Everyone has baggages of their own. By baggages I mean the problems that we face every single day. Those we bring with us wherever we go, those simple (and not so simple) ones that chew at the back of our heads any moment of the day.
When I went to Indonesia, I chose to leave my baggages behind in the Philippines. A clean slate, a new beginning. So that if I have to carry more during my trip to Indonesia, I will have the capacity and the grace to carry them all. Looking back on it now, I think this was a good decision.
I am not superhuman to say that teaching in a completely alien country was a breeze. I am also in a position to say that though being very grateful for the opportunity, being a teacher has its downsides. We barely get enough sleep in the weekdays so that we could plan for the lessons and make our instructional materials. I reckon, if I still had my baggages with me in Indonesia, it will be much, much ore difficult for me here.
But the thing is, I am happy here. Being exhaustingly busy is nothing when you are around people who make you grow. A foreign land may be daunting and scary, but it could also be an opportunity to explore, to LEARN. Losing my voice is okay if it is spent teaching the students I have learnt to love in my short stay here.
After a couple of weeks, I realized that this is what I am happy doing. I have always said that teaching is my calling but even then I had my doubts. But after teaching real students, real lessons, in a real life setting, after having a taste of what being a teacher actually feels like, I realized that every sleepless night is worth it. Teaching is worth all the baggages that life will throw at me.
Teaching is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I am so sure of it.
When I go back to the Philippines, all those baggages are still waiting for me there. And having the wisdom to continue and knowing that after all of these, I will become a teacher, they don’t seem much of a burden anymore.
Ady's Adventures in Palu 