The New Adventure Begins

Wednesday, December 30th.

I originally applied for a teacher exchange in December of 2015. It was something I had been interested in for a number of years but was waiting for the right time. After a couple of false starts I was finally notified that I had a match while I was in Ghana in July. Since then it has been four months of endless applications and paperwork, arranging the visa, getting police checks, making the travel arrangements, cleaning and organizing my house after hosting 139 international students, and taking care of the endless details that I had never thought of, the day has finally arrived. Maurene Bodie from Melbourne, Australia and I are participating in an international teacher exchange. I picked her up at the airport on Monday evening in the middle of our first snowstorm. She will live in my house and teach my assignment at school and I will live in her house and teach her assignment. I spent Tuesday with her introducing her to the area, my family and neighbours, the grocery store and my school where she will work. It is all very exciting and I'm glad that the adventure is about to begin.

I am flying today to Auckland, New Zealand via Vancouver. I will arrive in New Zealand on January 1, 2016 and will begin a GAdventure tour for 15 days starting on the 4th. I can't wait to see the country and get to de-stress and relax. I will fly to Melbourne on January 20 and start work there the next week after attending an orientation day and doing some planning with my new colleagues.
So, please come along for the ride, I will be posting activities and things of significance on a regular basis. Please feel free to communicate with me through the comment box at the bottom of every post or by contacting me at    joejarrett@rogers.com

Thanks, I hope to hear from all my family and friends so that I can stay in touch throughout the year.