At the Airport, Then the Thunderbolt
I made it to the airport. I was in early pregnancy, and my biggest worry was that the heavy luggage would do me in. That worry would turn out to be the tip of the iceberg.
I was still standing in the airport. I seriously considered not boarding.
From Working Holiday Pregnant by Mocha Park
Will the boss take me anyway?
Since I hadn't left the country yet, telling the boss I was pregnant would give him a clean reason to revoke the offer. By Western workplace logic, the odds tilted toward "don't come anymore."
But hiding it would obviously make things worse later. For my future, for my future coworkers, for the boss himself, I decided to disclose before flying out and let them make the call.
In the end, he said come.
From Working Holiday Pregnant by Mocha Park
I Started Working in Vancouver Pregnant
When I landed, the people I met spoke a language I understood. The misunderstandings I'd come in with started to soften, and a quiet thought settled in: I could raise these babies in Vancouver.
What helped, mercifully, was Canada's social-democratic side. Maternity leave, parental leave, government benefits. Catch: you had to clock a minimum 600 hours to qualify.
From Working Holiday Pregnant by Mocha Park
