One Year Later

Those of you who have followed me for a while know that I quit my teaching job last June.  There were several reasons for my decision, but I truly believed leaving was the right decision for me at the time.  While it hasn’t been easy, it has been an amazing learning experience.  So now I’m sharing with you what I’ve learned in the last year:

*  I miss having a salary.

*  As a substitute teacher, I realize how much I miss having a classroom of my own.

*  I also miss belonging to one specific community where I can make a difference.

*  I’ve had a lot more time to write.

*  I haven’t written as many manuscript pages as I’d expected I would. 

*  I’ve spent more time on promo for friends, prepping for online classes, searching for “a real job.”

*  I had WAY more confidence in myself than the rest of the world did.

*  I wish I’d planned better. 

*  I now teach online writing classes on the side and I LOVE it.

*  I studied for and received my EC-6 Generalist teaching certification, which means I’m now able to teach elementary school as well as middle school English & ESL.

*  I’m not able to take the vacations I want- I haven’t seen some of my family and friends for almost 2 years, which is a long time for me, I can’t go to RWA Nationals and I can’t even plan anything for my 40^th birthday in the fall.

*  I’ve reevaluated my writing goals and found another avenue I can take for my writing.

*  I’ve learned how “rich” I was when I didn’t even know it and I’m well aware of my spending habits now.

*  Despite the sometimes financial burden, I am calmer, happier and a lot less stressed.

SOOOOOOO……

Was quitting my job last June worth it?  Absolutely.

Do I regret it?   ONLY from the financial standpoint.

Join me Friday for a peek into my goals and plans for my future.