It's been over a year since I posted. Thought I'd drop by and give it an update. My life has been such a whirlwind. Over the last 5 years, I've been "remodeling". I guess you might even say that I turned 30 and went through a quarter-life crisis (I'm planning on living a long time). Five years later, I finally feel like I'm moving forward and am on the other side of the tunnel. I'm on the right "path" again, so-to-speak, and not just spinning my wheels. Or, to be literal, I got divorced, quit my job, went back to school, and changed careers. Next week, I'll be moving 500 miles north, from San Diego to the Bay Area (where I grew up). I'm very excited about moving close to my family again. I haven't been close (location-wise) since I was a teenager.
I decided to be a scientist when I was in 8th grade. That went really well until, at 30 years old, I discovered during my postdoctoral fellowship, that I wasn't excited about my career prospects. I loved doing science in the lab, but something was missing. After much soul-searching, I discovered that "something" was teaching. In 2008, I spent 6 months trying to find a job in biotech. Not only was the economy dismal, but I realized I was dreading potential job offers following each interview. That wasn't a good sign. St. Patrick's Day of 2010, my sister and I went to a psychic in the GasLamp Quarter downtown San Diego. It was the first time either one of us had been to a psychic. To be honest, I didn't think she was very good. However, she did say something that struck me: "Don't take a desk job. It will cause your soul to suffer. You need to be on your feet and moving around. You have a lot of energy. You like children. You should be a teacher." Hmmmm. A teacher? That didn't sound like a bad idea. To be honest, the idea had been growing in the back of my head since graduate school when my professor expressed concern at the amount of time I spent teaching the undergrad course I was TA'ing, rather than spending time in the lab. I had never been brave enough to take the plunge and make the switch. Now I was unemployed and dreading my job prospects. What did I have to lose?
I got my start as a math and science teacher at a small private school in Orange County. A year after not being able to pay my bills, I went back to school. I quit my job to attend the single subject (high school) teaching credential program at Cal. State Univ., San Marcos full-time. The program was extremely demanding and rigorous, requiring a full year of student teaching, instead of the typical 8 weeks (which was one of the reasons I joined the program). I recently earned my California state credential in biology and chemistry and just earned a job up near Palo Alto! I LOVE teaching. Every day is new and exciting. I LOVE the interactions with the students.
I am exuberant about my new life. I'm moving to the Bay Area next week with my 2 dogs and bf. School begins in August. I have SO much work to do. But, one of the things I want to do most is to begin working out regularly again. I let my fitness go completely. I would love to get it back again. It will help me stay healthy and happy during the school year.
