In July, Joe popped the question and I {of course} said yes! It was an incredible weekend and I came home to basically float into my new position at an all girls high school. {That feeling of finally having what you've always wanted? It's intoxicating.}
With a new shiny ring on my finger and dreams of classroom libraries in my head, I finally headed into my dream job. The school I now find myself in daily offers me the opportunity to be the kind of teacher I had always hoped to become.
And I often find myself stepping back and viewing the "new horizon" of my life.
So much has changed since the last time I posted in this blog. I left a job that I thought I would love when I realized that it was no longer serving me. I planned on sticking it out, but some personal circumstances forced me out of my comfort zone. That little push started a snowball effect in my life that I am still seeing and feeling today.
That was HUGE for me.
I'm not always the type of person to do what is best for me. Sometimes, I stay in situations because its easy or because I don't want to type of confrontation it sometimes takes to make those hard changes in your life, but I think I'm learning.
I came home on the last day of school last year and sat on my couch and cried. The year hadn't played out the way I expected. I wasn't teacher of the year, I didn't feel respected or appreciated, and even though I had proof that my students had learned a great deal over the course of the year, I felt inadequate and like I would never be good enough.
I was a first year teacher. I had no mentor in my school and I had no one to call when I hit this sort of teacher rock bottom. I buried it down and continued on with my summer, planning and deciding that next year would be better, that I would make it through.
& then my life was turned upside down. Through a series of life changes and a LONG trip back home to visit my family, it was clear that going back could no longer be an option.
Through a series of events that could have only been orchestrated by the big guy himself, I wound up with a business card that would eventually land me here, in the school I could have only imagined working in.
And then, I wound up saying YES to a man that makes me a better person each and every day.
There were SO many trials and tribulations along the way to where I find myself today and each one of those challenges pushed me to the limit. Sometimes, people are unreasonable. Sometimes, people let you down. Sometimes you realize that they way you've handled something was the wrong way to handle it.
But, EVERY DAY I can stare off into the horizon and laugh at the broken road that lead me to this amazing life. I am incredibly blessed and immeasurably grateful for the way that this summer played out.
Life continues to change and I continue to grow, but I know that every little thing is going to work itself out. <3
Love & Light,
Leah
