And They Lived...

So what happened to the princess who moved down here in that first blog post?

Well, she's still a princess but she now has the ability to laugh at herself, to not take things as seriously, she met some people who changed her life for the better, she has learnt that while she's not a traditional teacher she's still a very good one, and she discovered how you treat them is better than how you teach them sometimes.

The princess also has learnt a few things about God along the way, that she's enough for Him and that He wants to be in control of things. She also learnt He's never going to leave, and that He will provide everything.

She has learnt a few things from people as well: confidence, the joy of not taking it all too seriously, the power of one good apology, that it's okay to need people, sometimes a hug is all you need and that you should find something you love and do it whole heartedly.

She still likes to shop (hello shoes and dresses!), she still hates bugs and still believes in sarcasm, it's just less of a weapon now.

And that princess, the one who got off the plane two years ago, with a broken heart and some major insecurities? She found A Prince Charming who loves her for who she is. A Prince who healed her heart without her even knowing it and who is kind and patient. A Prince who's family embraced her with open arms and she loves them back equally in return. And the princess and this prince are going to live happily ever after; because the princess is still a princess after all and likes to get her way!

The End!

Author's Note: Thank you for following along with time in Suriname. I've been so blessed. Blogging not over though, just my Suriname adventure.

The Difficult Kind...

Today was my last day at IAS. It's a very strange feeling, pretty bittersweet. I'm going to miss it a lot and I'm not. This wasn't the easiest of semesters, but it built character.

Even though it's over and it might not have been easy, I did love almost every moment of it and wouldn't change anything about it; even the not so easy stuff. It might not have simple but it was life changing, awesome, amazing and incredibly challenging at the same time. What more can you ask for?

What I've done (and what I'll miss)...

It's been busy here. Final exams, spring concerts, soccer games, plays, work, things to finish, last minute shopping trips, good bye parties and so much more. The closer I get to leaving (less then two weeks) the more I am alternately sad and happy. I'm happy to go home and see my family and I'm sad because I've built a life here. There are things I'll miss and things I won't and in honour of that, I've made some lists. I like lists.

Things I won't miss:
-power outages!
-rainstorms
-bugs
-extreme humidity
-bugs

Things I will miss:
-Tuesday night card night
-Chocolate milkshakes
-loempia (awesome egg roll thing)
-Fabienne
-other card nights
-The Hut
-Gouda
-warm weather in February
-palm trees
-my front porch
-roommates
-TVD discussions
-the movie theatre
-the restaurant behind the Fort
-baked goods all the time
-my co-workers (they rock!)
-my students
-my desk

And that list doesn't even come close.