Choose Your Own Adventure

I've been postponing my first post because, honestly, the first entry is a little intimidating -- after all, the first post has to capture and hook a broad audience of family, friends, professors, colleagues, roommates, acquaintances, and all the other people who have expressed an interest in following along with my travels. So, with all "first post" jitters aside, here goes:

Why New Zealand? Why now? Many questions stand behind my desire to embark, but perhaps the most fitting answer is: change. Something different. Something new. The world is a big place and I've only seen such a small part of it. From the moment I became a student at age five, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. Any time I considered an alternate career path -- journalism, photography, marine biologist, financial advisor, Prime Minister of Canada -- I always returned to teaching. The idea of teaching overseas first entered my 14-year-old mind, sparked by my grade nine math teacher. Ever since, I've been twirling the globe and studying the Atlas, dreaming of schools abroad.

New Zealand became a destination of interest sometime between high school and college. Friendly people and landscapes abound were among the first attractions, but later research suggested an experience in NZ schools would be an interesting challenge. I began looking more closely at the education system and curriculum, focusing on what the country had to offer in terms of English Language Arts studies, and from there, things began to look much clearer.

Once I realized I was hooked on NZ, I began looking into places to teach. I explored the country's cities from the distance of cyberspace, and made many inquiries wherever a helpful ear may be present. I settled on Christchurch after falling in love with all the pictures and first-hand confirmations of the city's beauty. Little did I know that four other student-teachers at the U of L were also thinking the same thing.

In less than 10 days I will be leaving everything that is familiar, comfortable, and routine. I'm spending a few days in Los Angeles, then ten days in the Cook Islands, and by January 21st, 2007, I will be in Christchurch -- standing in a country that I've been thinking about for a very long time. I hope all of you who are reading will become regular visitors to my blog.

This blog has a dual purpose -- to delight and instruct. It will serve as a venue for reflecting upon my teaching experiences in Christchurch, while facilitating a professional dialogue between myself and my professor(s). It will also be an online gateway for family and friends to follow along with my experiences overseas. Many exciting things to come.

Thanks for reading...

L.