Shocking...

I still don't know when I am leaving. I do know they are still currently in school until July 4th, so I am trying my hardest to be patient until then. And I am distracted by things here - tutoring every day, working out, organizing things at the new house, and my upcoming trip to Alaska.

We sent out our invitations for the family graduation/going away party we are having mid-July. Before we sent the actual invitations, I had to tell some people in person or over the phone, like my brother, grandmother, and especially my sister. I called my brother. He was pumped and said he was practicing his fishing skills so he can catch some big ones when he comes to visit. My grandmother quickly changed to subject to something related to her and her latest boyfriend. But my sister's reaction was the best... she and I always said, ever since we were little and vacationing there together, that it would be so great to live there. She said, "Oh my God, you are living our dream!" I could tell her wheels were turning trying to figure out how she will be able to take some vacations down there, potentially without my nieces!

Reach Out and Touch Someone...

But you can only do that if you are a millionaire. Figuring out international calling rates and cell phone usage rates for Mexico has been insane. I thought I found the perfect cell phone plan, basically because it was the only provider that even offered a plan to call Mexico. What they don't tell you unless you specifically ask is that just to use an American cell phone in Mexico, or any other country, costs $1.49 per minute. That is crazy!

So I bagged the American cell phone plan altogether. I will just get a Mexican cell phone once I get there. My parents will keep their cell phones and, as it turns out, our current cell phone provider offers the best international calling rate to Mexico. So we don't have to change anything, just add the international calling capability to my parents' phones. This will make it easier for them, too.

And I found out today that I can put a seasonal suspension on my cell phone here so that when I come home from Cancun at Christmas and next summer I will still have my number and my phone! That's awesome! Verizon really is the best provider out there.

Unhappy "Roommate"

I heard from my now former potential roommate. She is in Cancun currently and emailed to say hello. She is living with her Mexican boyfriend for the summer. She said she has met some people downtown and they were "rude and disrespectful" to her and nothing like the people who work in the hotel zone. Well, no kidding. My response to her included the following, but I was probably a little nicer about it in email than I am here.

1. She has only been there for 3 days. Give it a chance.
2. Obviously people in the hotel zone are nicer. We, as tourists, pay their salaries.
3. She is basically alone there, without a job. She has no network, no connections.
4. Bottom line: American in a foreign country.

This doesn't make me nervous, surprisingly. I feel like I know the area very well, I have made many connections with expatriates via the internet and I will have lots of Canadian and American co-workers in addition to my Mexican friends. Plus I will have an actual roommate, not just live with some Mexican guy I have met twice.

What I am nervous about though is that the days keep passing by and I still have not heard from the director of the school yet. What the heck? Maybe this was why one of the expatriate women I met online said her daughter "used to" attend that school...

And I still know nothing...

I still have not heard from my director at the school in Cancun. I emailed her again this week asking just for the date that I need to be there. I have some opportunities to work this summer and a wedding I would like to go to, so I need to plan. The apartment, text books, and class agendas I can deal with knowing about a week or a day before, but I would like to know when I need to book a flight for.

Got to see all of my friends today at a BBQ. It was awesome. Everyone was there. They are all married and most have kids, some even have 2 kids. I did feel a little awkward being the only single person there, but I do love kids so I got plenty of time to be with the children and play and get dirty. I will definitely miss days like today, but the reality is that we only get together like this maybe once or twice a year.

This upcoming week is my last week at school. I am sure it will be emotional. I will be finished with my students on Wednesday and Friday there is a retirement luncheon (I actually wasn't going to go to it, until they told me that I am being recognized there too). I just have to hold it together. This is the right move for me. It will be difficult, but I know it is a great opportunity.

Breaking the News

I told my students on Friday that I would not be back next year. The first two classes I told didn't really seem to care, but my last class of the day was quite worked up. They had all kinds of questions for me and there are a lot of kids in that class, so I told them to write their questions down on a piece of paper and I would collect all of the questions and answer them at the end of class. They were so cute. "What will you do with your cat?" "Where will you live?" "Won't you miss us?" I cried on that one.

I also told my unit members for my business, and with that I also told them I was resigning as a director in the company. I tried to call all of them personally, but that was impossible, since there are 40 of them! So I sent a mass e-mail, which is cold and impersonal, but efficient, unfortunately.

Now I just need to figure out a way to tell my extended family members. My mother wants me to wait as long as possible to tell them but it is only two months away!

Speaking of it being only two months away... I re-e-mailed the director of the school in Cancun, since I hadn't heard from her in three weeks, asking her again about an apartment, text books, and our starting date. She did e-mail me back at least, but didn't have information yet. She said she would this week though, so that is promising. I am feeling extremely anxious.

My friends in Cancun are awaiting my arrival too. I can't wait to be there. Although I will miss things here, I am ready for my new adventure.