My first full "On My Own" day in Grande Prairie is winding to a close, and as I sit here in a warm house after a night with lovely people, my feelings of loneliness are already subsiding.
Yesterday was Saturday, which was a bittersweet day. Good, on one hand, because it was my own little 1st weeky-versary celebration for being in Grande Prairie. It flew by fast with all the paperwork, appointments, hot tubbing, test driving, and shopping we crammed in there. On the other hand, Saturday was also a sad day, because it meant mom and dad were leaving. Sure, at first glance, that last sentence might make me seem a bit juvenile, the whole "mommy and daddy are leaving" thing - but I'm confident that ANY of you would feel the same kind of gut-sinking feeling after the only familiar faces you know in a city are leaving you. So get off your high horses and keep on reading!
It would have been tough arriving here all alone and setting up/getting settled without dad's judgement on the car or mom's understanding of insurance policies and bargain hunting, but I think in a weird way their help even made it HARDER on me that they had to leave. I became used to them being here and helping me out. So, when they left, I had a moment of hesitation, where I thought to myself "Alright, Becky. This is it. No turning back now. Let's hope to the good Lord Almighty that you're ready for whatever's coming for you". And I'm not ashamed to admit that when I say 'a moment', it was more like 15 minutes, where I sat in my parked car, wondering what it was I was supposed to do. I didn't feel like crying, or laughing, or screaming. But I know that for one thing, I sure didn't feel confident. I felt like I didn't really have a home (technically, I still don't - more on that later), and that the one comfortable thing that I had going for me was just about to board a plane and fly halfway across the country.
After I had my little 15 minutes of panic/hesitation/whatever that emotion was in my car, I took a deep breath and drove my newly-purchased Hyundai sonata to Libby's boyfriend's house, where I'll be staying with them for a week or so until Libby and I get our new apartment.
*Side note*
I met Libby online through Kijiji, which might sound sketchy but actually worked out alright. She was looking for a roommate and I was looking for a roommate, and as it turns out, she's actually teaching in the same school board as me. A) that's a bonus because she's a teacher, too, because we're generally nice people, AND we would be able to help each other through the school year with suggestions/planning, etc, and B) That means living with a complete stranger is mildly less scary because teachers have to go through all sorts of background checks, etc. Libby was also already in Grande Prairie when I met her, unlike my other potential housemates, so she was able to help in person with the apartment hunt and everything in Alberta while I was back in Ontario.
And I must say, so far so good. After spending more time with her since my arrival in Grande Prairie, I've discovered some awesome things about her that make me optimistic about our year as co-inhabitants of our little apartment. She's into photography, she likes pugs and hiking, and she enjoys sushi and thai food. I think we'll be just fine :) Not only that, but she's been SUPER helpful with everything. Not only did she help out with finding the apartment, she also let me store stuff at her current apartment just outside the city, met up a few times for supper, filled me in about some info about the city, and now she's giving me a (free!) place to stay for my week in residency limbo. Matt's very nice, too, and incredibly hospitable! He lives in a super nice house, where I have my own room, and have been treated with wonderful food and company.
*end of side note*
So yeah, I arrived at Matt's place, got settled, and Libby and I spent the day at the library trying to do some planning for the start of school, which is creeping ever-closer, with only 9 days separating me and complete and utter over-my-head musings of the school system. After that, Matt made us a delicious supper, we went on an [unsuccessful] hunt for Settlers of Catan and made a trip to Menchies (!). We returned home with bellies full and had a quiet Saturday night filled with Scrabble and Cribbage (made me feel quite at home!).
Today I spent the morning trying to do more planning, but getting very sidetracked by my ever-growing To-Do list and then got invited next door around 4 or so to meet the neighbours, Rob and Jen, the latter of which is a teacher as well. What I expected to be a "nice to meet you, thanks for the cinnamon bun" turned into a 7-hour gathering, joint supper, evening walk, and Settlers of Catan soiree. The best part? I felt like I actually belonged in Alberta. The company was great (although I admit I'm still a bit shy) and the time flew by, which is generally a sign that I was enjoying myself. There was no rush, no wristwatch-checking, and lots of smiles.
Tomorrow is Monday, signalling the beginning of a regular workweek for many, and a warm-up week for me. Tomorrow is when the 'fun' begins. I'll spend the week meeting staff, setting up classrooms, attending PD sessions, and planning my arse off. I'm overwhelmed just thinking about it, but after texting a friend my sentiments, he replied "that's the best feeling to have...It's exhilarating to discover you've pushed yourself successfully!" Here's to the truth in those words, a wonderful first full day 'alone' in Grande Prairie, and many more wonderful days to come.
Until Next Time,
B.
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