On retiring-or what it feels like not to be back in school!

My classroom near the end of school...

I wrote this post once and managed to lose most of it.  I wonder if that is significant!  Hmmm...

As last reported I left school as soon as I finished teaching my last class to go to Quebec for my high school reunion.  A couple of weeks later I returned but I didn't have the heart to face my classroom until the first of August.  It seemed to take forever to sort and clean out and I left a lot of materials behind in the end, but quite a few seem to be in my attic as well!  I still hadn't finished the process when I left for a couple of weeks in California.  Finally a couple of days after I returned I dragged eight boxes home.

I have made it through the first couple of weeks of retirement.  I have to admit it seemed strange in a way having an extended summer vacation.  I haven't had a free September since I moved out here 33 years ago.  I found myself thinking back to that time.  I had been paid to quit my position in Quebec due to a surplus teaching situation due to changes in language legislation.  I had just finished my master's degree during the summer and with my husband starting a new university teaching position and having to finish a doctorate at the same time I didn't bother applying for a teaching position until I got here.  I also was perhaps contemplating new career possibilities etc.

I missed my friends, family, and my old school in Quebec but it was exciting to be living in a new city. We were basically house sitting a beautiful big old apartment in the West End right at Nicola and Beach so I had a view of the beach from the kitchen and in easy biking and walking distance of Stanley Park, Granville Island etc.  I took advantage of my free time volunteering at the Planetarium Gift Shop, taking quilting lessons, etc.

Classroom after cleaning out...

So 33 years later I find myself once again gainfully unemployed in September.  And I have to admit it's been a bit up and down and around.  And I really feel like I am in the process of figuring it all out. It's very different than my usual September.  September usually passed in a blur as I was so busy. Exhaustion was the operative word.  I loved it but I was exhausted.  This year has been different.  Most mornings I have gone for walks, walks in different neighbourhoods.  And taken lots of pictures and blogged about my walks in my ipad travel blog.  I have gone for coffee and lunch a lot. I have gone to my usual yoga and fitness classes.  It's helped that we have had amazing weather!  

Everyone kind of asks me about plans and I really I don't have too many yet!  I am doing a bit of volunteering at my old school. It's fun to see the kids and my old colleagues and it also reminds me of how hard that work is for them.   I am planning to take another Spanish class.  The weather seems to be rainy again so I am going to work on cleaning out the attic this week!  And I am going to keep walking...