UK, China and beyond ....

Time for a brief update on where we are at as we prepare to head off to the UK. It has continued to be a busy time despite the fact that we thought we would have some time off after completing the CELTA certification class. Well we didn't! There has been a lot more to do than we anticipated but we are bringing it all together now.
We are excited about time in the UK - we will be there for a while with Colorado. Part of our preparing to leave is visiting lots of our favorite places together - beaches, parks, free dog treat suppliers, ..... We will be able to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night in the UK - something Evan has never been there for. And lots of time to relax there - plus a last minute Mediterranean jaunt somewhere .... Colorado is looking forward to all the cakes and cookies she will be getting from various family members.
Other big news - Andy sold his very trusted 1995 Toyota on Wednesday to a young man who will look after it well. It was sad to see the car go - Andy bought it within a week or so of arriving in California 15 years ago and it has been everywhere with us - 248,000 miles later it is still running great.
The most exciting news is that we have job offer in Asia (more than one!) - we applied to seven or eight companies in Japan, China and Taiwan, of those we heard back from we chose to interview with three, and now it is decision time.... and while we haven't made our final decision, the front runner is .... SHANGHAI!!!!! Evan was offered a job with children (pre-school and up) and Andy with adults! A start date would be sometime in February. Keep tuned....

So while we are sad to be taking off from Bellingham for a while but we will be back soon. Wish us luck!

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"Listen to your heart. It knows all things because it came from the source of the world, and it will return there one day." (Paolo Coelho "The Alchemist")

How are we feeling exactly!?

So, it was a wise move to lay low for a few days. The dust has definitely settled, and, the truth is, we aren't quite sure how we feel. We're very pleased to have CELTA done, and we are excited about our many prospects. To have our lives totally free and open, though, is surprisingly disconcerting. We find ourselves unsure what to do with our time while we prepare for England and teaching afterwards. We feel a bit in limbo. We aren't complaining at all. We recognize how fortunate we are to be in such a position, and we truly are grateful. It is strange, though, to go from a very set routine to a very intense course (and routine) to the wide open land of possibility. At the moment, Taiwan is the country we lean to for teaching. Many opportunities, a hidden gem of a land, and a great location to see more of Asia. Our emotions around the situation, though, are causing us to second and third guess most of our choices at the moment, so that very well may change (or not). We are dotting 'i-s' and crossing 't-s' regarding leaving the condo and our lives here... still looking at various options and making decisions. We have signed up for some works shifts to make sure we can get through our time in England and the in-between stages before teaching. Most of the big stuff, though, is taken care of. Whatever our feelings, some definite decisions will be made shortly as we plan to apply for teaching positions before we leave for England. So... there will be a plan beyond the next 3 months whether or not our emotions are ready for it :-). We are confused and excited and unsure and grateful... and we believe this will eventually add up to something pretty cool. Stay tuned!

"The day you decide to do it is your lucky day." - Japanese proverb