As I am getting ready for my second sabbatical which will start in 7 weeks, I spent the evening reading through the posts from the last sabbatical. All I could think was, who wrote this? What an incredible person she must be! And then I laughed because, she is me. I wasn’t going to write another blog, but after reading the last one I realized how much I gained from both writing and reading it. Thus, I decided to write again. This blog is for me, for my story.

This sabbatical will be a little different. I realize that, at 58 years old, this will probably be my last sabbatical. So what do I want to do? My life and career has come full circle. I have risen as high as one can go in an academic career. I am a full professor of mathematics and I am the recent former chair of the faculty senate for the entire University of Washington during one of the most challenging periods in history. Personally, I have blossomed into the strong, confident, free spirited woman I am. I am proud of who I am and what I have accomplished. So now it is time to give back.

As I said in a previous post, “you have to dance with the one that brung ya”. So I am going to position the end of my career in the same place that it began, in rural schools, working with teachers. I am headed off to Maine, where I grew up and where my brothers live. Professionally, I am going to spend the year working with teachers in rural Maine, writing some articles, and maybe a few grants. Personally, I am going to spend my time staying healthy, learning, and socializing with my family. I want to spend some time with the incredible men who grew up with me. I have spent time with my sisters as adults, but I have never had any extended time, other than vacations, to spend with my brothers as adults. I want to deeply understand the men they are, I want to learn what they have to teach me, I want to see all the places that they love, and know the people who share their lives. I am who I am because they are a huge part of my life, I want to understand the impact they have had on me.

And so it begins again. I am culling my things, putting stuff in storage, packing up the things I need for the next year, and getting ready to head out. This time I am sure of myself and the road I am taking. It will be a great ride and an incredible story.