Leaving - Tatty Scott gives the first installment of her Italian TEFL diary
Monday, 24th May 2010
Seventy-eight minutes later than scheduled I left Newbiggin By The Sea. In spite of the (characteristic) tardiness, this was not an insignificant journey. In my car was everything I owned in the world that I might need for the foreseeable future. This included Archie the dog.
The reason for all of the above was that eight months earlier I’d decided to overturn my wash as a freelance arts project manager and retrain as a TEFL teacher. I gave up my rented Northumbrian cottage, sold most of my furniture, and began spareroom-living with friends to save cash and clear off the credit cards so I could retrain in London in January.
In the middle of the sort out I’d heard of Cactus’s Suzanne Furstner Scholarship; the prize was a TEFL course at a school of your choice in Italy. I entered the competition and crossed everything. The planets must have been on my side that day as I won.
From that moment everything changed. The chance to study abroad made it entirely possible that if I passed the course I could potentially never return to Blighty. Packing changed tack. I began consigning my worldly possessions to a friend’s wardrobe and my aunt’s loft with the overarching motto, Pack to Not Come Back. It is what I still hope not to do.
And so, after eight months of anticipation, the Big Day finally came. I was driving to Milan where I’d be taking a five-week CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults). My feelings were fear and excitement, but mainly fear.
The course was going to be intense. We’d be teaching real-life, yes real-life foreign students from Day One. Meep. Public speaking is my number one phobia, but it was also one of my motivations for wanting to become a teacher. If I have a coherent path in life it’s about (eventually) saying boo to the things that scare me.
Driving abroad was going to be another challenge. It was the roundabouts that worried me most. A friend suggested sticking post it notes on the right hand side of the windscreen reminding me to drive on the right and turn right at roundabouts. Check.
But the biggest surprise came in a sharp, crystallising moment just before I left Newbiggin.
I’d packed up the car and was having a final brew with friend and temporary landlady Laura.
“Ooh! Keys!” she said.
“Well remembered.”
As I peeled the front and back door keys off my key ring, all I had left was the key to the ropey Ford Focus outside with my life packed inside it.
“Oh my!” said Laura, who is a very perceptive person.
“I know…” I added. Alarmingly, for the first time since I was a child, I did not possess a key to a front door anywhere in the world. It was a liberating if peculiar moment.
Then it was back to good old British gumption and the job in hand. Dog bed in. Dog in. Back into the house for the bottle of water and dog bowl - and then I was off.
The feeling was immense. I was on my way and it felt Drastic and Satisfying and Important.
Two minutes into the journey I stopped and turned back. I’d left my mobile by the sitting room window.
Tags: diary, sff2009, suzanne furstner scholarship, milan, celta, italy, tefl
Posted by Tatty Scott 2010-05 under Cactus TEFL, Cactus News,
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Posted by roby on 06/03 at 07:12 PM
Well done Tatty!!! :)
Posted by Cactus on 06/04 at 12:28 PM
Great start! Can't wait to hear the rest...