Exhilified

I have been trying to come up with an exact word that describes how I am feeling about moving around the world to Togo, starting a new job as a teacher in one months time.

Today I found that perfect word when I was at the university talking with someone in the education faculty. I had been saying that I felt a mix of emotions like excitement, fear, happiness and sadness. She asked if perhaps the word I was looking for was Exhilified a combination of exhilarated and terrified all at the same time. Indeed that is the word I have been looking for. Leaving Canada will be bittersweet but I can't help but feel exhilified!

Small Group Thank You

With help from our small group D & I were able to purchase an iPad to help lighten our suitcase load. How is it helping? Well it currently holds 35 books on it. That is at least 20 lbs of extra weight we can cram into our suitcases.

Besides the extra added space in the suitcase, this gadget will also be able to help me in the music classroom by acting as an accompanist while I teach. I can also record students voices on it and play it back to them. As to what else it can do I -- am finding out more everyday.

Mock Pack #1

So the other night D and I did a mock pack trying to see how much we could fit into my 2 suitcases. We have 5 rubbermaid bins full of stuff we are trying to take in only 4-5 suitcases. The bins are divided up into different categories:

• Music teaching resources/materials which includes a few music instruments as well
• Kindergarten resources/materials mainly kids books, stickers, art supplies and a book on art projects
• Clothing all durable 100% cotton (or as close to that as possible) & good quality shoes
• Comfort stuff which includes food items like Sheriff lemon meringue pie filling or our favourite Shampoo from Lush
• Tech & Camera equipment
• Miscellaneous items including small dolls for little girls, motorcycle helmuts, thank you cards and Canadian flags

We only packed 2 suitcases one was already 16 lbs overweight while the other was 6 underweight. Due to the airlines I am flying I am only allowed 2 suitcases. I am trying my best not to be overweight on any of them as I will be charged an arm and leg for doing that. So how are we going to fit everything? I have no idea. We already had to sort out things that we don't really desperately need from things we can't live without. Do I really need Kraft peanut butter? I guess not but I still would like some.

Another Blog

Came across another teaching/Africa blog worth mentioning. The writer has since moved on to other places but I find myself relating to what is being said even though I have never been to Malawi. Here is my most favourite thought which comes from one of her last blog posts entitled Home. The last post has been written 5 months after her return back to the States after being in Malawi for a year.

Now that the dust has settled, my year in Malawi feels dislocated in my memory. It is as if my brain compartmentalized itself into American life and Malawian life... With the benefit of hindsight, I now recognize that when I left Malawi I also left behind a part of myself, a part that I hope to, with time and due diligence, incorporate back into my life.

http://jessemcv.blogspot.com/

Pack lists

I am a list person! I make lists while I am waiting at appointments or in restaurants. I use scrap pieces of paper, notebooks or posterboard if the lists require more room. Right now on our fridge there is a large posterboard to help us figure out what we still need to do before moving day in 40 days.

The pink poster holding 6 sheets of legal size paper is appropriately titled "To Go to Togo" it takes up the entire front part of our fridge. Since D and I are both visual learners, it helps us see just how much we still have to do before we leave. Some days I get to check off one or two items on this gigantic list. Other days I only add things. Whenever I add more than two things I get frustrated because the list seems to be growing as oppose to shrinking. It is during those times that I need to remember a wise piece of wisdom someone once told me:

make a list full of things you have already done so as not to get overwhelmed with all the stuff that still needs to be done.

I agree wholeheartedly with this statement which is why you will see certain things penciled in and checked off after they have already happened (such as graduation or go to the mall to check prices or plan goodbye parties).

So how do we know what we need to do and how can we make sure we don't forget anything? I came across this website here www.helpiammoving.com

It breaks down tasks about 12 weeks before an international departure down to moving day. It has been really helpful in giving us an outline of what needs to happen when. Since Daniel is staying here an extra month to wrap up the business he can also take care of any miscellaneous items that come up. We vacate our place at the end of August so there will not be too much for him to have to take care of.