Without a doubt, the last two years have been a precious gift to me. I have enjoyed the luxury of time to make the transition from SE Asia to the Caribbean and the freedom to travel and be with our kids and grandkids. Without this time to concentrate on my studies, I probably would still be at least a year away from completing my MA rather than heading off to convocation next month. This wass a demanding transition for Steve and it has been very helpful that I was free to handle things outside of work. However, that time has passed and it is time to move on.
Once the completion of my MA was in sight I began seriously praying about and exploring what that might be. I began making inquiries and submitting resumes in early October and long ago lost sight of just how many are out there. I looked at opportunities within TWR, paid positions here on the island and volunteer roles here and in other parts of the Caribbean. I even looked at taking some further education. I had some interviews but there are some unique challenges when it comes to obtaining a work permit on the island.
One of the first interviews was in October. It was a very promising one with Cayman International School but they were honest about the fact that it was a new, discretionary position and a decision to fill it would not be made until spring. It would be dependent on budget constraints, enrollment and whether there was a Caymanian candidate who could fill the position. This was always in the background but I still aggressively looked for other options in case it did not go well. It did go well, and I have been offered and accepted the position of Health Specialist at CIS.

This is a very exciting and also quite terrifying prospect. Along with the traditional school nurse responsibilities, I will be teaching Health to eight classes; three grade six, three grade seven and two grade eight. I readily admit that teaching is not something I ever envisioned myself choosing to attempt but have begun the process of shadowing some teachers, exploring curriculum and resources and planning for the school year. This will undoubtedly be the biggest learning curve I have ever faced but with God’s help, I have waded into deep waters before. I begin work on August 1st and like a teacher, I am looking forward to some summer travels before the new year starts.