End of Year Reflection

As I sit here at our dining room table on the morning of departure, I am feeling triumphant. We have made it through our first year abroad and we’ve done it gracefully if I may say so. I remember that when Justin and I first accepted the offer to come teach in Ecuador, we were only just months into a romantic relationship. Justin had never travelled beyond the territorial United States, and neither of us had any idea what to expect. That’s a pretty big burden on a new couple if you think about it. And when you think about the stress and anxiety and culture shock that would come along with a move like this, you would expect there to be some strain on the relationship. And yet, I’m proud to say we hung tough together. And all of the hardships and adjustments we had to make we went through together and are all the more strong for it. I remember breaking into sobs one night the first month here, yet another cold water shower that just finally broke my spirit and sent me into weeping mixed with teeth chattering, complaining that I could feel the cold in my knees and my knuckles. And Justin grabbed every blanket we had and wrapped me up tight like a burrito and actually laid on top of me to try to warm me up with his body heat. Like we were on goddarn Survivorman. And that actually pretty sums up how we handled the rest of the challenges we faced this year. We just bundled up, huddled together and got through it.

And apart from our personal triumphs, we jumped professional hurdles as well. Justin became a Language Arts teacher for the first time ever – and killed it! I navigated my way through the world of sticky little people – otherwise known as Early Childhood. And while I can now say more confidently than ever that I am definitely a Secondary Education person, I am thankful for all I learned in just this one year about child development and literacy and just the really weird, funny things that little kids do all the time. I learned about self-stimulation and sensory needs. (Insert raised eyebrow here). And I learned that for some mystifying reason, even though I don’t have the feathery adoring voice of an elementary teacher and I don’t pretend like everything they say is profoundly interesting, little kids love me, man. And I know I’ll always be welcome in that world.

And now we’re going home for the summer. Home to our families and our friends. Home to the land of convenience and variety in shopping. Home to craft beers! Home to fast food chicken sandwiches and reality TV and traffic laws and personal injury attorneys and exorbitantly priced medical care. And I’m feeling happy and accomplished of how far we’ve come in a year. And relieved that next year is going to be so much easier.