I have a bit of an odd relationship with breaks from school.  I love breaks as much as the next teacher, but from almost the beginning I have had difficulty being at ease with the time.  That’s part of why I spent my first decade teaching taking up a summer school class- unstructured time isn’t easy for me.  I often travel fall break, which is wonderful.  But I usually stay “close to home” for spring break (which is odd because it’s the break when every seems to travel).

So I do my best to establish some kind of routine, one that is similar to a work routine while allowing for a bit more freedom.  That means going to the gym or taking a walk up into the valley each morning followed by breakfast downtown and some time at the state library.  Then I usually grab some lunch and head home until later in the afternoon, when I’ll often head downtown again to grab a drink at Starbucks to read before heading home for dinner, tv, and some time in the neighborhood.

I also try to schedule more “adult responsibility” stuff for breaks.  This break, I’ve gotten most of it done in the first week, which is great.  Oil change for the car, dermatologist visit, new windshield wipers, car safety check.  All done this week, along with getting grades done and doing some basic planning for the fourth quarter.  Next week will probably involve a couple of afternoons in the classroom getting ready for the fourth quarter (finalizing handouts and slides), and that’s okay.  I’ll have a little more time (and less internal pressure) with this week’s appointments all taken care of.

This morning after the safety check, I made my way to Longs Drugs to gather some items for a birthday gift.  As I pulled into the parking structure, I was amazed by how empty it was.  It wasn’t quite 9 AM, so stores were still closed and the structure mostly empty.  It was a nice reminder of the blessing of a break, and it made me more hopeful for the week to come.