So What’s Next?

Today is June 30, 2018, my “official” last day of work with the Hawaii Department of Education. I’ve been on vacation for the last seven of those days, and this has afforded me the time to reflect on what’s ahead.

I must say that this vacation has been different for me. In the past, I always had my computer and I was in touch with what was going on back at school. I knew that if I didn’t keep up with emails, I would be inundated when I returned to work. Right now, I still have access to Lotus Notes on my phone but I’m not really responding to queries; I’m forwarding anything important to Principal Arikawa for follow-up. Whenever I was on vacation before, I got up early and took care of my emails before Randy woke up. Then I’d find time when we returned to our hotel to take care of any new emails that arrived and work on anything else that needed to get done - agendas or presentations for upcoming meetings, staff bulletins, school plans, etc. Some vacation, huh?

I am a morning person. That’s just how we were raised in our family. Dad got to work while it was still dark, so Mom got up earlier to prepare breakfast for the family and get us off to a good start. My first job was as a summer pineapple field worker, and if we weren’t at the station and in our seat with our “gang,” the truck would leave without us. As a teacher and a mom, morning routines were important to get the day off on a positive note, and even when our sons grew up, I continued to wake up early in order to get things done. I found that when I became a principal, mornings and evenings were essential in order to get ahead  or to catch up on what I missed during a busy day. I anticipate continuing this routine, but now, I’ll find new ways to fill my time both in the mornings and in the evenings.

The question I’m asked most often is, “So what are you going to do now that you’re retiring?” When I give vague responses, some people knowingly tell me that I’ll be back, at least part-time. Let me say that this is not what I foresee at this time.

I do intend to keep on blogging. When I first became a principal in February 2003, we were encouraged to journal daily. I tried, but when I realized that my entries were starting to sound the same, I quit. I started this blog in 2012, albeit under a different title, and because these are my personal thoughts and reflections, I no longer set requirements regarding how often to blog. I think this is a great time for me to go back and read my original journal entries as well as all my blog posts.  If nothing else, I should see my transformation as a school leader.

Retirement is my opportunity to continue to learn, but now, I’ll be learning new things I didn’t have time for in the past when I was working. I don’t anticipate that my time clock will change; I’ll still be an early riser. Now, though, I’ll have more choices on how to spend my time, and that’s what I’m looking forward to!