I've had a very fulfilling life in lots of ways: a happy, nurtured childhood; fantastic parental love, support and encouragement; two great careers (one in banking, the other in teaching); marriage to a man who I thought was my soulmate; wonderful friends with whom I've shared the ups and downs of life.
Before I was married, I had travelled quite a bit mostly in Europe, Canada, the USA, Egypt, Kenya and Australia. Once I 'settled down', it was mostly the UK which I enjoyed exploring - we often ignore the amazing places that are in our own backyards. My parents had been travellers in their younger days and were a great inspiration to me.
Living in a picturesque small village in the west of England, I embraced village life to the full. There's a full social life to be had outside towns and cities and it's a great feeling of belonging in a community when you're greeted by name or simple waves as you pass along the streets.
In recent years I have absolutely loved my role as a primary school teacher. There's nothing so gratifying as witnessing the lightbulb moments as pupils grasp new ideas or make connections for themselves. There are also many hilarious instances which cause tears of mirth, as well as heartbreaking moments at the tough experiences some of our charges face. Thank goodness for the camaraderie of the staffroom (and often the admin office too)! I've been blessed with wonderful colleagues over the years.
However, what happens when the cup doesn't seem as full any more? That feeling was difficult for me. I had a real sense of restlessness and that there was something else I should be doing. I'm very self-reflective (not always a good thing) and took my time to work out what was making me feel this way. Was it my age? Just into my 50s! Was it my job and the changes in education? Was it post-divorce blues? Nah - really happy with my social life and being 'in my own skin', and anyway that was 4 years ago! Was it the loss of my parents in recent times? Bereavement can cause deep re-evaluation of our lives.
Actually, I believe it was a combination of many aspects of my life coming to a point in the time/space continuum!! Beam me up, Scotty (to mix TV references) was really what I wanted: to be somewhere else... Which brings me to the truly inspiring Colonel Chris Hadfield, who I've been following on Facebook for a while (other social media are available!). Reading about his thoughts and experiences/seeing his photos and videos formed the final piece of the jigsaw for getting my own thoughts and ambitions into perspective. Not that I'm ever hoping to travel in space, of course.
In the About the blog page, I've explained how I reached the decision to take a career break, go travelling and write a blog. At this point, my plan is for a year away and, so far, I'm relishing every day of the adventure... I'm Footloose Fi!
