“What if you were wrong? What if everything you ever believed was a lie? What if you missed your opportunity because you didn’t know your worth? What if you settled on familiar, but God was trying to give you something better? What if you decided not to go backwards, but forward? What if doing what you have never done before was the answer to everything that didn’t make sense? What if the answer wasn’t to be found in words, but in action? What if you found the courage to do what you really wanted to do and doing it changed your whole life?”
― Shannon L. Alder

2010 was a very hard year. There were family problems, health difficulties, much time off work and a reassessment of my life and priorities. My sickness brought my family back together. The broken relationships were mended, we apologised to one another and we have grown up and ‘moved on’.  We have all survived.

Since then I have been acutely aware that our time on this earth is limited, every day is a blessing and I have felt a sense of urgency to suck every precious moment out of each day like a delicious piece of fruit. The trick is to know how far I can push myself. What are my limits?

When I asked my cardiologist how much I could exercise, he told me to do as much as I liked as long as I didn’t become breathless. I wish it was this easy to judge the number of activities and people that I can pack into my life.

Teaching in 2015 was challenging yet enjoyable. @mellmollyrios (Melanie Rios)and I stretched ourselves and the students with teaching vocabulary and writing. I was given the opportunity to be on class for one day a week and to put some problem based learning into practice. @TESOLoz (Cindy Valdez-Adams) began the #tesoloz twitter chat and asked me to co-moderate. ( I have learnt so much about EAL/D teaching from just chatting to her) These were only some of my roles – there were community days to run, parents to teach, dance group to organise … Anyway, you get the picture; life was full.

My problem is that I am now in my 60th year of living. Where to next? Do I keep on as before rolling along and taking on more and more like a snowball in an avalanche waiting for a possible crash – or should I pause, take stock and alter my direction?

I need advice. How can I be respected and employable in any school other than the one I have worked in for the last 15 years? Do I go back to study and convert my Dip Teach to a Master of Teaching degree?  Do I specifically study teaching English as a second language so I can be employed in other settings?

I know that I can’t go on at the same pace forever but I also know that I still have so much to learn and to contribute. Where to next? I’m very happy to entertain all ideas and suggestions. Looking forward to your feedback.