Gloucester, UK
- Sophie Skinner
- Aug 9, 2018
- 3 min read
Every teacher knows the Summer Holiday feeling. Six weeks, no marking, no students, no detentions and lots of sleep. But also that tiny tiny awareness, even on week one, of how many days it is until it's time to go back to school. "When will I do my prep? In the last week? Or should I get it done in the first week so then I can relax?" Though this summer is different; I'm not going back to work.
It's now early August and I can honestly say I have never enjoyed a summer holiday so much. I've been on no exotic holidays but my mind has been on the biggest vacation since starting teaching. It is relaxed, refreshed and has empty space that is asking, for the first time in a while, to be filled with new things. It has learnt how to use a camera in manual mode (would highly recommend - www.dslrphotographycourses.com), hinted at wanting to learn another language and has been excitedly planning the journey that will take me to a New Zealand school in 4 months time. It has also decided it wants to start blogging again (I kept a blog as a triainee and NQT - www.missskinnerblog.wordpress.com) though more as a way to keep track of the journey and keep friends and family involved despite the time difference. It is a strange feeling having so much relief and brain space considering I really did love my job.
Why move is a question I have been asked often. Why move? Why New Zealand? Why now? The questions are met with a sense that I'm not sure I have a convincing enough answer. I have not had a burning lifelong desire to travel or live abroad. But I'd like to, and the opportunity has presented itself, so let's see if I like it. Why New Zealand? Well, have you seen it?! I will walk a long way for good coffee and a good view - I heard they have both of these. Though really, I am not a City girl. I was born and raised in Devon so fields, coasts and real countryside (not the type in Surrey) are where I feel at home. Since being a teacher, I have also utilised the aforementioned six weeks to do some longer trips and have never felt like it's enough. As soon as I get into the exploring mindset, it's time to come back. So perhaps in answer to the question, I want to see if it's possible to have the feeling you're exploring, yet still be at work.
(Plan: We will be travelling for about 8-10 weeks before setting up a base in Auckland. Think London->Singapore->Vietnam->Laos->Singapore->Gold Coast->Auckland->Christchurch->CamperVan->Auckland-> .....)
Gloucester? You may well ask. Another nicety about going away away is that, because we aren't leaving until September, there is an opportunity to discover some places closer to home. An inspirational teacher friend of mine got married in the Cotswolds in late July, so my sister joined me in exploring the area. Gloucester (brunch), Bourton-on-the-water (ice-cream), Tetbury (airbnb). Gloucester Cathedral, through the archway where this photo was taken, is really impressive. As a newby to photography, I got the chance to try out taking some pictures of cool things whilst appreciating the architecture and history.
So this is the first blog in what I hope will be frequent updates of our whereabouts. I also plan to accompany each blog with a picture. I really enjoyed the recent beginners photography course I went on after I bought a second hand DSLR from the London Camera Exchange. Now every walk takes twice as long because I keep stopping to take 'edgy' photos. You could also expect blogs to feature 'on the go' workouts, Crossfit and coffee.
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