Tuesday 28 July 2015

Excited!!!

I still can’t believe that I’m going back to Canada.

It feels so surreal.

After thinking about it and planning for it for so long it’s finally happening.

To think that I had pretty much decided as soon as I got home that I wanted to go back but then had to wait to actually see if I could go back cos they changed the visa rules, to applying and receiving the approval in April and now to have finally booked and paid for my flight. It’s also taken so long because I came home with pretty much no money so had to save from scratch again.

I’m so excited to be going back. Right now, I don’t feel as though there’s much going for me here. I love Australia and it will always be home, but I feel like Canada is where I should be…for the next 2 years at least. And after that? Who knows!! May have to start researching on how to stay on. Haha.

It may be 3 months till I go but so much is happening between now and then.  I worked out I now only have 11 weekends, with something happening almost every weekend before I go! Some are complete write offs as I have plans to go away – Sydney, Melbourne, Sunshine Coast & Cairns. And the rest will be spent tidying and getting rid of stuff and catching up with people.

I will be finishing work on September 30 but there’s no rest for the wicked. I will be going to Cairns for the week leading up to my departure as I want to get my scuba licence before I go. It’s a 5 day course, with 3 days staying out on the Great Barrier Reef.  (It will also tick off something from my bucket list) Then it’ll be almost my birthday so will be staying up there until the Sunday. Then I have 2 days to pack and off on Wednesday 14 October! Nothing like a little pressure!

I think my 5 day stopover in LA will be recovering not only from jet lag but also everything else into the lead up to leaving Australia!

The countdown is on. Yippee!!

Friday 24 July 2015

Canada here I come!!

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain

This past week has been stressful for me. Have not been sleeping well, laying awake for hours at a time wondering about all the what ifs. But today, I finally had to grab the bull by the horns and get on with it.

I had to tell my work that I would like to go back to Canada. This was really the final hurdle before I could put everything into place. As a permanent employee of the government, I can take up to a year without pay and perhaps even longer. The last time I was in Canada, I had enough long service leave and recreation leave (at half pay) to last almost a year, then the remainder of the time was without pay.

This time, I was so doubtful about if I'd be able to take another year off, so soon, without pay.  I guess the thing that worried me the most was job stability and the fact that if things didn't work out that I would not have a permanent job to come back to.  But in saying that, I have hardly been in my permanent position this year. I've been given the opportunity to work in a number of higher positions which has been wonderful and given me so many more skills which will come in handy. Also, I don't know what I was worried about because if I didn't have a job to come back to I have plenty of skills to get a job easily.

This week I finally told the people in my team about my plans to go to Canada. They were all supportive. Tick. One of my close work colleagues is the HR person for our division. She said that the worst case was that maybe I would have to resign. Which by now, I had come to the conclusion that this would be ok. I mean, I don't really want to go back to my permanent position as I feel as if I have moved on. I worked in that role for 6 years prior to my last trip to Canada then when I came back in January, it further proved that I had moved on. Everything was the same, year in year out. All the same projects which I just don't have the passion for anymore. So, I resided to the fact that perhaps I will have to resign.

Every day this week, I was meaning to talk to my Manager, practicing over and over in my head what to say, which was fine. But when push came to shove, I just couldn't do it. Honestly, I don't know what was holding me back. Perhaps that when I did ask that it meant that it was a reality. Something that I had been building up for so long in my head was finally becoming a reality. It also doesn't help that I have a habit of overthinking things!

Then it came to today. Friday. Mum and I had an appointment with the travel agent at 1pm. We also have plans to go the North American travel expo this weekend. So really, I needed to know whether it was possible to take leave so I could book flights. Also, I have been talking to many friends in Canada saying that I'd be back in mid-October. Didn't want to let them down either. Finally, this morning, I wrote an email to my boss asking for a meeting and she agreed. Then the time came to see her. I had been building it up so much, I was so nervous and then I asked. She said "yes of course. If that's what you want." Hallelujah!

It was funny, leading up to it, I thought to myself "you're going to build this up so much that it really isn't a big deal in the long run. Years from now you'll look back on this and laugh." I was right.

Perhaps it's because this is the beginning of another significant chapter in my life. The funny thing is I'm more nervous about asking a boss for time off than moving to another country, with no job and no permanent accommodation. What the. Priorities hey?

But seriously, I don't know what's in store for me. I don't have a job. I don't have a place to stay. I'll probably have to live in a hostel for a couple of weeks. The good thing is that I do have friends I can see and more contacts than the first time. Who knows what will happen? I could be home in 6 months or I could be home in 2 years or I may never go home. Life is an adventure. Bring on the next chapter.

Monday 20 July 2015

To resign or not resign. That is the question.

After talking to my work colleagues today I'm really thinking that I might resign instead of taking leave. Will ask for the leave but if it's a no will definitely resign. I didn't really think of it much before but I'm actually coming around to the idea. Who knows what'll happen in the next 2 years and I honestly don't think I want to go back! Food for thought. 

Talking to my manager tomorrow. Definitely!! Was going to do it today but she had her uni graduation so it wasn't appropriate. Have a meeting with the travel agent on Friday so need to know what I'm doing!!

Sunday 12 July 2015

Slowly but surely

It’s amazing how things fall into place. Plans are beginning to form (in my mind).

 

I found out over the weekend that one of my best friends will be in LA around the time I head over to Vancouver. So now considering moving my leaving date forward so I can spend a few days with her.

 

Then my other friend has expressed interest in going to the Caribbean for Christmas/New Year and she’s also scuba diver. Funnily enough this is on my list of “100 things”. So now looking into certifying before I leave home at a course in Cairns that I looked into a few years ago so I can go diving with her. It’s a 5 day course where 3 days out on the reef as part of the course including night dives!  Seriously only thought of this today. Anything can happen hey?

 

It’d be a bit tight with leaving for Canada but really how many days do you need to pack up your life again? Haha!

 

Tentative plan is now Cairns from October 1 to October 11, with a 5 day scuba course in there as well as Mum coming up to celebrate my birthday. Then leave for US on 13 or 14 October then Vancouver on 18 October.

 

Still all in planning stages. But exciting! (Also just thought of all this today)

 

Bit nervous about asking work for the time off and still have to time it right. Thinking it’ll have to be next week that I ask. How do you word it to ask for another year (plus) off work after only being back for 7 months?

 

Honestly don’t even know if I’ll come back to it, but it’s good to have a safety net. I think I’m just nervous that they’ll say no…but if they do what’s the worst that can happen, that I resign? Gotta look after yourself!

 

Saturday 11 July 2015

New thing to add to my 100 things

Nothing too exciting except I literally just thought of another thing to add to my 100 things list.

21. Go to San Diego Comic Con

Seeing all these posts about it prompted me to realise that it has always been on my list...and now it's official.

Perhaps next year!