The next chapter

I've neglected this blog far too much. Here goes with my recap of the last few months.
In January I went to a job fair to be nosey. I had no intention of leaving my job in London. I just wanted to see who else at my school was leaving theirs and what was on offer in the international teaching world. Or course, if the American School of Paris happened to offer me a position, I would have taken it. However, I didn't think any other school could possibly woo me.
I go to the fair and to a few interviews just for practice. I rejected tons of offers in Japan, Kuwait, China. I was all set to reject an offer in Manila when the head of school there said, "Come to my presentation, then see how you feel." I signed up for a tentative interview slot based on this presentation. I went. I liked what I saw, but I still wasn't sold. At the interview I started with, "Your presentation was great, but you really have to tell me something good to make me quit my job. Why should I leave and come work for you?" I still can't believe how arrogant and cocky I can be.
He proceeded to tell me how he'd worked at my school and knew how the organization functioned. He did a detailed compare/contrast of our schools, then asked more about me and my teaching. He listened to what I had to say and was impressed I suppose. We agreed to meet again the next day. For those of you working in other industries, this fast pace hiring is common practice. Other teacher friends have described it as speed dating where you get married at the end.
The next day he offered me the job and gave me a couple of hours to think it over. From that day to this, all I see is dollar signs. The school covers rent and utilities. They fly me there business class and home again once each year. They pay for the shipment of all my household items (including packing!). Plus, they pay me a nice, tax free salary. Others who worked and are working there say that I can use the extra cash to travel in Asia (hooray!), hire a maid, driver, cook, have all my clothes, shoes, and handbags tailor made, or bank it all and buy a yacht later. To sweeten the pot, they offer a resigning bonus at the end of the contract.
My goal is to recover from the high cost of living in London by paying off my student loans (finally!) and credit card debt. After that, I want to amass a nest egg of savings so that I can, perhaps, retire one day. Cross your fingers readers that my life goes according to this plan!
To add a non-monetary element to the story, I also met a guy at the job fair. He's from Canada (Toronto in case you care) and needless to say, also a teacher (however, he does also have a law degree). He interviewed for my job as well, but I beat him out for it. Our meeting was very odd and caught me off guard.
I was in the hotel lobby calling a friend to meet for lunch after being offered the job. As I was changing my shoes, this guy comes up to me, introduces himself, and asks my name. I tell him and then he asks where I'm from and where I live now. We chat briefly about our mutual North American-ness and how he used to live on my side of London. He finished with, "We should get a drink sometime so I can see how the area has changed." He looks down, sees the mobile phone in my hand, and tells me to give it to him so that he can put his number in it. Obediently, I did. Then he told me to call him so that he could have my number. Obediently, I did. He also noticed a notebook in my hand and told me to give it to him so that he could write down his email address. Obediently, I did. Not sure what got into me that I suddenly became so docile. He texted me the following week and we went out for drinks. That started us seeing one another 3/4 times each week for drinks or dinner until his trip ended a month later.
We emailed back and forth upon his return to Toronto and he planned to come back to London to see me in a few weeks. The ash cloud delayed his return and I was on a trip to Stratford upon Avon with my 8th graders when he got there. I spent the following holiday weekend in Germany with friends, so I didn't get to see him until almost a week after he'd been in town.
When we met again, I was salty that it took him so long to get back to see me (ash cloud notwithstanding) and he knew I had beef. When we met for dinner, he put it all out on the table by asking why I was so mad. I explained the situation from my point of view and he explained it from his. We realized that we had a bit of miscommunication, kissed, and made up. Then we were back to weeks of dating a few times each week while he looked for a job.
At the beginning of May, he got a job. I was excited for him and delight for myself because his new gig was in Seoul, a mere three hour flight from Manila. I was happy that we'd be working in the same region of the world, so we could still see each other easily. We compared photos of our new flats, curricula at our new schools, our new positions, facilities, equipment, vacation time, bosses, and all things school related. It was shop talk heaven. I was bummed that completing his new hire paperwork would take him back to Toronto for my last two weeks in London. He missed the fabulous weather and my going away party. He came back the day I was slated to fly out. He came to my place straight from the airport and we had breakfast. He helped me pack up the last of my things and put me in a cab to the airport. I've never been so sad to leave a place as I was when I left London. I never thought I'd be happy living there and knew it couldn't hold me, yet I had such good times and made such wonderful friends that London felt comfortable and right.
My guy and I have kept in email touch and are both excited about what the future holds. We have no plans yet, but I am optimistic. If it works out, it will involve another move for one, or both, of us in two years time.
As I write this, I prepare to spend my last day at home before my long flight to Manila. I'm a huge jumble of mixed emotions, but I have to keep in mind that this is what I want for my life and unlike so many I'm living my dream.
Thus the next chapter of the international teaching career that I embarked upon three years ago begins!