There’s no doubt that we are looking forward to our time in Canada next year very much. It’s getting close now, and our friends are always asking how we are going with the preparations, have we checked the weather conditions there lately, and are we excited. (The answers to these questions by the way are, we have so much still to so it isn’t funny, yes we check the weather and it’s been snowing this week in Oakville – quite early this year!, and yes we ARE excited.)

It’s really good being surrounded and supported by people who take such an interest in our adventure. We went out tonight with the Nugents and they asked lots of questions and talked about next year, and it’s nice to have that support. There are so many great things to look forward to next year, but I must say that there will be a couple of things happening back here in Australia that I am quite sorry to be missing.

There will be all the obvious things we will miss, like family and friends. My mum, my nan, our close family, and some of our very dear and special friends. I know they will be thinking of us, and we will certainly be thinking of them. But we would miss them all, no matter when we went. However, there are two things that are specific to next year which I will miss out on …

One is the Suzuki Club’s 30th Anniversary year… yes, I know it’s just a 4WD club, but it’s played such a large part in my life for such a long time, that I would have loved to have been able to be here for the celebrations. They are holding a big reunion dinner and there will be many people there I haven’t seen for a long time, including some of my good Japanese JCJ mates who are coming over especially for it. There will also be special trips and events happening all throughout the year to fabulous placed like the Victorian High Country, and as much as I know we will have a great time over in Canada, I can’t help but feel a little envious of others who will be taking part in these events back at home.

The other thing I will miss is having my Year 12 students for their HSC year. This group in my ITM class is the nicest bunch of students I think I’ve ever taught, and I will really miss not being able to be with them during 2006. I know they will do great, and I will stay in touch with them as much as I can via the Net, but I really would have liked to have been able to stick with them next year. I will miss seeing the great work they are doing, I will miss taking them through the intensity and the leadup to the HSC and their final major works, and I will miss seeing them at their Year 12 formal. I would have liked to have been there to give each of them a big hug and tell them how wonderful they are, and how proud I am of what they have done. And by the time I get back, I may never see some of them again, and that really makes me a bit sad.



However, sometimes in life you realise that as much as you want it all, you can’t have it all. You sometimes just have to choose your course and make a decision and even though there are upsides and downsides to every decision, you can’t dwell on those things. You just have to enjoy the moments you have and make the most of every second. And I will do that. I think the Canadian experience will be fantastic, and even though I won’t dwell on what I will be missing I think it’s a worthwhile thing to acknowledge it.