SOL Day 22: Spring Break is Here!

Tomorrow officially begins my Spring Break. I guess you could say it technically started at 3:15 on Friday when my last student walked out the door. But, this weekend felt just like any other weekend spent at home with the family. It won't really feel like vacation until tomorrow morning when I don't wake up to an alarm and I know it is a Monday.

While many of my friends and colleagues are spending their week, or at least part of it, in warmer climates or at the very least out of the city of Columbus, I will be staying right here at home. Part of that is due to the fact that my kids had Spring Break last week (they attend a different district from the one in which I teach) and they will be in school this week. Also, I had my getaway to a sunny location in February when my husband and I took a weekend cruise to the Bahamas.

So, this week will not be spent working on my tan, racing to catch a flight, spending long hours in the car, unpacking and packing a suitcase, or deciding which local cuisine to sample for dinner. I do, however, have very important plans for the week. I have a couple of movies that I've been wanting to see that are still playing in the theater. I have a gift certificate for a massage that my husband gave me for Christmas. I will be sleeping in and staying in my pajamas as long as I can (or at least relaxing after getting my kids off to the bus). There are a few mindless romance novels waiting for me on my iPad. I will go to the gym and work out for as long as I want to. I will also spend some time on school work; outlining my topics for the rest of the year and making a trip to the library to re-stock my classroom book shelves for the next few weeks.

I have learned that Spring Break, or any break from work for that matter, isn't about going to some exotic location or checking something off your bucket list. It's about recharging your own batteries. It's about taking time for yourself and whatever it is that you do to make you feel like you are raring and ready to go no matter what comes your way. I shudder to say it, but when I return from Spring Break, I only have 9 weeks left in the school year. I'm hoping that my colleagues don't read this post and then throw rotten tomatoes at me the next time I see them. Sorry ladies, someone had to do the math.

For now, I am going to just sit back, relax, and enjoy my week away from reality.