Hard Decisions
I love teaching in an international school. Love the life being overseas. I love the people I work with, the people I meet. Workshops, conferences. I feel blessed. Its the best kept secret I think being an international school teacher. International school teachers are well looked after for the most part. One part of being an expat are those sacrifices you make when you leave home, wherever that may be. With that move you leave friends, but make others but what is rare is leaving parents and relatives. This is probably the hardest part of being an expat I would think. It is for me anyway. It gets tougher when you visit for a few weeks, then leave again. Each time gets that much more difficult and gut wrenching.
This time its a bit harder than usual, when a parent is in hospital. Decisions on whether to stay or leave. What about the long term? What about the unthinkable. All these things go through your mind, knowing that you need to go back to the country where you work. Its not s nice feeling and I know many of you reading this that are expats might have gone through this. So basically this is where I am writing from now. We plan to leave tomorrow with my mother in hospital and my father , who is unwell ..who insists us to leave, he doesnt want to upset our travel plans and insists we leave. I know there isnt much we can do by staying, but being here for them is my concern ( I am the only child and my folks are transplanted Canadians in Australia).
Hard decisions
The Learning Journey 
Hard. Thinking of you.
Thanks! 🙂
My brother isn’t well either, so I certainly know the pain your are going through. It is the one big part of the internstional gig that is very painful sometimes.
Jason, I relate to what you are saying. Over the past 15 years, my wife and I have been blessed with some amazing experiences working as international educators. Going back to Canada in the summers has always been very special, especially for our 2 boys, Eli (10) and Tai (8). My boys getting to know and understand their Canadian roots is important to us. For them to get to know their aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents even more important.
Life can throw many challenges at us and being away from home when events such as you describe are going on can be very difficult. I have lost 2 brothers and my father over the past 15 years. Most recently in December, I got that heart wrenching, painful email informing that my brother passed away. My family and I had to make the journey back for his memorial service. It was an extremely tough thing to go through.
What matters first and foremost, however, is your own family and kids. Your parents know 100% that you love them and as tough as it is leaving, they understand that you must go and return to your life back in Indonesia. One day our own children will experience the same things as we grow old ourselves. T’is life, as sad and hard as it can be.
Best of luck with your upcoming school year and I wish your mom and dad the very best too during this difficult time.
Family is most important. Do what you need to do yo keep yourself and your immediate family happy and healthy. I hope all works out well for your mum and dad!