Monday, December 22, 2008

When My Journey Began

Iona and the Isle of Mull have been in my heart and my dreams since I first journeyed there in May of 1995. I was back in college after the end of a twenty-four year marriage and ready for an adventure. I couldn't really afford the six week writing class in Galway, Ireland that my school, Indiana University, offered. But the Work Abroad Program looked interesting. I took the literature home and as I was looking over the possibities for working in Ireland, I heard a little voice in my heart whisper "Scotland" and my heart answered yes. I started collecting every bit of information I could find on Scotland. This was before the Internet was so prevalent which made the search quite different than it would be today.

I found Iona and the Isle of Mull in one of the brochures I had collected. So I planned to travel to the west coast of Scotland after my orientation in London. The Work Abroad program I made use of is called BUNAC, British Universities North America Club, for a fee they provide work permits and employers who have hired through them before. They do not get you a job, that is entirely your own responsibility. They do give you lots of support and the tools you need to find a job in your chosen country. As a "mature" student I was not looking for a job in a big city with exciting night life. I wanted to live in a small village preferably close to water. And that is exactly where I ended up. After a nearly two week search, I landed a job at the Isle of Mull Hotel in Craignure. My next posting will reveal how that all came to be.

Rebekah Spivey

1 comment:

Anna said...

I'm looking forward to reading more of your story!