the fastest catch-up EVER

Krista's life since the last post in Malaysia:

I forgot to mention in my blog that BEFORE Malaysia I went to Nepal...and trekked to Everest Base Camp. That was hard, amazing, but hard and fun and I'd do it again in a second.

Now...after Nepal I went to Kuala Lumpur...wrote the last blog post...and THEN

Got PADI Dive ticket in the Perhentian Islands, Malaysia...dove lots there

Went to Singapore for less than 24 hours. It was sufficient.

Went to Greece, met parents for two weeks, sun tanned a lot, dove some more, fell in love with Santorini

Went to London for the weekend, met some awesome girls on exchange from North American Unis to a Uni in Sweden...on vacation in London for the weekend as well. Hung out with them, saw the sights, watched England crush France at Rugby...experienced the party thereafter...had far too much fun in such a short period of time.

Flew into Halifax (October 15, 2007 - yes, i've been back in Canada for a year!!). Met Cousin Shelley Anne who i hadn't seen in FOREVER. Crashed with her, met up with a J-Flo and Lyndsay (from Korea), partied Halifax style. Said goodbye to Lynds (sad).

Met up with Dave and Brooks and drove to Sydney, Nova Scotia. Stayed there. Met Danielle's Mom (awesome!) and Brooks' parents (explained it all).

Went on a roadtrip with Brooks and Jen to NEWFOUNDLAND! Stayed with Jen's family in Grand Falls/Windsor for awhile, drove to St. Johns, met up with Shaun B'y and Dawne!!! Partied a lot. Became an honourary Newfoundlander. Took pictures at the eastern-most point in North America.

Flew for 16 hours...domestic flight. St. Johns - Halifax - Toronto - Winnipeg - Calgary - Comox
GROSS...p.s. also the MOST EXPENSIVE FLIGHT of my trip. just saying.

Tara (bestest friend EVER) picks me up at the airport and drives me home in time to surprise my mom for her birthday (November 5, 2007)

I start working at the KOREAN SCHOOL in Campbell River (whoa random) on November 6. Amazingly...or i guess not so much, it's the same working for a Korean boss in Canada as it is in Korea. Only difference is the rest of the teachers aren't used to being screwed around quite so much and the...shall we say, discipline measures...utilized by Koreans so it makes for much more drama and explanations. It's all good for me though. I teach kids for 4 hours in my own classroom, i have only 7 students, i eat korean food every night and speak korean to the korean staff. BEST PART IS: I still get to go back to my parents and watch Canadian TV, eat Timmy Hoes and oh...buy shoes that fit. Best of both worlds.

Danielle Hiscock (SE Asia travelling partner!!!) did a cross-canada road trip after traveling wtih me. She hit Tofino (on Vancouver Island) and never left. She comes and visits me for my birthday!! YAY Korea in my life!!

I apply for a position with Victoria Police Department and the Saanich Police Department. This has been the goal all the long. Yay going to be a Police Officer. I'm going to the gym a ridiculous amount. Both police forces express intense interest in me "i am a very competitive applicant." This is great!! Huge-ass application packages show up, i'm stoked, i get doctors checks, eye exams and hearing tests done. Life is good...

until I, for some reason, don't fill out the packages and realize that i don't really want to do my life goal anymore....shite. aren't those realizations fun?

soooooo I also need another job (4 hrs a day teaching not cutting it really) so I start working at White Spot (restaurant) as a server. I'm busy - timewise and you know, trying to figure out that life-goal-wise.

I email a friend who's a Probation Officer to ask her what she thinks of her job, she likes it...and hooks me up with wonderful family friend of hers who is a Probation Officer in Campbell River so I can talk to her and ask her questions.

December 27, 2008. I go to my friend Sal's house for some drinks. Her husband Matt is there as well as 3 other friends of theirs, of whom, Jon, is one of Matt's best friends. Jon and I sort of kind of really very muchly so hit it off. We talk until 7am. We go to dinner and a movie the next night. We go for a walk the day after that. On December 30, 2008 he leaves for Victoria and on the 1st he flies back to Prince George (that's far away from me) to finish up his last semester at UNBC (University of Northern British Columbia). We begin talking at least once everyday (in some form or another - every day until October 11, 2008 when he takes off for 2 weeks hunting with my father and grandfather. we're in the middle of that not-talking period right now...i don't like it He comes home in 5 days).

I'm working Teaching and at White Spot. I meet up with Sandy (the Probation Officer) to chat. I'm interested in the job for sure...there are pre-req courses you must take. I look into them. They're not being offered until June. well then that decides it for the moment anyways.

Jon comes back to Campbell River (his hometown as well!!) for his reading break in February. 10 days. He drives 12 hours both ways with his dog Septima. We spend every possible moment together. He applies for jobs in Campbell River (yay). We are officially a couple (whatever that means).

In March I get hired by Probation (they offer me the job...i don't apply - funny how things are quickly falling into place). I'm not a Probation Officer, i'm an Administrative Support Worker, but i'm learning the ropes and can take my pre-requesite course while working in the office (way better).

Lyndsay Belair had moved to Brazil for a little bit (after I saw her in Halifax), but now she was on her way back to Korea for round two!! She stops and sees me in Campbell RIver. We swing by Tofino for a visit with Dan b'y and I send her on her way!

March 27, 2008 I fly to Prince George to help pack up Jon and move him to CAMPBELL RIVER because he got a job here! We drive back in time for both of us to start our new jobs on April 1, 2008. He's full time, I'm only working part time at Probation since I'm still also teaching. i quit serving...almost 10 years in the service industry and i'm out at last!!

Jon and I are driving to Victoria. I'm going to go to a girls' night and Jon's going to one of his close friends' birthday parties. He's driving my car (because I just got off from teaching and am tired). Just north of Courtenay we meet a suicidal deer. It jumps out, we hit it, swerve, hit the side guard rail which spins us across the road and we collide hard with the centre median. my car is a write-off. We are ok, police, ambulance come. Jon's dad picks us up in Courtenay and drives us back home. We wake up, sore, but ok. Deal with insurance...there's nothing that can be done until Monday. We look at eachother, realize that we're ok and we have two options. We can sit around and sulk, or we can get over ourselves and take jon's truck to Victoria to do the things we were going to do in the first place. We drive (a lot slower) to Victoria, I meet up with my friends and have an amazing time, as does Jon. We drive back....slowly that time as well.

My dealings with insurance are actually GOOD!! I get $7000 for my car, and I get it on the Tuesday after the accident!! I buy a 2008 Honda Civic (it's silver and pretty). I'm given a Honda loaner since my car wont' be in for a few weeks and I still have one week of teaching left (plus that Probation gig)

end of june...the kids go home. It was really sad. I really got attached to them. My class was in grade 4,5, and 6 (mostly grade 4). They had no parents out here so I was kind of like a surrogate mother. I dried tears, helped with Canadian homework, explained slang, disciplined...did it all. It was amazing. I took my boys and girls on separate field trips into Campbell River during our last weeks together. We had such a fun time. I will truly miss teaching.

As SOON as I'm done teaching I'm hired as a PROBATION OFFICER!!! kinda just rolled into the job...again...didn't apply. I'm Auxillary, which means i"m full time, but with no benefits. I'll probably be an Auxillary PO for a year. It'll give me time to get my training under my belt and some good experience before I have to actually APPLY (foreign concept) for a permanent position and panel interview for it. It'll be fine...there's a position waiting for me in Campbell River when I'm ready.

Jon had moved back into his Dad's place with Septima (Teamer) for the time being. He's sold his house in Prince George and is on the look-out for a place in Campbell River. He finds one and moves in. It's down the road from my parents. I pretty much move in with him (not the best idea in the world).

Jon gets another dog!! (with my help) Indy joins the clan. She was from the SPCA and had already been through two homes in her short 7 month life. We take her on...there's nothing "wrong" with her, just a LOT of energy but her and Teamer get on famously and life is grand.

I'm working full time at the Probation Office (as a Probation Officer), Jon's working full time as a GIS Technician at a Forestry Company. we pretty much live together, have two dogs and its' all too soon. We're busy over the summer so it's kind of ok. we meet eachother's friends, (his are awesome) we hang out with them, we have lots of fun. We're still amazingly happy together, he's amazing and I love him, but somethings' up and I don't know what it is.

MARTHA AND AMY from KOREA come and visit me on their BC/Alberta trip before they start real Teacher school in September. It's fabulous!! They meet jon, approve, meet the dogs, love them, fall in love with Campbell River and we also take a trip to Tofino to meet Danielle (for her birthday!!!), climb Lone Cone in Tofino, party and then they header on their trip and I go home!

As fun as the summer has been (camping trips, amazing girls nights with high school friends) something is still off. August passes and I realize...I need my own nesting place where I can put my own things and just be me. I hadn't really "moved in" with Jon. I was just kind of "staying there" except...all the time. My parents kept saying I was living with Jon, and I was. It wasn't working. We didn't want that committment yet. He didn't want me moving all of my stuff in, with good reason, we'd only been "together" a short time. I made the decision to get my own place on Friday August 29. I start looking that Saturday...talk to this one lady who says I can view her basement suite that same day, it's avavilable on Monday. I look at it, love it, meet the guy that's moving out of my place and into upstairs and the guy that's moving out altogether, they're all cool. I email my landlady my contacts and say I'd take it if she'd give it to me. On Sunday the 30th she calls and tells me I have it. I move in on Monday, September 1, 2008. Thank God it's a holiday.

Now, things are good. I have my own place, which I love. I have my new car. Jon and I are doing better than ever. I love the dogs, I'm close with my parents. I'm slowly settling into my new Campbell River life. It was quite the transition though. It's taken a year for me to be able to say "yes, i'm comfortable living here in Campbell River."

I love it.