Today is the first day of the last month of the year 2012. I spent a few extra minutes in my cozy bed this morning reflecting on the past months and the amazing things I have been able to do this year, with my friends and family, I couldn’t help but think: This is too Good to be True.
I spent more than a day in New York, got my first teaching job (even if it was at a terribly run private school in North York), holidayed in Mexico for the first time, made the decision to move to Turkey, went camping on May 2/4 with the best people, rocked out in Chicago for the third time, went to one of my oldest friend’s bachelorette party, was a member of a book club, went on an epic camping-canoeing trip and saw moose!, moved out of my beloved 1486 Dundas St. West apartment, lived with an old roommate again, left Toronto (hard to believe), moved to Turkey, got a new life (pretty much), spent my first earnings from my new and awesome job in Berlin while visiting a dear friend, had a student ask for my forgiveness (which I thought was very big of him), climbed the Tarsus mountains and swam in the mediterranean and it (2012) is all going to end when I ring in the New Year in Istanbul with some amazing people.
Reflecting at its finest. Too good to be true, right? Well, it is (true)! So believe it.
The biggest decision of the year would have to have been taking the job at (school name not included based on somewhat realistic fear of stalkers) in Adana, Turkey. Biggest and best. I came to the conclusion yesterday that the living here is really easy, super chill, and I’ve got nothing to complain about.
Things at the school can be a bit disorganized at times. Once in a while I’ll be minding my own business, teaching some kids, planning some lessons when bam! New Information that I probably should have known months ago, but they didn’t tell me months ago, so they’re telling me now and I should probably do/finish/change something immediately.
Like take yesterday for example. Schedule change! Yep. After three months of teaching my classes, they have decided that, you know what, things are a little too comfortable and we’re just going to move a few things around and presto, your schedule that you loved so much because of its amazing times and early finishes has now been changed to early mornings and late finishes.
Teachers were fuming. How dare they?! I can’t teach this many classes on this day…. Or stay till THREE THIRTY on a Thursday!!! Or teach these students in the last periods!!
I was annoyed at first too… I used to sleep in on Thursdays, but now I teach first period. I used to leave early every day, but now I teach last period almost every day.
But then I was like… wait a second. Last period ends at 3:30. I have friends that are lucky to get out of work at six pm and not take work home. I also get three holidays a year, not including my paid summers off. I’m going to stop complaining right… about… now. I’m also going to do my best to block out all the negative vibes with my negative blocking ninja skills, which can get more difficult as you listen to the same complaints over and over again.
Complainers have made me realize something, that I think I already knew. Those that don’t experience changes in their life and live sedentarily are more likely to become complainers (this opinion is not based on any research, only observation and countless accounts of why and how life is terrible for whichever person is currently experiencing something they deem to be unfair… in my opinion, this person expressing their complaints are usually in a stable and unchanging point in their life). My mission is not to become a complainer in a world of whiners.
To summarize, life is great. Happy December first.
the word on the street 