2013: A New Beginning

It is certainly about time that I sat down and blogged again. Call it a New Year’s resolution but I am determined to blog far more in 2013. I find blogging to be a very powerful tool not only for me but I was incredibly impressed by the blogging of my students in 2012.

So for my first blog of 2013 I thought I would blog about a new beginning.

My family and I have been back in Australia for 3 weeks now. I think the realisation that we are here in Wagga for good now has set in and I must say it is exciting.

After 24 hours back in Wagga I said to my wife as we were down at the local shops “What have we done? Am I mad leaving a great job in Hong Kong for no job in Wagga?” I think I am over that feeling now but I do have to stop comparing prices in Australia with prices in Hong Kong.

There is much I will miss about Hong Kong but it is time to look forward. I will never forget 8 amazing years in Asia’s world city but I now look to creating memorable moments in the Riverina’s largest city.

It hasn’t taken long for us to see in up close the real reasons why we came home.  Our children have delighted in the company of their cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles. It has always been amazing coming home at Christmas for the past 7 years and spending so much time with our family. What is even more amazing at present is that this time with family will be year round from now on.

My children have loved being outside playing in the backyard until late into the evening until dusk. They love going to local parks, beaches in Sydney and the pool. These are things that Aussie kids delight in and I want my children to now really feel Australian not just a place where we come once a year.

We wait for the next stage of our Aussie lives to approach that is work for my wife and I and school for the kids. I am nervous for my daughter about starting school as she was very apprehensive about moving home. I know she will be fine but I wish she didn’t have to wait a few more weeks before school starts. My wife is very excited about starting her new audit manager role. As for me professionally there are challenges ahead which I look forward to embracing and showing schools in Wagga that I have a great deal to offer a school both in and out of the classroom.

Anyhow 2013 is here, a new beginning for the Spain family, but one which we are very excited about.