As a life long learner and someone who is trying hard to be more mindful, and connected to myself and my happiness I want to be able to lose myself in everything I do.

It sounds a bit weird writing it out… But honestly, I want to live every moment to the fullest and fully experience all that I do. I want to be mindful and intentional of the experiences I take on and the relationships I surround myself with.

That said, painting has been an extremely helpful outlet. I am able to focus on the color, staying in the lines, the amount of paint on the brush… I can sit and paint for hours without realizing time has gone by.

Reading is another one. I love being so interested in a story where I can’t stop reading and can feel myself living in the world the book has created.

When I think back on being a teacher I was fully submersed with the children. I was so content on talking to children, playing with them and getting to know them that I barely noticed when another person would enter the room. (I would for safety reasons but I never wanted to take my attention away from the children.) I suppose that is a huge part of why I chose to leave the field. I was no longer doing the part I loved. The education world is so focused on academics, and test scores and funding that one of the best and most important parts of the field; being in the moment with children and being apart of their growth and success and building the trusting loving reciprocal relationship is gone.

Moving forward I hope to live more in the moment. I want to lose myself in all that I do.

Live on.✌️