My name is Kristi, and I’m a teacher who loves to travel. I always wanted to be a teacher, but life had other plans for me. I went back to school to finish my degree while my oldest child was in junior high school. Growing up with a mother and uncle as teachers, I knew that teaching was not an easy job. However, nothing prepared me for the level of stress that my chosen profession puts on one’s body and mind.
Planning vacations over the school breaks helps me to manage the daily stresses that come with teaching. I love my teaching job and my school, but working in a small school comes with its own set of stressors. We often wear many hats (teacher, counselor, coach, team leader, committee member, activities director, nurse, etc.) and often wear them simultaneously. I became a teacher partly because I love to learn. Planning a trip is just the first step to learning about a new culture, language, and lifestyle.
It has taken me several years to feel like I have a handle on teaching and to have enough energy to be able to travel on break. There have been many “vacations” where I was simply too exhausted to do much more than read books in my pajamas. I’m learning that self-care is important on a daily basis and not just when we have a break from school.
I hope to share with you some of the things I have learned along the way, and to share any new ideas and techniques as I learn about them.