Moving On

Yesterday I walked down the hallway at the high school for the last time as a paraprofessional.

Today I walked into the newspaper office for the first time as Assistant Editor.

There is so much that I am leaving behind, but even more that I am looking forward to. This is the right decision for me, and I am excited as hell about it. Although I am leaving one job, I am eternally grateful to it and all that it gave me these last five years.

Looking back, especially at this last year, there is so much that I will miss, and remember fondly.
Here is a list, in no particular order.

*The smell of the building when I walked in every morning
*My Cloud Cult lanyard with my name tag and keys around my neck
*English class with Nielsen
*Telling kids to put away their cell phones
*Making sure I am in the hallway or in the bathroom during the Pledge of Allegiance
*Students trusting me with secrets, personal information, illegal things, deep insights into their lives, dirty jokes, hugs, and more.
*Focus
*Taking Jeff for walks in his wheelchair
*Mr. Janssen's History classes and his references to The Matrix
*Every year telling my students in speech class that yes, they can do it, then seeing them do it
*Google Wave