It's been a little over two months since I arrived in Hangzhou. The transition still feels new as I'm continuing to learn the ropes of how things work here. I had lunch with one of my new teammates today. It was refreshing to have time to sit down away from school and talk about the process that you go through when teaching abroad. It is so much more than just an adjustment to a new school; it's an adjustment to a new community, a new system and way of doing things, new expectations, new relationships, a new culture, a new language, and a new city to explore and adapt to. Adaptation is my strength. Being able to thrive in new settings is one of the things I pride myself on. I enjoy the newness of things and find excitement in learning and growing through new processes. I like the challenge and the personal growth that comes with exploring new places and meeting new people. I rarely, if ever, find myself in a state of missing home. I guess when the concept of "home" has changed throughout your life, you find yourself missing people and places instead. I had my first small bout of "'missing" today. I always miss the people I've done life with in the past, but somehow, combined with my lack of sleep and the absence of so many people who are traveling during the National Holiday, the absence of others I love has pulled harder at me this week. I was able to video chat with my friend and mentor, Kathi, today. She grounds me in so many ways and I've missed our daily debriefs. As an external processor, I need the quiet strength of someone who is willing to let me sort through how I feel about things and then help me snap back to reality. Relationships where I find that I can think outloud are usually where I feel safest and I was lucky stateside to have so many thoughtful, steady, and consistent people in my life to process externally with who really understood me. I think it is probably what I miss the most. I am still growing into those relationships here. The kind of relationships I crave most come with time and I have to keep telling myself that none of the steady relationships I left behind bloomed overnight. Most of them were formed little by little. (Especially since many of my closest friendships are with introverts who I wore down after an extended period of time. Why are ENFP's so obsessed with Introverts?) 😜 I found this video as I was sifting through and organizing old photographs this weekend. It seems fitting to share it tonight. I made it in the middle of the night sometime this summer when I was grasping the reality that I was truly leaving this group of friends and colleagues who have invested so much of themselves in me both professionally and personally. I was abundantly lucky to work beside these faces every day. There were many tears shed in my time at Marion, but there was always even more laughter. I will always miss my Eagle family and the love I received from them. On my hardest days at Marion, I knew that despite what I was facing in my professional life, that I was standing within a community of people who cared. I was in a community where I was deeply loved, doing work that deeply mattered, beside truly gifted educators. I will always look back on my time beside them with fondness. A school community runs deep and wide. These are my people. Beside them I have laughed and cried. We have shared in each other's joys: babies, marriages, personal and professional accomplishments; and have stood in churches and at gravesides saying goodbye to some our own. We have dressed up in outfits far too ridiculous to be worn in daily life, cussed together, cried together, found solutions together, and always, always made it through together. They are embedded so deeply in my heart that I don't know how I ever walked around this great big earth for so long without knowing them. They have left permanent handprints on my heart and I am a better teacher and person because of them.
18 Comments
Kathi
10/8/2016 07:00:45 am
Thanks for always igniting my inner spirit - for friends, for teaching, for Marion, for life. ❤❤ (I have to admit...some of the pictures were much too blurry -- or maybe that's because my eyes were weeping the entire time!!!!)
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Michelle
10/14/2016 09:31:21 pm
There's not a day that I don't miss you!
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Jess
10/8/2016 08:17:21 am
😢😢😢 Wiping away a mix of happy and sad tears. Happy because you have made as big an imprint on my heart as I appear to have on yours. ❤️ Sad because you are worlds away and I miss your hugs tremendously. 😘
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Michelle
10/14/2016 09:31:48 pm
Air hug! <3 I miss you too, friend.
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JGarrett
10/8/2016 08:30:54 am
Oh Michelle, I just love you and miss you to pieces!! I'm excited for you, and I know you will do above and beyond with those precious kids. ❤️❤️❤️ Your perspective about school and community is right on. Miss you:)
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Michelle
10/14/2016 09:33:40 pm
Jessie! I'll be in St. Louis in late December/January. I demand some time with the Garrett family. :)
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Rachel
10/8/2016 08:44:05 am
Ah, that heart of yours. Attaching itself to others since the beginning of time. (= I've never known anyone with as much love as you have for others. You inspire me continually. Can't wait to learn about the new people you get to journey with and love now. Do they know how lucky they are?
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Michelle
10/14/2016 09:35:08 pm
Ha! It's a blessing and a curse, but I don't need to tell you that. :)
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Wendy Gehner
10/8/2016 08:57:56 am
I needed this video and your words after a long and emotional week! You are a blessing to all who know you, and we miss you!
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Michelle
10/14/2016 09:37:51 pm
I'm sorry to hear it was a rough week! Hang in there friend. You are the BEST at what you do and your students are so lucky!
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Tammy
10/9/2016 06:24:22 pm
I miss you Michelle. Everything is so different this year. I admire how strong you are. Hope everything is going wonderfully. You deserve the best.
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Michelle
10/14/2016 09:41:46 pm
YOU are the epitome of strength, Tammy. I am always thinking of you! Hope this year looks up for you. You are such a gifted educator!
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Tonya
10/10/2016 06:18:06 pm
Oh my! Just got a chance to read and watch this. Miss you so very much but I know you are doing amazing things and making a difference over there! You are an awesome person with such a huge heart. I hope it is everything you hoped it would be. Can't wait to see what you post next! Love reading about your adventures and experiences! Love you!!😘😘
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Michelle
10/14/2016 09:43:22 pm
AH! I miss laughing with you. :) We need to attempt a video chat soon!?
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Pam
10/13/2016 06:17:13 pm
Oh Michelle! What a great video! I've been thinking so much about you and miss seeing you in the Marion hallways and our after school chats. You amaze me with your beautiful spirit!
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Michelle
10/14/2016 09:39:33 pm
I was just telling someone about you the other day! I've been missing you! I need to find my Pam here. :)
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Meg
10/14/2016 04:21:52 am
My Mitch, I miss your sunshine, laughter, and insight in my life. I hope you know how very profound your absence has been for us and just how much you are loved. I so greatly miss doing life with you. Your new students and colleagues are immensely lucky to have you, although I'm sure they know that by now. Your impact has always been widely felt and I can't wait to see what you learn on this leg of your journey. You are such a beautiful creature. I hope that life is good to you in your newest chapter. There has never been anyone more deserving!
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Michelle
10/14/2016 09:40:46 pm
I can never read anything you write without tearing up. I miss you immensely. Give that sweet boy of yours a bear hug from me. :)
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AuthorMichelle is an expat and globetrotter, currently residing in Augsburg, Germany. Originally from the US, she has called Guam, China, and Germany home. Her passions include collecting children's picture books, reading, writing, traveling, and trying to remove coffee stains from freshly cleaned shirts. Archives
February 2022
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