2013 Retro
Because this is as good a place as any to do one of these things, and because, goodness, has this year wrought a lot of changes for me. I'm going to try and be fair-headed about some stuff, but it's my perspective, so be warned.
Holy shit, has this been an insane year for work. More insane than usual. Back in December, after finishing student teaching, I applied for a few jobs, none of which seemed like they were going to pan out. As a result, I set up a temp assignment, as well as a ton of tutoring. Then, boom, a job came through. Which was a disaster and a half. I talked about it very little here, because it was just so far-fetched. It was an 8th grade math position, where they'd hired a woman with far more experience (natch), who lasted all of three days before calling out sick and refusing to return (like, they had to cut me new keys). Had I not been so desperate to start teaching, that should have been my sign. Still, I went, and was immediately swamped, and attempted to thrive, even though it seemed like my boss was a doormat and the principal didn't want me there to begin with. So I tried my damnedest, and still mostly failed, but I became mostly ok with that when it became very evident that while my team and the math interventionist had my back, the principal was spewing venom at every turn and letting parents know that I was the problem and would be leaving at the end of the semester (I also have the feeling they overrode some of my grades, but whatever). This, coupled with insane amounts of tutoring and a nearly full courseload to boot was a challenge, but I stuck with it, and at the end of June, got out. A summer full of applications and the growing knot in the pit of my stomach was replaced in August, when a job literally down the street from me coalesced. Though things are by no means perfect, the fact that I feel supported, and challenged, and that I'm getting feedback on my work that's leading me to become a better educator makes me content with this job. Take that, old job! I've also cut back significantly on the tutoring (much to the dismay of the tutoring company), and I'm down on the homestretch for classes.
The overall reduction of stressors, combined with a renewed approach to physical activity and healthier eating, has borne some positive fruit. Since the wrap up of the last school year, I've lost about 30 pounds. What's been better is, though I haven't lost much since the start of the new school year, I haven't gained any weight either. I spent a lot of the summer swimming and hiking, and the fact that I can now run up three flights of stairs without getting winded or needing to sit down is pretty wonderful. The goal for the spring is going to be to start turning that into some more positive trends, which I think I can do. I have a target weight in mind for next summer, and it's both reachable, and puts me at a lot healthier place. I'm trying, poorly, to pick up yoga to improve my flexibility, which has also been nice.
It's certainly the dragon in the corner, but things have been strangely positive since the breakup in April and my move out in June. A and I continue to talk regularly, and as was noted by another friend, we seem to be back to being friends again (which I agree). I've gone on some dates, almost exclusively with dudes, which has been mostly fun, although occasionally terrible. To be honest, I rarely dated in high school, and I'd only sort of dated a few people before A, so this has been a crash course in hilarious human error. I got way too clingy with someone early in the summer, had some nice dates that went nowhere later on, and have sort of been seeing someone for the last month? We're keeping things pretty low key and reasonably casual, but there's been consistent communication and checking in to make sure we're being respectful of one another. I don't think it's perfect, and I've no idea if it's even long-term, but it's for now, and for now, it's nice.
Holy shit, has this been an insane year for work. More insane than usual. Back in December, after finishing student teaching, I applied for a few jobs, none of which seemed like they were going to pan out. As a result, I set up a temp assignment, as well as a ton of tutoring. Then, boom, a job came through. Which was a disaster and a half. I talked about it very little here, because it was just so far-fetched. It was an 8th grade math position, where they'd hired a woman with far more experience (natch), who lasted all of three days before calling out sick and refusing to return (like, they had to cut me new keys). Had I not been so desperate to start teaching, that should have been my sign. Still, I went, and was immediately swamped, and attempted to thrive, even though it seemed like my boss was a doormat and the principal didn't want me there to begin with. So I tried my damnedest, and still mostly failed, but I became mostly ok with that when it became very evident that while my team and the math interventionist had my back, the principal was spewing venom at every turn and letting parents know that I was the problem and would be leaving at the end of the semester (I also have the feeling they overrode some of my grades, but whatever). This, coupled with insane amounts of tutoring and a nearly full courseload to boot was a challenge, but I stuck with it, and at the end of June, got out. A summer full of applications and the growing knot in the pit of my stomach was replaced in August, when a job literally down the street from me coalesced. Though things are by no means perfect, the fact that I feel supported, and challenged, and that I'm getting feedback on my work that's leading me to become a better educator makes me content with this job. Take that, old job! I've also cut back significantly on the tutoring (much to the dismay of the tutoring company), and I'm down on the homestretch for classes.
The overall reduction of stressors, combined with a renewed approach to physical activity and healthier eating, has borne some positive fruit. Since the wrap up of the last school year, I've lost about 30 pounds. What's been better is, though I haven't lost much since the start of the new school year, I haven't gained any weight either. I spent a lot of the summer swimming and hiking, and the fact that I can now run up three flights of stairs without getting winded or needing to sit down is pretty wonderful. The goal for the spring is going to be to start turning that into some more positive trends, which I think I can do. I have a target weight in mind for next summer, and it's both reachable, and puts me at a lot healthier place. I'm trying, poorly, to pick up yoga to improve my flexibility, which has also been nice.
It's certainly the dragon in the corner, but things have been strangely positive since the breakup in April and my move out in June. A and I continue to talk regularly, and as was noted by another friend, we seem to be back to being friends again (which I agree). I've gone on some dates, almost exclusively with dudes, which has been mostly fun, although occasionally terrible. To be honest, I rarely dated in high school, and I'd only sort of dated a few people before A, so this has been a crash course in hilarious human error. I got way too clingy with someone early in the summer, had some nice dates that went nowhere later on, and have sort of been seeing someone for the last month? We're keeping things pretty low key and reasonably casual, but there's been consistent communication and checking in to make sure we're being respectful of one another. I don't think it's perfect, and I've no idea if it's even long-term, but it's for now, and for now, it's nice.