Gearing up for the trip home is always a big time-taker. Shopping, getting car stuff taken care of, squeezing in visits with friends and family always has me rushing around. I got all the usual business taken care of, my big trip to Costco (RIP bank account) changing my tires from summers to winters (this alway raises a few eyebrows at the mechanic's), nails (of course) and a really nice last dinner with my family.
Last dollar drink :'(
Bye bye BBQ
I feel so lucky to have been able to spend so much time with my family this summer. My mom has been in school and took some time between courses so she could be around more and that was great. My sisters were really accommodating and I got to spend some really meaningful quality time together and for that I am really grateful. I got to see old friends and catch up and spent lots of time in bed (my ultimate goal). Overall this summer was a great success and I couldn't have imagined doing it any other way. Next summer though I would like to travel a little, who knows!
Last breakfast. 
Last Ice Cap
Last dessert. 
So, the drive back to Wemindji was thankfully uneventful! I drove to Amos from Oakville on Sunday morning on my own and set out from there Monday morning in a small convoy with Meghan and her parents Donna and Doug. The roads weren't too bad when it wasn't monsoon raining and we got to stop at the nice touristy spots. 381 got struck by lightening right before we got there messing up the computer systems so getting gas took a little longer than expected but otherwise it was a nice drive and my van made it back in one piece (although I do hear some tinkling that I am choosing to ignore).
I got back to Wemindji around dinner time on Monday evening and immediately began unpacking my incredibly full van. Being able to pack like a Tetris master is both a blessing and a curse. It means I can literally pack an entire store's worth of goods in my van which also means I shop almost uncontrollably to meet this challenge. I made a few doubling up mistakes at Costco which made me upset (I now have 750 melatonin pills, 12 containers of Lysol wipes, 5kg of basmati rice - just to name a few) but otherwise my classroom and home are now fully stocked until at least Christmas!
I started unpacking my classroom on Tuesday. I calculated that since I arrived I have put in approximately 50 hours in the classroom setting up, as I'm not even done. I've got what is necessary for the first couple weeks of teaching and the rest will have to wait. I'm super excited to see my kids again from last year and I am optimistically hoping we can kind of just pick back up from where we left off! I have a few new additions and some switcheroos were made here and there so I don't have the complete old group but we all know each other and it will be really nice either way to see their little faces again! We also have 2 more new additions to the classroom, some beta fish I brought up with me, so that will be fun! I can't wait to see the names the kids come up with for these guys.
Well, I've probably never been more tired this week than I have in my entire life but there is nothing like the feeling of satisfaction of having an almost-complete classroom and an idea of what to expect come Monday morning. I have been sleeping like the dead for the past week and probably getting the most exercise I've had in a long time which is sad. Also! I am happy to report that I have SOMEHOW magically managed to keep my manicure INTACT this entire time!!! My cuticles are a little worse for wear but the polish remains unchipped! Shellac is a miracle. My nails are basically too long to even type on the keyboard so I'll be trimming them pretty soon.
Anyways good luck to all my colleagues starting school tomorrow!
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