Yes, I am at Woodstock

Monkeys dance and play on my roof waking me instead of an alarm clock. I huff and puff up the hills dealing with altitude and humidity. On the many stops I make along the path to gasp for breath I stare at the environment around me and am stunned by the beauty. The fog and mist swirl around me and I feel like I am walking in clouds. Everything has been an amazing experience since we arrived. I now know I should have pushed myself way harder in the gym before I came. My children when they are not involved in orientation have roamed the hills and explored the bazaar much more than us.

I'm Neva Whiteman and together with my husband, Ian, and two teenage children I arrived at Woodstock only twelve days ago.

I am sitting at my new desk this morning typing this trying to explain why we came. Here I sit beside a window with a breathtaking view, and if I am not careful I will spend too much time mountain-gazing and not enough time doing my two new jobs. I am working in Communications as a Communications Assistant and the other half of me is an Assistant to Jeff Doerfler for admin support. I have not much background in these positions so Woodstock, together with my two new bosses, is also taking a leap of faith with me.

On the train from Delhi with other new staff the common question was why we had come to Woodstock. The answer in our case was not a simple one. On a personal level we were looking for 'the right fit' for our family. This also was not easy to determine. My husband Ian had recently retired from teaching in Australia after 34 years in junior school. I worked for the Electoral Commission. This was a specialized field dealing with the running of all elections both at a state and whole country level. Our children were to go into Year 11 and Year 7 which are crucial stages in their education. Just like other parents I worry about our decision to come. This afternoon I am met by my son; he is excited to tell me everything about his wonderful first day of school in one breath. He introduces me to his new friends. My Colombian-Australian son's new buddies are Russian and American. Woodstock's diversity shines through yet again.

My husband is eager to meet me after work to tell me he had his best day of teaching in ten years; he is also excited and empowered to stretch his class to beyond his and their dreams. The beauty of the environment and the expectation of something wonderful that is going to happen to us and everyone who comes here is tangible. This is the culture of Woodstock, this is why we came. Was this the right place and the right time? Well, with a huge leap of faith and probably another huge leap of optimism, together with a lot of naivety, we chose Woodstock, and hopefully Woodstock chose us. So here we are, with a huge appetite to sample every incredible international experience Woodstock can offer.

Neva Whiteman