Saying Goodbye to Our Island Jobs

July 4, 2012

We are Barry and Mary Ellen Bartlett...we are retired and ready to roam!
We have worked and lived in the Gulf Islands in British Columbia for the past 25 years. A job teaching in primary grades brought us originally to Galiano Island and then to Saltspring Island. For the past 10 years, Mary Ellen has continued to commute back to Galiano Community School as school secretary and library clerk on the school water taxi. The water taxi would pick up high school (and some middle school) kids from the outer islands and deliver them to Saltpring Island for school each day.

The "Scholarship" water taxi (services Galiano and Mayne Islands)

The Scholarship crew, Captain Dave and First Mate Mark. We shared many adventures on the water...killer whales, storms, laughs and conversation - a wonderful way to commute to work.

We have been planning and dreaming of a long term cycling trip for some time. It was hard to believe that it was all coming together so soon. The last few weeks of school was an extremely busy,exciting and bittersweet time.
Mary Ellen and I were both honoured and touched by the retirement celebrations at our respective schools.

A special book created for me by Ms. Lucke's K-2 class.

On the final day of my school year, I was surprised by the whole school performing a dance flash mob. The kids and staff had successfully kept their rehearsals secret from me - a wonderful and fun finish to an emotional day.
Teaching and working in schools have given us the best of all worlds-doing work we love and forging unforgettable relationships with kids, staff and families. But we are ready to embrace new challenges and a different schedule to live by. No more bellls!!

A banner for Barry - one of the students drew a picture of me on my daily ride on my recumbent to school

Our retirement plans. London to Istanbul on a recumbent tandem.

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