The Cat is Out of the Bag

Who would keep a cat in a bag? And if you’re keeping the cat in the bag, why would you let it out? Who wants a cat anyway?

Okay, yeah, cats have nothing to do with my story, but as the expression goes, the news is out!

What news you say? The news that the boy and I are going to the UK! WOO. He’s got a job for September, teaching for a year. I’ve got him. Yeah. I think I won that deal.

So this week I spoke to my boss, the woman who supervised me through my internship, fought to keep me working at her company, put me in a management position, and has given me countless opportunities for success. Essentially, she is amazing. So my anxiety in telling her that I’d be leaving in 6 months was super high. How can I tell a woman who has done so much for my career that I’m leaving? Even if it is for a year?

But, when I got it out, she was nothing but supportive. She was more than supportive: she was encouraging and understanding. She made me feel like I deserved this. Meanwhile, I feel like I owe her everything that I’ve acquired since working for her.

So several days after telling her, my other boss announces it to our whole office (4 other women) that she has heard this. Naturally, I was not happy about the announcement, as I had wanted to keep the news on the down-low, what with not having a job or anything to go over to, except my lovely boyfriend. However, it turned out perfectly okay. All of my co-workers were incredibly supportive and encouraging.

So what does this mean for me? Well, it means the next few months will be busy. First, I’m going to cry a lot because I’ve already started to realize that I’m leaving this city and everything I know behind to take a leap and go work in a place I have never been before. Shit. It’s scary. I’m also going to be crying equally hard, if not more, about all the kids I’ll be leaving behind. I’ve seen them deal with loss of other workers, and it’s not easy. That and I’ll miss how freaking amazing my kids are.

Second, I’ll be stressing over job applications, finding work, finding the right work, applying for a visa, and taking care of all those minor details that come with going over-seas. That shit’s overwhelming. Did I mention that I have medication to take on a regular basis and am stressing about my health in a new country? No? Well I am!

Third, I’ll be celebrating in those rare moments when I can, psyching myself up for a new adventure, travel, new work experiences, and moving forward with the man. This is going to be a fun year….

So, as I sit here and sip on my rum and coke, and think about everything I’m leaving behind in my favorite country on earth (hockey, poutine, skating on the world’s longest skateway, my family, my friends, my work, my stuff), I’ll start making a list of all the things I need to take care of before we head on our adventure.

Oh and in May it’ll be our two year anniversary. So gotta plan that….WOO! Cheers to a great year!…and a little cry that I’m drinking alone…