Who knew how much my life would change?

Erika's issue challenge for this week (over at Club CK) was to do a layout on a life change.  I knew immediately what I'd do.  When I chose to leave my job and home and move to Kuwait, I had no idea what was in store for me.  But it was the best decision I've made and I've never looked back.  I used Julie Billingsley's "Find Your Wings" digi kit.

I realize that you can't see the journalling so here it is:

When I decided to go to Kuwait in August  2000, I had no idea how my life was going to change. I went because I wasn’t happy with my teaching job in Saskatoon and I knew I needed a change, either profession or something drastically different within the teaching field.  Going to Kuwait was pretty drastic! I never dreamed that I’d go to the Middle East, but here I was. I went through the normal adjustment period of a first-timer living  overseas but the friendships I made and the travel opportunities were so much more important than the bumps in my transition. I went to Kuwait thinking that I’d go for a year and then return to Saskatoon. Little did I know that I’d meet my soulmate there or that my life was heading along a new path.  Meeting Derwin was the best thing about moving to Kuwait and I know that this was all meant to be. Otherwise, how could a girl from small-town SK meet a boy from small-town MB and fall in love while living in Kuwait? This was the first event in many that made me realize that God does indeed have a plan for all of us. Perhaps we don’t understand why things are happening but we have to just have faith in God’s plan. Our time in Kuwait was the door-opener to international teaching for us and we are so happy that we continued on that path. Living in other countries has taught us so much about the world and about ourselves. We’ve learned about different religions, lived in different cultures and even learned different languages. I’ve become so much more flexible and can go with the flow now. I’ve learned to let go and realize that I don’t have control over everything. I have such a greater understanding and  appreciation of different cultures now and I feel that I’m a better teacher and person because of it. Was it easy? Not at all. Was it worth it? Definitely. Change is rarely easy but we learn so much from trying experiences  and I have grown so much also. I’m so glad I took the chance of a new experience because look what I’ve gotten out of it!