On Going to England

...Cambridgeshire to be exact. That's right. In three short months, I will be jumping across the pond and becoming a twenty-something Canadian girl in Britain. Following in the tradition of Carson's before me (namely my father), I am heading to the motherland in pursuit of a job. And possibly a man. Ahaha. Just kidding on the latter. *wink wink*

Today I formally accepted a position in a school small village outside Cambridge. The population is small indeed, but the school has children bused in from 5 neighbouring communities, which allows it to boast a student population that is half the size of the village itself. It's quaint, to be sure. I've been doing some brief research around the area, trying to figure out where I want to live, and have fallen upon two choices; the city of Cambridge itself, which is known for its rather old and prestigious University, and the bustling town of St. Ives. I highly suggest you do a google search on St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, if you're interested in seeing where I am going. It looks like a gorgeous little town, one that would suit me quite well. It's also a bus ride away from Cambridge, which is, in turn, a bus ride away from London. I'm sure there are trains too, that could take me anywhere I desire. Ah, what my weekends will soon be filled with...

This isn't to say the entire trip is going to be a vacation. On the contrary, I was hired to fill a maternity leave, and therefore teaching will be my main priority. I will be entrusted with four (I believe it is four, but we shall soon see the exact number) English classes in a secondary school. Secondary schooling in England is quite different than what we have here. The students enter high school when they are 11, and only have to attend until they are 16. If they want to continue, they have to write an exam called the GCSE, which allows them to continue for two more years in more of a college/university streamed, vocational school. It's still part of the public education system, but it is a much more streamlined program, where the students take classes in what they hope to take in post-secondary education. It's rather like the CGEP system in Quebec.

The school I was hired with is also one of the top ranked academic schools in the country. Impressive, I know. In fact, I was told I am quite lucky, because most Canadian teachers get thrust into rather "difficult" classes, mostly in inner-city London. Frankly, I am relieved to have gotten this opportunity. Apparently the only reason I was offered the job was because I was highly recommended by Derek, the cute old man that interviewed me in Toronto last week. Thank you Derek!!! I am overjoyed to be able to have this experience, and am looking forward to it immensely.

Naturally though, I have some hesitations. I am sad to be leaving my friends and family behind. I worry that they will move on without me. I don't want to come back to find myself no longer a part of their tight-knit circle. I worry about losing my place in their hearts and minds! I know this is silly, and unfounded, but it still is a doubt that exists in my mind. I love my friends and family dearly, and being away from them will be the hardest part of going. I can only hold onto the fact that I will be back at Christmas break for sure, and will be in constant contact with them online, and otherwise. I think letter writing may be brought back for this occasion. Who doesn't enjoy a good transcontinental pen pal? I also have the difficult decision of figuring out when to tell K. Frankly, I don't want to tell him any time soon, because I am afraid that he will decide to end things right now. I'm not sure exactly what is going on between him and I, but I do know that I like him a lot, and I don't want things to end now, just because I am leaving in three months. Three months is a long time, in some regards. I would like to continue seeing him while I am still here. It would be a shame to halt things now. As such, I've decided to wait until I am sure of his feelings for me. Once I get a clear read on what's going on, I will tell him. He's going to college in the fall, so I am hoping that he will agree to let things naturally progress until he and I both depart. Fingers crossed.

Anyways, that's all I really wanted to say right now. More to come later.

Cheers!