Summer vacation, early retirement, or new beginnings?

I worked my last day at Roosevelt yesterday and pretty much fell apart as I was trying to leave. I made the mistake of doing "one quick last look" around the library that feels so much like me with it's red "wainscoting" and yellow walls and funky posters. Then I made it worse by making eye contact with people instead of just sprinting for the door. As I told some of my (ex)co-workers, I'm not someone who gently cries...I hold off as long as possible, hoping that I'll be able to avoid the emotions altogether, which then makes me like a tidal wave once my repression gives. I sob and shake, there's usually snot, and I'm totally unintelligible (pretty image, huh). So, based on a desire to avoid that scene and to keep up with my emotional avoidance, I got out with as few goodbyes as possible and headed out in search of a mojito.

Today is a new day, though, and I'm beginning a two week trip with my family where I intend to give no thought whatsoever to my future. Spencer (my youngest son) and I started a blog to record our family trip and I'm looking forward to doing fun things, then updating our site in the evening. I haven't generally been good with sticking with posting, but the pictures and events I hope to chronicle (along with a fear of forgetting) may keep me motivated.

Also, on a side note, on that blog I have a link to a site that Spencer and his brother, Jacob have been discussing for some time. It cracks me up...they started about a year ago, rating bathrooms. They use a 1-5 scale and usually have very detailed reasons for why they give a certain rating. They rate bathrooms in restaurants, hotel rooms, and now even airplanes and trains. We just created the blog yesterday with the thought that the boys can add the locations from this trip. Maybe they'll get a gig as bathroom critics like the food critics?

Anyway, as I sit here on the train typing and enjoying the lack of pull on my time, I know that change is good and something good will come out of this. For now, I'm going to enjoy the time...whether it be summer, early retirement, or a new beginning.