what I want. Now just have to justify paying for one.
9. Teach in another country.
10. Enrol in Girl Guides somewhere else. 

Notice what isn't there: live in Saskatoon, buy a house, etc. Not that I don't think these are important, but that's what I've focussed on for a while. So I've been thinking about this stuff all summer. 

I LOVED Ireland... the people, the places, the not-severe weather. Things like that have always made me want to work in a country I loved travelling to (I applied to several Scottish jobs... but the "I'm an inexperienced substitute teacher, please hire me over experienced locals" thing didn't quite work.).

But, I didn't think a lot of it until having several conversations this summer with people who know me well/too long. Several times I heard something along the lines that many people had thought I would live in another country for a while... and, really, so did I. I applied to work at Pax right out of high school (London), but for due to managers switching, my application for lost for 18 months... and I wasn't at a point in my studies to leave and volunteer (and want to come back!) Then throw in the internship debacle. I sort of assumed that travelling would suppress the urge, but it does the opposite.

My division has a deferred salary leave: for 3-7 years, they save a portion of your paycheck, then you take a year leave and they used the savings to "pay" you. Only problem? I don't have a permanent contract in a percentage that would warrant me applying... and 7 years is a long way to wait.

So, I'm working on a plan. I really want to volunteer in India... so I WILL. September 2014, I'm hoping to take an unpaid leave. (I could do that for a year, maybe two). 

I'll volunteer at Sangam, then find a country and sub or teach in. Maybe back to Scotland, Ireland... maybe somewhere new (Australia? just need a Girl Guide connection). I just want to try... and with a leave of sorts, I can come home if things go wrong and teach again. 

I need to do this... I've followed the "traditional" path for a long time, and while I'm not unhappy, I want to try something new. I'm proud to be Canadian/Saskatonian/Saskatchewanian, but I want to experience other places - and not just what the tourists see. I'm not married (or anywhere close to it), no kids, no mortgage, no real connections tying me to a place. I have facebook, twitter, skype, texting... and airplanes to keep me connected to the people I care about. Not to mention the amazing support and encouragement from everyone I've mentioned this idea to! Either they think I CAN do this, or wanting me to go far, far away lol...

Now it's in writing! I'm hoping that I can make this work. But also realizing I have it pretty awesome if I don't - and I can say I tried.