The end is finally here....

Well, it's hard to believe but the day finally arrived. Yesterday was both my last day of school and my last day as a resident of Bangkok. After the endless battle of trying to fit my entire life into two 23kg bags was an interesting one which resulted in the charities of Bangkok, my friend's maids, my coworkers and the drama department at my school gaining rubbish bags full of new clothes. After battling it out with my closet for what seems like endless evenings I left City Living with 2 suitcases (of questionable weight) and a few boxes for storage in BKK until I head back to Bali. Considering I pride myself on being a woman of minimalist tendencies, it's unbelievable how much crap I have managed to accumulate over the past 3 years. Every time I move I realize yet another OCD collection tendency I have. In Japan in was coloured paper, in Vancouver it was single serving mustard packets and in BKK it's pens. I found pens stashed all over the place, behind the couch, in the drawers next to my bed, in the cutlery drawer, in the cupboard I even found one shoved down the side of my bed. I guess if you're going to have an addiction, pens isn't too dangerous. I can only sit back and wonder what my newest hoarding focus will be when I return back to Vancouver. Eight months is plenty of time to acquire vast amounts of useless commodities. Something to look forward to for sure! maybe I can start stealing surgical gloves or bedpans from the hospital ;) 

Anyway, the last few weeks of school were a challenge to say the least; dealing with packing up my apartment as well as my classroom (school is moving campuses next year so I had to pack and clear my entire classroom), saying goodbye to students and coworker not to mention Bangkok.  However, being an international school teacher definitely has its perks. Luckily for me, this year was the very first Regent's School Round Square Week where classes shut down and kids have the opportunity to do all sorts of activities from service projects to adventure activities to environmental and musical projects. It was an amazing opportunity for everyone and for me and my coworker Dave Lucas, we had the privilege of bringing 7 amazing kids down to Koh Tao to become Open Water Divers. Yes, I know it's a tough life getting paid to hang out on a tropical beach and spendi time at some of the best dive sites in the Gulf of Thailand but someone's got to do it. We had an amazing time and the kids were outstanding. I showed up on K.Tao with 7 fin soup eating, shark fearing land lovers and left 7 days later with 7 mini marine conservationists and OW divers. If the shark fin soup restaurant across from the primary school ends up covered in red paint...I claim no responsibility. Let's just say that Paul Watson has a few new supporters. 

Finishing up our confined water skills at Big Blue Diving's new resort. 

Just another day in the classroom....Sairee Beach, Koh Tao

On the dive boat with the kids. This amount of enthusiasm took some serious coercion as most of them were pretty green around the gills from their first day out on the waves. Sea sickness isn't something these kids have had much opportunity to experience on the mean streets of Bangkok.

  

I had so much fun in K.Tao with the kids that I came back :) I'm actually here right now as I write this. One final week in my second home in Thailand to say goodbye to some special people and get my Rescue Diver certification. It's going to be a fun week with Carrie and little Abigail, Heather, Rachael and a last minute addition of Mr. Flack! After my week here me and Heather fly to Bali for 5 days to say "see you later" to my soon to be new home and then back to Canada for an eight month hiatus. Someone get me a big calendar so that I can cross off the days until I get to finally start the next leg of my life. 

Cheers from the island

J