Let'S GO! The journey's end..?

I see it has been a very long time since I wrote on this Blog - no excuses. But for this occasion, it's time to resurrect it, and who knows, it may well continue - but with a different phase. 😉

To get to the point, at the end of this school year at SGO, I will be retiring! In the summer I will reach 66 years of age & (all being well) my English part of my pension (the Czech one began at 64 - respect to the Czechs! 💪). It has not been an easy decision to make - I have enjoyed my 19 years there as an English lecturer very much & still have the enthusiasm & energy to continue - but there are other things to consider. (*This is how it was in my first year! 😎)

Ultimately, these are my main reasons for retiring:

• Time - I'm not getting any younger & I'm thankful for the blessing of each day that I awake to - I can never take that for granted. But, as I tell my students, time is a precious gift & I want to make the most of it to do other things. One of the perks of being a teacher is the long summer holidays, but the truth is, my wife & I both prefer our holidays in spring & autumn, and that doesn't fit with the school year. But there are other things I would like to do with my time. 

• Health - a couple of years ago, I had serious back problems - which thankfully were (for me) miraculously resolved. However, since then I have realised the importance of keeping fit & reasonably healthy - and of course, I need time for that. Time for exercise (walking, cycling, TRX & other exercises). I want this lifestyle to be more of a regular part of my day to day routine (which I have been doing consistently since my problems). So health & time are closely linked together.

• Relationships - I'm an introvert at heart, who has learnt to be extrovert, but as I grow older I realise that people are important. I have been so blessed in my work at SGO - with my colleagues & students, many who have become friends over the years. One of my aims is to use my time to maintain those relationships, both with family & friends. 

What are the other things I want to do? Well, you'll have to wait & see...as will I 😉

All that remains to say, at this point, is that it has been a wonderful privilege to teach at this school, and I'm thankful to many people (staff, colleagues & students & many others which SGO has been connected with - ISLI, especially!) for the host of memories & experiences which I leave with. I discovered a gift which I didn't believe I had, and it took someone else to see it, then someone else to confirm it, and the rest is history. As a student told me from a 10 year reunion on the weekend, 'You are the Mr E who is a mystery.' 😃

To all of you who have taken the time to read this & who have been part of this journey - thank you. 😊

(*this is how it is at the end 😏)