It’s the last day of 2023… why not post for the first time this year?

It’s time to bring this blog back to life. Yesterday I shared a 2014 blog post with a friend I made about a year and a half ago, and she said “I never knew you were a full-time blogger” and it made me realize that I basically completely abandoned this beautiful business I built on my own shortly before the pandemic hit, and all I’ve done since is just maintain it. Well, about three months ago, Mediavine realized that my views weren’t what they needed to be (which is about 50k a month), so I lost the advertising I used to sustain the financial aspect of maintaining a blog (just spent $347 on it)… so I figure maybe it’s time to start writing again. I share so much on social media, why not just bring it back here?

Life has changed significantly since I posted last. I don’t even know how long it’s been since I last published a new post because I just sign in every so often and recycle old seasonal content to make it appear new.

Here’s a mini-update

So what’s new? Lydia is 14 and in 8th grade; Bryce is 12 and in 6th grade. Richard works remotely for a curriculum company. We have three sweet rescue dogs: Toofur, Hallie, and Fiona. And me? I’m honestly in a really weird place. I think someone else has said it best, so I’ll just quote him:

“You can get so confused
that you’ll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…

…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or the waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for the wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.”

-from Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

So what’s next?

I’m not really sure what’s next for me. I’ve got 20+ years as an educator, I’ve taught students in every grade from PreK through graduate school. I am a teacher by profession… I am a teacher as a human being. The two are inseparable. But I’m honestly exhausted. I’m ready for a new adventure. I’m ready to teach in a new way. I’m ready to be inspired and innovative and passionate and excited. I’m ready to pour (most) of myself into something new. This past spring, I completed the Women in Coding program at MIT, and I want to take the energy and confidence I learned through that program and find a new place to belong.

Small Steps

I’m trying to take the steps necessary to create the appropriate boundaries in my life. Embrace a new career, make time for my family, make time for my friends, make time for myself. I want to read more books and do jigsaw puzzles. I want to organize my office and sell items that are being stored in my garage. I want to heal from recent challenges, and learn all the lessons I need to learn.

Whatever 2024 brings, I think I’m ready for it. And I’m glad I ended the year by writing this.