On Friday, I woke up a teacher for the last time in the foreseeable future. My classroom is now boxed in my carport storage, an easy fit. The question was what to do with my rolling teacher desk. My principal called it the Cadillac of carts, I called it my classroom on wheels, and my students called it fidget toy one-stop-shopping. I unpacked it in the carport, put the screws back in, looked around at the sea of green and blue country, heard the birds, felt the breeze, and realized I’d unlocked the greatest writing real estate.
Change
What Teaching Troubled Kids Taught Me About My Own Story
For ten months, I chanted with my students: 'This is my life. This is my story. I will love it or regret it based on my daily choices.' It changed us all.
Leaving Teaching to Write Full-Time: Is This My Midlife Crisis or My Calling?
After 16 years in the classroom, I'm not signing my teaching contract. A friend's sudden death at 44 made me realize: when do you give up safe and comfortable to do what you were created to do?
Starting Over at a New School: When Change Brings Fresh Perspective
After calling off my wedding and leaving my old school, I'm starting fresh at a new campus. Here's what I learned from a bright-eyed new teacher about approaching life with renewed enthusiasm.
You Can’t Change Yesterday, But You Can Grow Today: Kitchen Lessons in Life
This summer I traded gardening for cooking and learned to fix my own car. Sometimes wisdom comes from trying new things and accepting that you can't be better yesterday—only better today.
The Unfinished Puzzle I Had to Put Away
I was working on a Cinderella puzzle when my engagement ended, so I put it away with only the border complete. Here's what storms and roller coasters taught me about perfect endings.
The Mountain That Taught Me How to Start Over Again
Post 1: "Skills for Starting Over"
Better title: "The Mountain That Taught Me How to Start Over Again"
Excerpt: "After my engagement ended and my life unraveled, I went to the mountains seeking adventure. Instead, I found scars—and the skills to begin again. Sometimes getting knocked down shows you what you're made of.
Finding Rainbows After the Storm: When Life Surprises You with Beauty
I went to Fort Monroe Beach to think and got caught in a downpour. But waiting out the rain gave me a sunset, a full rainbow, and lightning strikes—all in 45 minutes. Sometimes the best gifts come when you go against traffic.
Finding Power in the Pen: When You Can’t Call Mom for Approval Anymore
When I lost my mother's daily approval after calling off my wedding, I had to learn to be proud of myself for the first time. Here's how losing her smile of pride forced me to find my own voice—and write authentically even when my hands felt tied.
Going Blonde and Breaking Free: When Life Changes Call for Bold Choices
I went blonde to mark my season of change after calling off my wedding and leaving my teaching job. Here's why sometimes breaking free means going 'all or nothing' instead of playing it safe.
