A New Decade to Escapade

My favorite 2010’s picture taken by me. New Zealand 2012.

Yes! I was able to make a blog title that rhymes and is a nod to one of my favorite Janet Jackson songs.

Reflect. I need to actively try and top my last decade. I traveled to New Zealand, Dubai, Mauritius, Japan, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, and England. I witnessed close friends getting married and bringing home their first child. I bought my first house with my sister, sold that house, got my masters degree, got married, bought a house with my husband, got a dog, got a bird, started my career in education, and, oh yeah, got my doctorate.

What are you going to do with your doctorate? During winter break, I had time to reflect and recharge. I was definitely running on zero emotional and physical energy. Each time someone asked me what I was going to do with my doctorate I was deflated. Depending on my mood, I could be on the brink of tears because of how lost I felt.

I had to rediscover my “why.” Why did I get my doctorate in the first place? To make a positive difference. Thus, I am striving to make the greatest, most positive impact during my career. I will continue to participate in research projects and collaborations, attend conferences and professional development opportunities, mentor, and network because continuous learning and exchanging knowledge is crucial to advancing educational leadership.

I can do all this where I am at! This was my huge revelation. Yes, I want to climb the ranks and find new exciting opportunities, but they will come. “Not today and not tomorrow,” my mama used to say. In the meantime, I cannot dwell and self-loath about where I am compared to where I want to be. I am blessed. I have so much and am surrounded by supportive and optimistic people. I am doing some great work in areas I genuinely find interesting. This website was a step in the right direction too. I'm finding my voice!

My research. I must get the word out about my doctoral research around the Head Start teacher perspective. There is very little research on the viewpoint of early childhood educators and they are the ones directly influencing future generations. For starters, I am working on publishing my manuscript based on my dissertation in an academic journal and presenting at conferences this year. More to come soon!

I hope you are recharged and ready for the roaring 20’s.

Have fun (slowly) settling back into work!