Life Well Lived List: vol. 2

Happy weekend!

I’ve been focused, for the past 2 days on RELAXING. I’ve been having some recurring headaches, and I’m not sure if it’s from stress, vision issues, or BOTH. So, I’m trying to stay very loooooooow key for a few days.

Being home and still, has helped me brainstorm a few more items for my Life Well Lived list, so I without further adieu, here’s part 2!  (Have you read part 1? Here it is: http://www.kelseytoney.com/2011/04/life-well-lived-list-vol-1/)

I’ve been kissed under the Eiffel Tower

I’m a romantic, I’ll admit to having an insatiable hunger for romantic comedies, but I have to tell you, having my very own husband dip me in Paris was way, WAY better than any Sandra Bullock romcom I’ve seen.

I’ve left a secure job to completely change career paths

In Spring of 2006, I was working in Marketing, designing packaging, planning events, and doing a myriad of other tasks. I had a steady paycheck, and was working in a field that aligned with my Bachelors degree. I had great coworkers, and no real complaints other than I was distinctly unfulfilled. I felt like my job was to make money for a company, but not to bring any great light or compassion into the world.

So, one day, during a squabble with a family member, I was confronted with the idea that maybe, instead of being irritated with the education system, I should just do it myself. And the next day, I contacted a Teacher preparation program. In Texas, if you have a bachelors degree, you can enroll in one of these programs and forgo the college track, to become a teacher. It isn’t necessarily the preferred method to go into teaching, but it works well for high need areas. I decided to study Special Education, and didn’t really know what kind of classroom I’d end up in. It was early summer of 2006, and against all odds, I was DETERMINED to be in a classroom by that fall. I went door to door to campuses up to 40 miles away, dropping off resumes, and copies of my newly minted probationary teaching certificate.

The last place I stopped (about the 20th school) had an opening for a behavioral classroom teacher, and I got the job.

After a year in that room, learning by the skin of my teeth and the seat of my pants, I realized that those kids, and that population of students had won my heart so entirely.

So, just one calendar year after I entered the classroom for the first time, I started Grad School, where I eventually graduated with my Masters of Education in Special Education, Emphasis on Transition Services for Adolescents with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders.

I love my job, and those kids. And I’m so grateful that I had the support of my family and friends to abandon my desk job for a classroom.

I’ve made a snowman (once.)

In 2008, we had record snowfall, here in North Texas… in MARCH. o_0

And I’d never made a snowman.

In Texas, snow is rarely really snow, more like a little bit of frost that makes the grass have little white tips. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen snow actually get higher than the blades of grass.

So, that day, in 2008, Daron, my husband, from Kansas City, was charmed by my never having built one, and told me I should go out and play in the snow.

Let’s just say, I don’t have the proper experience. In the end, I decided to embrace my blob man, and give the neighbors a little laugh.

It wasn’t pretty, but at least this Texas girl can check snowman building off her list… Well, sorta.

I’m so excited about this feature, and would LOVE to share a snippet of YOUR list here on my site! Please consider submitting some of your own one-of-a-kind accomplishments. You don’t have to be a blogger, but if you are, I’ll be sure my readers know it! It was a slow start, but I’m excited to bring you the first of the guest LWL posts next week! YAY!

To submit your own LWL list, just email a post (with or without pictures) to kelsey@kelseytoney.com!