Life Update: A New Season

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Have you ever been faced with a decision to walk away from something you love and enjoy? It feels contrary to a normal decision making process, doesn’t it? I know for me I typically give up on things I don’t enjoy or know aren’t good for me, but most recently, I was faced with a much different situation.

For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a teacher. I made a decision early on that teaching was going to be my career path. There were many teachers I looked up to and aspired to become. After being in school all day long, I proceeded to go home and play school with my neighbors, mimicking the actions of my teachers I observed each day at school. My aunt was also a teacher and let me come in to help organize and prep her classroom, even giving me the opportunity to teach some lessons! All of this fueled my passion to help others learn and grow.

I went to college determined to graduate early and get into the classroom as soon as possible. I took summer school, overloaded my trimester units, and kept much of my focus and attention on studying, all for the sake of being the best teacher I could be. After four years of undergrad, one year of credentialing school, one year getting my master’s degree, and two years of credentialing certification classes, I was officially qualified to teach in California.

I’ll never forget the feeling of being hired for the first time. In 2012, I was hired as a second-grade teacher which was my dream grade! From there, I went on to teach second grade for the next nine years. It feels nearly impossible to describe the joy and fulfillment that came from this profession. Being a part of children’s lives and having the privilege of teaching and guiding them is something I’ve always felt so grateful for. Not to mention getting to be a part of the community and interact with the families and my colleagues. That is always something about the teaching profession that I cherished immensely!

After having Weston last year, Jordan and I made the decision that I would continue teaching. While I knew it was a sacrifice to leave Weston and continue working outside of our home, I simply couldn’t give up the job I loved so much. It was at that time that I began juggling life as a teacher, mom, wife, full time blogger, and small business owner. All of it was made possible with the help of Jordan, my mom, our former nanny, and very little sleep. Again, while it was a bit of a strain on myself and my family, I was determined to make this schedule work so I could continue doing all of the things I love, including teaching.

When I started teaching again this fall, things became very challenging for me. After working all day teaching, I would devote my time to Jordan, Weston, and the many household duties that come with being a wife and mom. Then, when Weston would go to bed at night, I would take on my small business owner role and begin completing my obligations for Halfway Wholeistic and Collection Prints until the early hours of the morning. Over the past few years, the work load for these two businesses has increased immensely. So much so that the hours really exceed even that of a full-time job. Trying to complete all of my work as a teacher, mom, wife, blogger, and small business owner finally pushed me to a limit that I was no longer able to uphold.

It was at this point that I really had to reevaluate my life for the sake of my relationships and quality of life. Clinging to all of the things I loved started to feel a bit selfish and unhealthy as I was devoting much of my time to my work, leaving little for myself and my relationships. After much discussion and some tears, Jordan and I decided that I would step away from teaching for this season of my life.

I feel incredibly grateful that I have the opportunity to spend more of my time with Weston and focus on my blog and print company with enough time left over to invest in my family and friends as well. My heart is heavy at the loss of the profession I love. This time of transition hasn’t been absent of sadness and a sense of great loss, but at the same time my heart is filled with gratitude for the opportunities God has given me both past and present.

Life is full of seasons.  God uses our skill sets to impact the lives of others in various ways. I’ve always been the type of person to stick with what I started, but God has shown me that life isn’t always a linear path. It’s full of twists and turns that we must learn to learn into if we want to experience the life He has planned for us. I’m looking forward to embracing this season He has me in now, and will remain grateful for His perfect plan and steadfast in following the path set before me. Teaching will always be a part of me, and I look forward to continuing to use the skills I developed as an educator in this new season of my life.

Much love to you guys during this season of life that I know is full of changes for all of us. Thanks for being here and for taking to time to read through this long update 🙂 Love you all!

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