I don’t think I’ve ever done a year in review, but this year deserves it. Especially since I didn’t blog that much. This year was filled with super high highs and super low lows. A lot more drama and adventure than I am used to. I’ve spent the past week in my pajamas, and looking back, I see why.
We started the year leaving my favorite job at my favorite school going to a new job in a new district. So, we had to move on Rumi’s birthday and we found a great apartment in a great location, that was under-budget because it’s a 6th floor walk-up.
Within a week of working at the new high school, I was let go. It’s the first time I’ve ever been let go. (Well, one time I was laid off). I should say, I was let go because the school I would be teaching at was Canadian, and I need some specific Canadian certificates, that were taking too long to process. Anyway, this was horrible, because I would not have a work visa and could be deported. All I wanted was a good international school for my girls and it was all a huge mess.
Then, I had brunch with my friend, and I was venting to her, and I suddenly got deathly ill. We rushed to the doctor, and it took him a few hours to see that I was having a very bad gall bladder attack. It was worse pain than pregnancy, and my doctor drove me to the hospital.
I had about 2 weeks of health insurance left before everything expired. And I had the same two weeks to find a new job. I went on 4 interviews and 4 demo classes all while waiting for surgery. The doctors explained that a scheduled surgery is way better than an emergency surgery.
My doctor arranged for me to get the best gall bladder doctor in the country, possibly the world. He’s pretty non-invasive and goes through the belly button. I have no scars. I also had a hernia that he fixed at the same time.
The problem was that this teaching position was 4th Grade homeroom (no experience in primary) and it was in a different district which could be 25 minutes to 2 hours by car depending on traffic. Still, they saved me, AND gave me a raise, AND paid for half our summer trip to America.
While waiting for the surgery I got rejected by one job after the other. It was freaking me out. I’ve never been rejected before either. Finally, while in the hospital, I got a call from a school who wanted me. Now this was March, at the end of a school year, and they still wanted me. So, I could go under knowing that my insurance was fine, my salary was the same, and the girls could stay where they were.
So that summer, for the first time in seven years, we went to America. Oh my God! Best time ever! We didn’t expect every single day to be filled with so much activity! What didn’t we do is an easier question than what we did. Six weeks of family and friends we hadn’t seen for seven years, road trips, sight-seeing, and summer fun.
School started on Raine’s birthday, and it’s been a good year so far. Rumi likes and is doing well in all of her classes except math. Raine is the same, but she also joined the soccer team. Both are in extra-curricular art club. And they’ve gotten the best comments from their teachers, so I’m happy.
I am on the 4th floor at school and the 6th floor at home, so stairs have become my enemy. I do get massages regularly, but still my back and legs hurt a lot. Actually, post-surgery things aren’t quite back to normal anyway.
However, this month has been filled with Christmas markets and Christmas parties, (many of which we didn’t go to because of colds/flu). Still our Christmas has been good, and our big present is tickets to New Zealand in January, and we’re all looking forward to that like crazy!
So as the year winds down, we are thankful for so much and we look forward to so much more in 2024.
Smiling in Shanghai 