TEAching English: Home (bitter)Sweet Home

I have perhaps never faced something as hard in my life as was parting with my international friends on Nov 10 in Washington DC. Kristel has been really diligent in recording our life in "Our Nation's Capital" as well as the last days in Boone, NC.
I think I was just too sad to even think about writing anything.
Every end is a new beginning. End is a comma, not a full stop. There are going to be good times ahead. We'll definitely communicate with most members of the TEA-fellows group either by skype, by email or on FB. Some of them are really hard to part with, though. Especially if you are not sure that you are going to see them again. They have changed me and have changed my life and there are some that I honestly and deeply love.

So, unfortunately the first night at home is a little bittersweet.
The kind of night when you start questioning things that you have learned and discovered. But I promised not to doubt in myself and I'm going to keep that promise.

Washington DC was fun and sad. Fun, because we could spend a lot of time together preparing for the cultural evening, dancing and laughing, talking afterwards and sharing-sharing-sharing materials.

This is the Estonia group + 1 lady from Kasakhstan

at our farewell lunch in Washington Hotel, DC.

That's the day when we had done our microteaching presentations, handed in lesson plans, learned about the small grants for the TEA alumni (who we now are) and were looking forward to some food and a free afternoon together.

I'm an official alumnus of Appalachian State University program and I also received certificates from IREX (who is doing the fund-raising, funding and organising the program) and from the Department of State that finances it.

I promised to put these certificates on my wall...

in Facebook...

We had a terribly long flight but I'm happy to report that I'm really and truly not frighetened of flying anymore. Only the air-conditioning on the plane was something that I loathed. Due to that I have now sore throat and a persistant and nagging cough.

Although we had a delay in Frankfurt, everything went well and I'm happy to be back at home where my daughter was eagerly waiting for me. One of my best friends ever had prepared me some out-of-this-world delicious supper and another friend had left this in my fridge:

Well, I think today may be just one of such emergencies:

I'm missing my new international family SO MUCH IT HURTS!

But in our life we have to face many challenges and this will not be my last trip to the US. I think these weeks just went too quickly to even understand what was happening. I have learned so much and I've made many great friends. I love y'all!
Let's not think of it as an END OF A FAIRY-TALE, let's think about it as a new chapter or a storyline emerging...

This poem by my Grandma has helped me a lot in these past few days.

I’d like to be a maple tree -

A broad and majestic plant

with roots that go so deep

and spirit that’s kindred to mine.

I’d like to be its leaves that are green -

they’re my youth so tender and sweet.

I’d like to bear its blossoms

and feel the dawn in the spring.

In the autumn – crowned colorful bright -

its leaves are golden and red.

They’re my feelings, each hue of which

sings a different tune.