Day 68: An Official Announcement!

Culebra is beautiful this time of year. In fact, it's beautiful all year. The hurricane season is scary and being in a place where there are lots of mosquitoes is truly stressful, but the place itself is gorgeous.


Since we've been here, we have had some amazing opportunities come our way. We have also had some incredibly difficult situations to deal with. Hannah is making new friends and I am able to teach in a situation unlike any I have ever been in or probably ever will be back in the States. This is a culture unique unto itself, so it's magnified the advantages kids in the States have in innumerable ways!


So what is this "Official Announcement?" Hannah and I are going home! We will be leaving Culebra on October 28 and San Juan on the 29th, landing in Detroit that afternoon shortly after 2:00.


Stan and I decided to keep it quiet so Hannah could focus on her school work and tonight we gave her the news so she has time to say farewell to her friends at school. Some of them will be leaving for their trip over the weekend and the rest will leave next Wednesday afternoon or Thursday. At first she sat in disbelief. The next thing out of her mouth was an insightful question: what will my students do without me? I assured her that when I shared my decision with Abbie, she found someone to replace me. That person will be taking over for me right after we leave. Hannah, of course, needed some time to process this whole thing. She was in total shock! However, once she got her head wrapped around it she was overjoyed with delight! Our departure is at the end of the term, which coincides with the school's trip, and I will also stay on to teach the kids who aren't going on the trip. Then we'll be on our way! 


To top it off, we will have a new family member when we return home to Michigan! After losing our dog, Jen, last year, who was a chocolate lab, we had thought we wouldn't get another big dog. However, we've really missed her and we talk about her often. A couple of weeks ago another teacher from our district put out an email that her family had a three-month-old lab/boxer mix puppy who needed a home. Stan surprised us last night by introducing her to us while we Skyped!!! We have named her Zoni (after our favorite beach here!) So now Hannah is doubly excited!!!


So our adventure is not going to be the ten months we had originally planned on, but we know it's time to go home. Our relationship has grown incredibly (and so has Hannah!) and I am thankful for that probably more than anything else. Hannah has been given an experience of a lifetime, that she will cherish and be changed by forever, but we miss our family and friends far too much to continue to stay. 


So, cold Michigan, we'll be seeing you in fifteen days!!!


Thank You, God, for the opportunity of being here, and thank you for the remaining two weeks we have here!