Why the title?  It was going to be ‘Janice in Alice’, but as this is just the beginning of the adventure and even I wonder where it will lead, I thought this was more appropriate.

Thanks to Melissa and www.quotablequotes.com
 

What am I doing in Alice Springs? I have long wanted to live here for a few months – to drink in the atmosphere, the colours and the stories.  I have also wanted to get into Teacher Education.  And more recently I have wanted to slow down a little – reduce the time spent travelling, that sort of thing.  So when a SEEK email came through offering exactly that - Teacher Education Lecturer until December 2013 - I had to apply.  I believe you should never apply for a job (or enter a competition for a prize) that you do not really want – you might just get it!  (And end up a long way from anywhere, and certainly a long way from where you started!)

Given that the job is in Alice Springs, it is, not surprisingly, working with the Indigenous population – Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE).  After I was offered the job, I checked my application several times to make sure I hadn’t accidentally ticked the box asking if I was of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. (I hadn’t!)  It is yet to be seen if I have biiten off more than I can chew! (spelling intended)

Initially, I had all the standard doubts – Am I crazy?  Why am I leaving my family behind?  Why am I leaving a workplace where I love my co-workers, who are such special friends, and my students who are so delightful to be with? Why am I not content with what I have?  But then I thought – content people don’t change things, and there are things which need changing.  And I am an educator, and I should use my skills in whatever way I can to encourage the teachers of tomorrow. 

Teach a student, teach one; teach a class, teach many; teach a teacher, teach hundreds. (Janice)

Many years ago a good friend gave me a wall hanging which read:

            To teach is to touch a life forever.

I also believe that

            To teach is to be touched forever.

So here I am with the blessing of my family, and the support of my friends, heading into my own ‘Wonderland’!  I have been humbled by the extent of the support from so many folk, and the welcome I have received in Alice, where I was met at the airport and given my own bedroom in the home of my new boss.  The house hunting starts soon.  The job starts on Monday.




The plane I flew up in

The two choices available for those leaving Alice on Thursday

I feel comfortable here already, but then I am still on holidays! The town of Alice Springs is more like it was when I first came here in 1977, or even 1988.  The people are friendly, and, for better or worse, it has all the standard facilities and shops you would find in any suburban shopping mall – all within walking distance of home and each other.