In August 2013, I embarked on a year long sabbatical. This blog was an attempt to document the adventures, emotions, new friendships, and the entire journey of becoming.  My plan changed on a daily basis so the ride was bumpy.  I tried to accept the ambiguity of it all, but didn’t always succeed.  For someone who was always a planner, it stretched me a bit. In June 2013, I gave up my home and my possessions and reduced my life to a bag of clothes, a bicycle, and some gear stored at a friend’s house.  I did some work in the U.S. before heading to Africa, Europe, Asia, and Canada.

In June 2022, I am doing it again.  I am packing up all my stuff and putting it in storage and heading across the US to visit with family and to work with teachers in rural schools.  I will probably take a side trip or two. Personally, I in a very different place with this new sabbatical.  I am at the pinnacle of my career and facing the slide into retirement.  I have grown into a strong, confident, fierce, and independent woman.

Once, when I was headed to the midwest to meet some friends from the internet that I had never met before, I asked my friend Matt (the wisest human being on the planet) “Matt what to hell am I doing traveling half way across the country to meet some random people from the internet”.  Matt’s answer, perfect as always, was “Robin, you are collecting stories and that is what life is, a collection of stories.  It means you are living life like you should.”

This blog is my collection of sabbatical stories.