What About The Middle?
The rollercoaster of emotions I've experienced in September (yes, I realize it's only been a week, but it's been a WEEK) has been wild.
It's official—I'm not returning to teaching this year. After 11 years as a public school teacher. And it. is. scary. And a little sad. And a little exciting? It’s all very complicated.
I'm one of those people who chose my career at 5 years old. I confidently proclaimed, "When I grow up, I'm going to be a teacher"— and I never looked back.
That was it. I was going to be a teacher.
And that's exactly what I did. I took the direct route right into the classroom. No stops. No detours. Just cruise control to the final destination.
I worked with kids at a daycare all through college. I earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree in teaching. I've taught kids, adults, and even taught abroad—I'm a teacher. That's who I am to my core. It's where I feel most confident. It's where I feel in my element. It's something I, no doubt, am supposed to do. I love it.
But it's all I know.
I've had blinders on. I've literally never considered another career option. I was a confident 5-year-old when I made that very important life decision.
But, like, is there a world outside of teaching?
I mean, logically, yes, I know there is. But when something has been your identity for so long, it feels almost like nothing else exists.
At least that's how I felt until I started Momento Goods. I had the tiniest, babiest whisper of an idea to start my own thing. Do something a little different. And after a lot of trying to shush it and telling it to go bother someone else (because, lord knows, I've already got a lot on my plate), it didn't leave. It just got more annoying.
So, I started taking tiny actions and eventually created something I absolutely loved—my sweet little Momento Goods.
I kept it in my back pocket (still trying to trademark “back-pocket-biz”) and worked on it as I felt called to. It's been chill, fun, and creative—a nice project and outlet from my day job.
But, eventually, those little annoying whispers returned. And this time, they were pushing me towards something bigger—a career exploration, if you will.
And so, I made the decision. I'm not returning to teaching this year.
This decision was not made quickly, or easily, or lightly. Just two days ago I literally almost went back. (I think this is a story for another newsletter.)
I'm simultaneously feeling excited, stressed, confused, experiencing existential crises, and having FOMO about not going back to school.
It's been, um, something.
It's weird because, even though you make the decision to do something else, or pursue another opportunity, or try something new, you're not automatically a new person.
You're still the same ol' you, but different? Ya know?
IDK, I'm still navigating all this in real time. I haven't come out on the other side yet to offer any words of advice if you're going through the same thing.
What I do know is that growing pains are REAL.
So, if you're making a big transition, going through something similar, or if you've already come out on the other side of a life change, let me know.
I think too often we see the before and the after.
But what about the middle? Well, I can tell you—it’s messy.
So let’s get into it.
More to come.
Leisure List
A small collection of things to inspire a little curiosity and playfulness.
New Yorker Cartoon: I love a New Yorker cartoon. There's something so delightfully enjoyable about the combination of the illustrations and unexpected subtle humor. I came across this one and I had to share.
A Little Anecdote: “In 1978, I was working at the White House on nuclear-energy policy and thinking, There’s got to be more to life than this! When I wasn’t working, though, I was cooking for my friends, which is what I really love to do. I’d been married to my husband, Jeffrey, for about ten years and I had taught myself to cook by studying Craig Claiborne’s The New York Times Cookbook and Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. One day, I was in my office reading The New York Times and my eye caught the Business Opportunities section, which I’d never read before. And there it was — a specialty food store called Barefoot Contessa for sale in a place I’d never been, the Hamptons, on the East End of Long Island.
That night I went home and told Jeffrey that I really needed to do something besides writing nuclear-energy-policy papers. He said, “Think of what you’d like to do that would be fun. Don’t worry about making money—if you love doing it, you’ll be very good at it.” What amazing advice! I said, “Funny you should mention it—I just saw an ad for a specialty food store for sale.” My sweet husband said, “Let’s go look at it!” And so we drove up to Long Island, looked at the store, and my heart told me this was it. I made an offer on the spot, and the next day the owner called and said, “Thank you very much. I accept your offer.” —Ina Garten
A Good Book: Just Kids is a memoir by Patti Smith that documents her relationship with artist Robert Mapplethorpe. I am absolutely loving this book about these two artists living in New York in the late '60s.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read Life of Leisure. If you know anyone who might need a little encouragement to shake up their routine or step outside of their comfort zone, please feel free to share Life of Leisure with them.
Your support means so much as I explore creating this newsletter and navigating this next phase of Momento. And I really appreciate you being a part of it.
Momento Goods is now Momento—a creative copywriting studio for brands ignited by a wild idea and a good story to tell. You can follow along and connect with me on Instagram @momentogoods