Today is my last day of school. My apartment has been inspected, accounts closed, and tearful goodbyes bid. It's time for this proverbial (and perhaps literal as it is my middle name) "Alice" to come back up out of the rabbithole and return to the place where everything makes sense (even if they walk up-side-down there).
Emails have been exchanged with my successor. She is at the beginning of her journey now, and I am at the closing of mine. So-and-so@blueyonder.co.uk will soon be the one living in a place that makes little sense, and (supposing that our positions are to be reversed metaphorically), that means I am the one headed back to the "blue yonder."
It's weird how things have come full circle like that. I found some leftover omiyage from Australia which I had brought as a gift for my colleagues on my very first day of school. Now, on my last day, I will give them away to the people who have helped me most in these past few hectic weeks. Weird.
On Monday, I gave my farewell speech at the closing ceremony in full yukata. Whilst choking back tears, I implored my students to consider living in a foreign country. I know from first hand experience that doing so is one of the most challenging and rewarding things you can do with your life.
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| Me in a yukata which the school actually bought for me as a leaving present! |
Over the next couple of weeks, I will be travelling around Japan with my mum. Then, its home to Australia. And then what? A job? More travel? I'm still not sure. I guess I just gotta get back out there. Out into the great blue yonder...
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Thank you to everyone who read, commented and hopefully found some useful information on this blog! I'll still be posted bits here and there over the next few weeks and months...
