Seems I posted virtually nothing in 2007. It was a hectic year. So much to fill you in on.
I did quit Nova in March, however before I did that something much more momentous happened to me……. I met Beth. Well, I’d known her for a while but we started dating in February. At first it was only really supposed to be a two month fling but it quickly deepened into something much more wonderful. I came to leave Nova and my Mum came out to visit for my last two weeks – I think she wanted to make sure I got on the plane home.
Leaving Nova was weird in that it didn’t feel like much of an event at all. I guess as I had left Onoda in January that the break away had kinda been made and in some ways I was only marking time until I left.
The biggest wrench in leaving was leaving behind the friends I had made. It seems to me that in the last few months of my stay in Japan, specifically after I had decided that I would be leaving (which was late 2006) that a group of my friends made a superb effort to spend time with me and really hang out with me more. I am forever in their debt. I made some of the best friends I have ever had.
Meeting people in Japan was always a little strange. A lot of the time foreigners (especially English speaking white ones) were held in this strange regard that felt somewhat like fame. Meaning that while you could go out and spend time with people it sometimes didn’t feel like true friendship. The guys I was lucky enough to hang out with in my last year in Japan were different. They showed so many times that they understood me and thought similarly. And I will always appreciate how lucky I was to have them on my side. I still miss their company.
When I got back home I found out that I had managed to miss the application deadline for teacher training. That was a bit of a bummer and left me a bit confused as to what I wanted to do with my life. Almost immediately though I got work at Donaldson’s School as a classroom assistant. It has been a great move for me. I have a _serious_ job. I have been moved from the normal classroom assistant work to behaviour management with some of the more problematic kids. It tough work, very physical at times but very rewarding. The time I’m spending at Donaldson’s if reinforcing my belief that I want to teach, it’s helping me find my style with the kids. It’s been wonderfully valuable.
In the middle of all this, I was missing Beth like mad. Chatting to her every night, sitting on this PC several hours a day. We decided to do something crazy. I asked her to move to Scotland and she agreed. Beth arrived in July, we went on holiday around Scotland and have had a great time.
In October I visited America to meet her family and see where she comes from. I loved it. Chicago is a fantastic place and it was one of the best holidays I’ve ever had. We got engaged!
So 2007 was probably one of the most significant years of my life. It was a great year.
Now, what does 2008 hold in store? Apart from my wedding? Well I finally want to get into teacher training. I also will be getting my own house with Beth.
I am hoping to get my web site whipped into shape. I’d like to post on my blog more. I am also trying to get into shape, it’s a struggle to change a lifestyle that I have been living for so many years but it’s a change that I really need to make. I’ve started going to the gym with Beth and I need to keep that up, indeed, I need to increase it.
I am really looking forward to going back to Chicago, I love it there and I’m going to get married there to!