Thursday, October 24th - Decision has been made (aka Read this one!)

Well it is my turn to do some blogging!!  Richard has been doing a great job, but I think that this time, it would only be appropriate that I share this message.  He shouldn’t have to do my work!!  Well, it has been mentioned only a bit, but I have really been struggling with the whole teaching  in Kuwait thing!  I developed anxiety when I started at CBS and then because I took too many sick days, my contract was terminated.  This was not a huge problem, because there are sooo many teaching positions in Kuwait.  I tried 2 other schools and my anxiety was getting worse.  So… we have made a decision.  I will return to Canada and do some supply teaching with my school board.  There are enough schools in the area to keep me pretty busy.  I will stay with my brother and sister-in-law in Kitchener.  Thank goodness for a wonderful family!  Richard will stay here in Kuwait and I will return in December for our trip to Africa with the kids.  I hope to try again at a teaching position here in January, but not sure yet.  One step at a time….

While it is not an ideal solution, it should work.  We will miss each other terribly, but there is skype!!  Thank God!  It has been a real struggle as I feel very guilty…like I failed in this adventure.  But as my daughter Julie was saying, if it was appendicitis or some other physical ailment, coming home would be a non- issue.   Mental health is always kind of misunderstood and somehow I felt that I should just be able to suck it up…but that was not working for me.  I started to feel like I was going crazy…not much fun!  I kept saying that I made a huge mistake and did not know that it would be like this.

We certainly did not think that it would come to this, but there was no real way of knowing what it was going to be like until actually getting here and living the experience.  When we were in Canada, Richard and I would be talking about the whole teaching experience and how we were so excited to be doing some travelling and living in a different country.  I had said that it would be just like being on holidays and he did not agree…saying that it will still be work. Boy was I wrong!  I have eaten my words very often! 

Regardless of the situation, we still have no regrets whatsoever about our adventure…we have learned so much and it has been very enriching!  I have to accept my limitations and make the best of it.  I am so thankful for my friends and family who have spent so much time skyping and emailing with me and listening and sharing so many encouraging words!  I really don’t know what I would have done without you!!!  Richard has been fantastic and is so supportive!  I so wish that it could work for me here, but….for now, it doesn’t. We’ll see what happens after Christmas. 

I’ll be arriving in Canada on Monday October 28 at 1:30 pm!  Can’t wait!