Finally it was time to say goodbye… lots of tears and hugs before we boarded the ferry to Vancouver. Theresa had a surprise for us… two stretch limousines waiting to carry us to the airport in luxury! The girls were delighted!!

Once at the airport, there were a few hold-ups as some of the girls had bags that were very overweight, so they had to do some repacking. �However, from there it was smooth traveling all the way to Fukuoka, where their families were waiting. Was very nice to be at home, though we all miss the beauty and warmth of Nanaimo and VIU.

A huge thanks to Theresa, Pascalle, Emily, Rebecca, Taha, Mathieu and the rest of the VIU team for all the support and fantastic organisation while at VIU. Also, a very warm thanks to Kathy, who taught the girls while they were here… she made a deep impression on them with her warm positive approach. And finally, a special thanks to the host families who took the girls into their homes and made their stays so special. All of the girls returned home with wonderful memories of their 3 weeks in Nanaimo. �Until next time…