Last week, I got the notification that my old school email address had been shut down.

#ohcrap

Of course, I’d not been overly diligent in getting things cleaned up and cleared out (I mean my inbox was down to around 1,600 down from 6,000 at the beginning of school last year), and I’d done nothing with my Google Drive.

I emailed our tech person with my tail between my legs, and asked if I could have a reprieve, which she happily provided. I’ve transferred my emails and what I owned on my Google Drive to a new account, so I could go through them piece by piece (however, documents from 2011, I doubt there’s much relevance there). My YouTube channel, I don’t know. I loved doing them during Covid, but they’ve dropped off to almost nothing at this point. I’m not sure, without downloading and uploading, if I can save them, which may be a good thing. I love clutter, both physically and digitally, and the fact that I’m not sure if I can save these things might not be a bad thing. Or it just means I need to fire up both my current school account and my personal account, and get creating.

Either way, tomorrow marks the end of an era, and while I chose to move, it doesn’t change that there’s more than a little melancholy being felt right now.

Honestly, I didn’t really even expect it.

But when you spend 24 years in a place, then up and move, it does create some emotions. I talked with a friend from way back and what he told me solidified that I did the right thing. Last year, there were many things that told me it was a good choice.

But when I found my email was gone, it all came rushing back: the laughter, the inside jokes, the feeling of belonging. And again, I’m finding my way, so there’s zero reason to worry about me (other than my horrible Spanish!), but a reflective mind goes back.

So what do I do next? Continue to take those good things with me to school. I found spiders everywhere in my room, the entire school year. My grade partner got me back from when I did that to her YEARS ago when we first worked together (we both hate spiders). I’ve been thinking about how to get her again! I’ve hidden easter eggs in classrooms, waiting to see them on our group Snapchat. There are a few others that I’ll bring this year as well. Teaching doesn’t have to be boring! 🙂

So, while Monday will be the end of an era, that means a new era can continue to be built. One of humor, friendship, hard work, and loving what you do. Teaching is hard. You have to have the right attitude going in. I love what I do and I do what I love. It was hard in my old school and hard now.

However, teaching doesn’t have to be boring! 🙂 With the right people, it’s amazing.

We’ll say good-bye to that era in my life with a sigh and a hug.

But we’ll never forget about it.

And we’ll push forward with this era.

Because this year will be epic.

Just wait and see!

❤️