You know when you think you have your entire life figured out? I did or at least I thought I did. I had always wanted to be a teacher, since I first met my new student teacher in Kindergarten. I knew that was what I wanted to do. I love teaching. I am good at it. I love the kids and the stress and the atmosphere. The organization. The fun planners and pens I got to use. I lived and breathed education for the last 20 years of my life. It was my passion and my calling. But how do you justify loving what you do with having to take on 3-4 extra part time jobs to make ends meet? Is that really worth “doing what you love”?
I had to make that decision. It was one of the hardest things I’ve done in a long time, but I have been given an opportunity with a company that I have worked for part time for the last 7 years to start a new chapter. One with no more “extra” jobs. No more sacrificing personal time to get my job done. No more correcting papers until the wee hours of the morning. I made the choice to take time and to live my life when I still can. To make a long and complicated story short I have decided to leaving teaching for at least a couple of years and become the sales manager at a new showroom for the granite company I’ve been working for. It’s incredibly scary to be taking this enormous leap of faith, but I think that now is the time to do it. Opportunities like this don’t come along everyday and I had to get out of my comfort zone and at least try.
In true Catherine fashion I talked to everyone in order to make the right decision. Financial planner, accountant, the teacher who made me want to become a teacher, my family, my friends, my mentors, legitimately everyone I thought might have a good reason that I should stay teaching, but guess what….no one did.
When I reached out to the teacher who made me want to become a teacher and we sat down and talked, made lists, and talked through my options and he told me straight up that if I passed on this opportunity I’d regret it for the rest of my life. I knew my decision was made. This man has been an integral part of my educational journey. He’s become a family friend and an absolute mentor to me. I trust him 100% and his opinion really matters, so when he told me I really took it to heart. When someone you look up to so much that he is a paper away from his doctorate and he’s telling you to give up the classroom and make some money to be able to provide your future family with an actual future. You take the time to listen.
So here’s the real deal. I am taking a hiatus from teaching. I still love it with all my heart and I already miss the kiddos, but as I sit here in my temporary office while my showroom is being constructed I have to tell you I think I’ve made the right choice. Instead of picking a standard I need to re-configure in my scope for next year I am choosing cabinet finishes and lighting fixtures.
The next chapter has officially started, and I am looking forward to sharing this exciting new journey with you. It’ll give me a lot of extra time for work on the blog and sharing all of the awesome that MN has to offer. And if you're in need of countertops you know where to find me :)
Catherine
So excited for you! Can't wait to see where this leads