Why Do All Good Things Come To An End?

Note: the following post contains rambling.

I'm sitting in 017 Austin Hall with a room that looks as vacant as when I arrived 3 1/2 months ago: my clothes no longer reside in my closet (or in heaping piles in the corner of the room), nor do my 359 postcards from all my recent travels proudly hang on on my hideous bulletin board. My entire life has once again been packed into two oversized suitcases, ready for my journey back to America.

Am I ready to head back? -- not permanently. I'm ready to pop in for a visit, catch up with those who matter most, tell a few stories, graduate, and then fly back to Liverpool. In my mind, the honeymoon isn't over just yet (unfortunately, my calendar is telling me something different). I still have friendships to build, football matches to attend, children to teach, mountains to hike, new people to meet, cities to visit, fashion trends to follow, a Scouser's accent to perfect...I have a life here now.

I knew being abroad would teach me things for both my personal and professional life as well as help continue my forever-evolving life, but I didn't think it would leave the impact it has. Currently, my ambition is ceaseless. There's so much I want to do and see, and I'm afraid I won't have enough time to do everything on my list (you should see this grocery list -- it goes on for pages).

Despite all the uncertainty in my life, one thing is for sure: this won't be the last time you see me, Liverpool, and that's a promise I intend to keep.

"Miss, Why Do You Have To Go?"

It's funny how I'm highly motivated to blog only when I should be doing other important things, like packing for my holiday that starts in about two hours. It will be get done...but first, I have to reflect slightly on my last day of student teaching:

01) "Dear Miss Fisher, Thank you for helping us. Well done for passing your test and I'm sure the girls will be crying when you leave. I really enjoyed Talking Textiles." And the girls did cry, along with two boys. The girl who gave me the most trouble sobbed into my blouse for about five minutes, which made some girls unhappy, for they had less room to hug/cling on to me. Standing there as a human tissue, I was astonished at their reactions.

02) Dear Miss Fisher, I hope you enjoy being a teacher in your new school. I really enjoyed what you have been teaching us. I hope you can come back and visit." My kids kept asking me when I could come back for a visit. Little do they know a visit would cost me $1200 roundtrip. I did tell them, however, that the next time I was in the UK I would be visiting Northway first. That's the honest-to-God truth, and that might be sooner than I originally anticipated (but more on that day another day).

03) "Miss Fisher -- Thank you for everything you have done for us these few months. We really appreciate it. We are so so so so so sad you are leaving, but we will always remember you in our hearts. Good Luck in life!" The two boys who gave me the hardest time made a three-foot tall Easter card asking me not to leave. I figured these two boys hated my guts, because most of the time I was cracking down on them. I didn't realize they actually cared.

04) Dear Miss Fisher, we really don't want you to go. We have learned lots of new things with you while you have been here, like that alien lesson that we did. I really enjoyed that. See you soon." I miss Northway already, and I haven't even been gone for 24 hours. It's amazing to see my effect as a teacher, and vice versa. All the work, all the hours...it was all worth it.

Jetsetting to Spain -- expect a post documenting my holiday/the last few weeks at Northway in the near future. Cheers.