I’ve always really enjoyed travelling. I’ve gone backpacking in Europe 3 times. During this time I was fortunate enough to hit up: Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, France, Poland, Germany and Amsterdam. I’ve also travelled to Las Vegas, New York, Chicago, Bahamas, Florida, Cuba, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. The thing I love most about travel is being able to experience and immerse yourself in a new culture. It’s neat to see how different yet the same we are to one another throughout the world.
I first heard about PO from my co-worker Tammy who had participated in it last summer. The first time I saw her at school she said to me “Freedman, you have to apply to what I did this summer. It’s so for you!”. I wasn’t really sure what I was getting myself into but I thought, why not…..I have nothing better to do this summer. The other thing that appealed to me about PO was your not teaching children. I’m working with teachers in the St. Lucian Teachers Local to help develop and sustain their education system. I have been selected to run workshops on autism, ADHD, differentiated instruction and blind/low vision.
The application process was long. My package including reference letters was 15 pages long. The panel phone interview was intense. Waiting to hear that you passed each round and were moving onto the next in the application process was nerve wracking and exciting. Finding out that I was selected to go was amazing! I am one of 13 teachers from ETFO selected and 1 of 57 teachers in Canada going.
I’ve known for the past 4 months that I am going to St. Lucia with 3 other teachers from other provinces. But now that June has hit, it’s feeling much more real. I leave a month tomorrow. We are flying to Ottawa for training July 2 and will be there until the 5th. This will be my first opportunity to finally meet my team (face to face). On the 5th we fly back to Toronto and then fly out to Barbados. From Barbados we catch a Liat flight to St. Lucia. We are in St. Lucia until July 25th. On the 25th I will fly on a Liat to Barbados where I will be meeting my bestie at an All-Inclusive resort. We will be flying home together on August 1st.
I’m referring to this summer as the “Summer of a Life Time”. I’ve had a few people who have been close to me; pass away from cancer this past school year. From these experiences I have developed a new philosophy in life. Live it to the fullest with no regrets. I plan on immersing myself in the culture and learn as much as I can from the teachers in St. Lucia. I hope that this is a humbling experience that will give me a lifetime of memories.
Throughout my adventure, I’m planning on blogging and posting pictures here. Please check back often for updates from St. Lucia!
Cheers!
Lindsay
lindsaytravelstheworld 