Homeward bound

As my time in Vietnam comes to a close, I’m packing up my suitcase and heading home to catch up with family and friends before Christmas.  The past twelve months have been a great learning curve and I feel I now know far more about the TEFL industry, Vietnam and myself: having grown in more ways than I could ever have imagined before setting off on this journey.

A hot and humid, but amazingly diverse year with immense highs and lows, great food, awful chocolate, frustrating and amusing situations – in equal amounts, wonderful travel destinations and vast quantities of quirky moments: some of which I hope you have enjoyed sharing with me.

All in all it’s been a great way to temporarily satisfy my travel bug (which constantly works away in my brain space adding more ‘must see’ destinations to its list).  I’ve travelled to all the major destinations in ‘Nam as well as seeing some of Cambodia: as I’ve already said, somewhere I’d never envisaged visiting.

I wish I could thank all the people who have contributed to making the past year so unique, in ways they could never understand: from warm hearted strangers on the street to colleagues and close friends.  All of whom have contributed to restoring my faith in people.  The management at my school have been fantastic, the professional development opportunities far exceeded my expectations, and thanks for making me feel like The Queen of the Jumpies!

The smiles and laughs my students have given me were worth all the hours of planning and preparation (not to mention perspiration!) – I just hope they continue to learn from the foundation I have given them.  I am sad to leave, but keen to see old friends again and excited about the new ones I will make in the future.

What next year holds no one knows, but I can guarantee I will be back with yet more travel tales to raise a smile, and a few eyebrows.  Be sure to check in from time to time for more updates.  For now, it’s goodbye swimwear and sunglasses, hello socks and central heating!  What am I most worried about?  Reverse culture shock?  My extremities turning blue due to the UK winter and my poor circulation?  No – it’s suppressing the urge to walk between endless streams of traffic and having to learn my green cross code again! TBC…

Much love and thanks for reading.

TTFN!

A xx