My 500th post (and other news)

Wow, I can't believe that this is my 500th post on this blog!

Five hundred posts in seven years!

Dang.

Okay, now that I've acknowledged this amazing milestone, I have an announcement!

For the last two months, I've been reflecting on my life and some of my choices in regard to my family and my happiness. I wasn't unhappy per se, but having Charlie in the picture really got me thinking about where I am, where I'm going, and how it all would fit together.

As Charlie approached his half-year mark, I began thinking about when I wanted to have my next baby. I'd concluded that I wanted to start trying for another baby a year from now. With that in mind, I started to think about my job.

I did not have a very positive maternity leave experience this last time, and I knew that I wasn't interested in reliving that experience. This meant a job change was in the cards. I applied for jobs in higher education, I interviewed at the U and at SLCC, but nothing panned out. Just as I was in the thick of applications and interviews, my principal announced that she was switching districts.

Good news: I was no longer stressed about 'abandoning' my principal at the possibility of leaving my position.

Bad news: If I left, the office would be under new leadership without my support and that didn't sit well with me

Anyway, a series of events led me to have a heart to heart with my principal. It came up that she needed to hire a new secretary for her new school. I was hesitant. I felt compelled to return to higher education. I decided not to apply for her position.

More interviews came up a few days later, and the response was the same. While I was a strong candidate and they really liked me, they went with the other candidate. It all started to wear me down. I threw myself a pity party each time I received yet another rejection. It really go me thinking about my future, and maybe I was looking in the wrong direction.

Sam made a case for me to apply for the position to follow my principal to her new school.

I did apply, but pondered the 'what ifs' for the remainder of the week the position was open. I continued to interview elsewhere as the days led up to my interview with my principal. I was still conflicted as I drove to her new school for my interview.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I walked into the building and immediately felt like I was supposed to be there. I met with my principal and her new Assistant Principal, and had a wonderful interview. They called shortly after to offer me the position, and I eagerly accepted.

It's amazing how everything else snapped into focus after that. I had information that I needed to make life decisions and I finally felt a bit of control.

I can't even begin to describe the sudden surge of goodness I feel about my life.

Honestly, I'd been so hellbent on going back to higher education, I never stopped to think about why staying in public education would be the best choice.

First off, stress management. I know that school running has a stress load, but I know how to handle it. The stress load is greater for some of those other positions, and it really isn't something I wanted to willingly absorb at this point in my life.

Next, time flexibility. I currently have a 20min commute, a position at the U would have doubled that, now my commute remains the same, give or take a minute. I also get random school days off during the year, which means more quality time with Charlie.

Finally, I still get to be a community leader and crusade for public education. Which means I still have the opportunity to learn from other leaders in public education.

There are moments here and there where I start to second-guess myself, but then I look at the sweet little boy sitting in front of me who is continually babbling "dada." This time with his is fleeting, and I feel very blessed that things are moving forward in this direction.