No pressure at all--- I mean, this is only my very first blog post ever, and it will be visible to anyone who visits this site. No stress, just write. These are the thoughts that are going through my head as I write this first entry on my personal blog. I wonder what other now-veteran-bloggers thought about as they typed up their first public piece. The hours leading up to this moment were rather anti-climactic--- I entered my billing information and paid for the first year of web services (anything worth pursuing in life requires an investment of time and often money); I spent quite some time on the customer support pages of my website host trying to figure out why my newly-minted domain name still hadn't registered with the rest of the World Wide Web; and I brainstormed clever ideas for a first post, none of which ended up seeming particularly clever in the end. When you are a perfectionist, there can never be enough self-critique. I'm working on it :)

My hope is that, prior to reading this post, you, as the reader, have already read through my "ABOUT" page. If not, please start there. I typed up the "ABOUT" page in a single sitting at around 1am on August 8, 2018. It is hard to explain how, all of a sudden, I became so inspired to drop everything and just write about my vision for this blog. The truth is, for quite some time now, I have been encouraged by several people to blog. This was on my mind for years, but I was never serious enough to actually begin. For many introverts, the activation energy needed to get your ideas out in the open is particularly high. For me, it was no exception.

August is the time of the year when back-to-school dreams occupy my nights and early mornings. I know I am not alone; many of my former colleagues at school would frequently have dreams, too, leading up to the start of the school year. I'll be perfectly frank and say that my dreams are rarely pleasant. They almost always involve variations of how I can screw up my first day of school (forgetting to create a new Google Classroom page, not photocopying the syllabus and course info handout in advance, walking in with PJs on, blanking on students' names after studying them days in advance, showing up to class late, getting lost on my way to work, etc.). You would think that, after years of teaching, I would become less nervous and these dreams would lose their originality. But NO. Apparently there are endless ways of having a bad first day of classes, because I've dreamed up so many versions and continue to do so. The funny thing is, I won't be returning to Joel Barlow High School come end of August, but my subconscious has not yet registered this fact. 

And so, that takes me to this opening post. I absolutely loved my teaching experiences at my old high school in Connecticut. The thought of not returning this year as a teacher makes me rather sad. My love of teaching stems from my lifelong love of learning, and each new year brings fresh faces and varied experiences from whom and from which I learn. My best teachers are my students--- not webinars, books, or podcasts about teaching. And I never get tired of teaching, because how can you get tired of these wonderfully eager and curious human beings? Admittedly, every teacher has bad days, and I've had my fair share of those, but all-in-all, teaching is such a wonderful profession, and I wish more people will devote their time to this endeavor. 

I formally left my teaching position in order to pursue more learning for my own personal and professional development. So come early September, I will be back in the classroom, but this time as a student. It will be strange to be on the other side again, after all these years, but I am excited as well. Nervous but thrilled at the same time. Being a student has its own unique set of challenges. When I was in high school transitioning to college life, I often felt overwhelmed with all of the new learning and all of the new responsibilities that come with being an adult. I had no older sibling to look up and seek advice from. My parents were always very giving of their limited time, but I either did not feel comfortable going up to them to ask questions, was too stubborn to do so, or did not feel they would relate or understand. Without an immediate "life coach" around, I resorted to figuring out as much as I could on my own, and told myself that I would pass on this knowledge to my younger sibling and younger peers. 

So, in a nutshell, this is why I choose to blog starting today. I am writing publicly in order to reach more young people who are going through transitions of their own and to help them navigate their own life. Although I am no longer a classroom teacher sharing my expertise in biology and chemistry, I hope to continue to teach other lessons--- namely to share my life experiences, as a high school student, college student, college graduate, young professional, older sibling, daughter, fiancée, colleague, doctoral student, and simply as a human being navigating this complex world we live in. Growing up is an exciting, but at times tumultuous, journey. It is not easy, but it becomes easier and more enjoyable when you feel connected with others. Growing up, I have always preferred in-person meetings to digital connections. As an adult now, I have realized that we may not always have the time or means to meet up, so that is where connecting over social media can help. I hope that, through reading this blog, you will feel connected to me. Whether you are a former student of mine, a colleague, a friend, a family member, an acquaintance, or a stranger (for now), I want you to know that I am grateful that you are taking the time to be here and to support my work. 

So, a heartfelt thank you for visiting and please, let's stay in touch! This site is currently in its early stage, but I hope to fill it up with authentic content when I find time to sit down and write. 

P.S. In case you're wondering, these pictures of me and my sister were taken this summer at St. George Island in Florida. My apologies that they are neither super flattering, nor high in quality. All of the pictures I post on this blog will be taken by my iPhone (older model), until I have the means of splurging on a fancy camera. 

Warm regards,

Catherine