adventures fill your soul

Taking time off and getting away from the daily routine of work and home life almost always refreshes me. I feel new inspiration and can somehow see the big picture better when I take a step away. Home is still the best - there's no other place where I feel as comfortable - but traveling is important to expand the edges of our world. 

This past week was the time we were planning to go to Ireland, but those plans were smashed because of the pandemic. I still hope to go someday, but for now I'll continue to dream. Half the fun is in planning and looking forward to a trip, anyway! Instead of Ireland, we went to Tennessee, where we spent a few days with Shelby & Kait and two nights in the Smoky Mountains on the way home.

I have visited only a few national parks, but consider them one of the best places to travel. There's nothing like seeing the vast Grand Canyon for the first time, or the rolling peaks shrouded in mist of the Great Smoky Mountains. We go to the Smokies as often as we can, and this year we were fortunate enough to visit twice! Cade's Cove, a picturesque valley nestled in the mountains, has always charmed me. The carefully preserved log homes, churches, and a mill from bygone days can be visited while driving along an 11 mile loop, which we've done several times. 

We wanted to bike the loop this time, and made it a priority on our trip. Experiencing it that way added another dimension of awe. I'm easily moved by emotion, and feeling the atmosphere of Cade's Cove on a closer level than riding in a car was exhilarating. The bike ride was tougher than I expected, but so worth it! 

Stories about events and curious happenings in national parks always interest me. I've collected several books from my visits, and this time I bought Into the Mist - tales of death and disaster in Smoky Mountains National Park. Another favorite of mine is Over the Edge: Death In Grand Canyon. This book is down the same line and is very interesting so far. 

I saw a children's book about national parks called You Are Home at a shop we visited and loved the illustrations and poetry. I added it to my collection also.

Going back to work and daily life after time away is sometimes discouraging. I like this quote, "Jobs fill your pocket. Adventures fill your soul." 

pros and cons

In my last post I mentioned feeling discontented with my job and experiencing nostalgia for teaching. It caught me by surprise because I thought I had finally put that to rest and no longer missed teaching. Sometimes I wonder why I can't be more settled with where I'm at in life. I know I sound unstable and wishy-washy. I'd like to be more steady and anchored, but don't believe in trying to be something I'm not. Being fake is too exhausting. At 35 years old, I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up! Part of me would like to settle down and stick with one thing, but the other part of me sees so many opportunities and begins to question if I want to stay in the same place. I'm also realizing how quickly time moves on and how soon we age. Am I using my time in the best way possible, or will I look back in 20 years and say "I should have taken that opportunity!"? This quote has been an inspiration to me many times, although I don't know exactly what it means for me.

What are the bowlines keeping me in the safe harbor? Could the safe harbor actually be the place I should stay? So many conflicting thoughts leave me feeling a little topsy-turvy. In an attempt to make sense of it all, I decided to make a list of pros and cons of being a teacher versus pros and cons of my current job. It helped to see it spelled out, but didn't completely clear it up. Here's a condensed version of that list. The items are not listed in order of importance.

Teaching: Pros

• Challenging and rewarding
• Involvement with church people, co-teachers
• Teaching subjects that inspire me
• Always opportunity to gain expertise
• Scheduled time off, summer vacation
• Exposure to the outdoors, not confined 
• Dress up, wear nice things
• Decorating a classroom
• Time moves quickly
• Introduce children to wonders in history, science, books, etc. That excited look when they learn something interesting.

Teaching: Cons

• Constant scrutiny
• Criticism
• Weight of responsibility
• Enforce rules, discipline
• Never done at work, work follows me home
• Difficult situations with students or parents
• Not financially compensated on the same level as effort put in
• Poor work/life balance

Pharmacy: Pros

• Work can be left at work
• Steady income, affordable health insurance
• Challenging
• Being a part of the medical field
• Time to read, write, do puzzle, and other hobbies
• Work/life balance
• Feel appreciated, valuable as an employee 

Pharmacy: Cons

• Little involvement with church people
• No routine schedule 
• Mandatory weekends, evenings, nights, holidays
• Rules, regulations, policies
• No exposure to the outdoors - work in a confined area
• Difficult co-workers, managers

I'm pretty certain I know what the "safe harbor" is and what makes the most financial sense by considering these points. Is work/life balance more important than being involved with my church family? I know there will never be a "perfect" job and every situation has advantages and disadvantages. I can accept my present job and it's not like I have to make a decision between the two. So unless some other door opens, I'll keep plugging away!