Hello!

"We toss the coin, but it is the Lord who controls its decision."  

~ Proverbs 16:33 (The Living Bible)

"Now, bring me that horizon." ~ Captain Jack Sparrow

As I write to you, my life is a blank page.  Recently I walked away from my six-year career of teaching elementary school.  I had no solid plan, only the hope that God in His mercy was allowing me to let go of a job that certainly had been a temporary calling.  I walked away with the knowledge that I may never again have a career in which my colleagues are some of my best friends, my supervisor is always on my side, my "clients" give me hugs starting at 7:00 a.m., I leave at 6:00 when my hours are technically 7:00 - 3:00 (and take work home on the weekends), clean up bodily fluids when necessary, purchase a lot of my own supplies, stress about test scores and classroom management...you get the idea.  It was bittersweet.

My life is a blank page because, really, I have no idea where I'm going from here!  But I have learned a few things already...

1)  Take risks!  My parents suggested that I apply for a position as an admissions counselor at a local university.  I had no experience and no knowledge of the admissions process until I researched and interviewed for the job.  Although the position went to another candidate in the end, the interview was a blast!  The staff and I spent three hours getting to know each other and trying to determining whether the position was a good fit.  It was actually a great exercise in confidence building, and I learned a lot about admissions and the university.  Definitely a worthwhile experience--even the campus tour in a wool suit and heels!

2)  Don't quit your job without having another job lined up unless you're really sure you're doing the right thing.  This was sage advice given to me by my mentor and my parents (actually they just said, don't quit unless you have another job, period).  There are many reasons that this is wise advice.  One of them is health insurance.  The school system gave me GREAT insurance, so switching to an individual policy was a challenge.  I spent about two-and-a-half days on the phone and online working with HealthCare.gov (otherwise known as Obamacare) and an insurance provider.  Everyone who helped me was very patient, and it all worked out, but it was certainly a complicated process!

More later...