From School Bells to Sea Breezes: How I Reclaimed My Summers-and My Life
There’s a special kind of magic that lives in a teacher’s summer.
For years, as soon as the final bell rang and my classroom door clicked shut, I felt it-that delicious exhale. Suddenly, my time was mine again. Mornings slowed down. Lunch didn’t come with a duty. And for a few precious weeks, I remembered what it felt like to dream again.
But here’s what most people don’t see: that deep breath didn’t come instantly.
The first part of summer was always about coming down. Catching up on all the appointments I couldn’t schedule during the school year. Tackling the home projects that had been waiting (and waiting… and waiting). Finally having the mental space to just be-and realizing how long it had been since I’d felt that way.
And then, before I knew it, the ramp-up began. Planning lessons. Prepping rooms. Re-learning how to function on a schedule. That sense of freedom? It had a tight window.
Looking back, I wish I’d found this business then. Not because I didn’t love teaching-I did, and still believe it’s some of the most meaningful work out there. But if I had known about the opportunity to build a business that fit into my life, not the other way around, I could have done more with that time. Not out of obligation, but out of possibility.
I could have used my summers to build something on the side-something fun, creative, profitable. Something that traveled with me and evolved with me.
How to Savor Summer Like a Pro
Here are a few things I wish I had done sooner to stretch those summer days and fill them with joy-not just recovery:
- Protect your mornings. Even one slow morning a week to sip your coffee in peace can reset your nervous system.
- Plan one you-centered experience. A solo hike, a short getaway, even a museum day. Something that feeds you.
- Batch your “must-dos.” Group errands and appointments into just a couple of days so they don’t bleed into your whole month.
- Say yes to something spontaneous. Even if it’s just dinner out on a Tuesday.
- Write down your “someday” dreams. Even if you don’t act on them yet. Awareness is the first step to freedom.
Now, the freedom I craved back then? It’s every day.
I run my travel business from anywhere—on my back porch with a glass of iced tea, in a hotel lobby before a show, or with my toes in the sand. I still feel that summer energy, but now it’s not just seasonal. I get to curate my life all year long. And that changes everything.
I don’t think we talk enough about how smart, hardworking people deserve more choices. If something in this stirred a thought or made you wonder “what if…”let’s talk. It might just open a new door you didn’t know was there.
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