Almost exactly one year ago, I was pulling into the driveway here in Lewisville. My day began with the 7:00 AM ferry from Ocracoke to Swan Quarter, after a hasty final packing when I realized I needed to be out of the house a week earlier than anticipated. That was probably good, looking back. I would have loved the extra days on the island but maybe it kept me from getting too sentimental! So there was a 2.75 hour ferry ride for decompression and a 5.5 hour drive from SQ to Lewisville….
And here I am . One year out of the classroom and one year off the island. One year into retirement and life back on the mainland.
This has been a busy year. First of all, navigating through the paperwork of retirement, Medicare, Social Security. Then starting on the monumental task of de-cluttering, organizing, sorting, call-it-what-you will a big house with basement and attics housing nearly 25 years worth (plus what we moved in with) of “stuff”! Progress has been made, but it would still be embarrassing to me if you walked in and saw what remains. (Another story for another day. Stay tuned.)
And then there were a few other “things”: new houses for both Adam and Anna, with a hailstorm damaging Anna’s within five months of the purchase! New jobs/ locations for Adam and Daniel. Prostate cancer surgery (successful, thank God!) for Rick. Several short trips to Carolina Beach, so I at least got a little sand in my shoes. And four (yeah, really!) trips to Disney World (also another story for another day).
And perhaps the biggest news, Adam’s and Ashlee’s engagement and wedding. There aren’t a lot of pictures yet (not a good story!) but the event was lovely and full of love. We are delighted to welcome Ashlee into our family!
So what about me? What has changed? What do I miss? I miss math! I miss daily interactions with both students and colleagues. I miss the whispers of teenagers. I miss the exchanges with other staff members about both the good and the bad. I really miss lunch and playground duty (yeah, really!) and the chance to interact with “the little people” as I called them, much to the amusement of my high schoolers (especially one John Brodisch!).
I don’t miss having to be dressed and ready to go each morning (although I am not exactly sleeping until noon!), but I do miss heading to the beach to walk as soon as I have finished the day’s tasks at school. Walking on the paved streets of Lewisville is not the same as the paved streets of Ocracoke. And it’s a lot longer drive to Salem Lake than it was to the beach there. But I still get lots of walking in. Most of my birds are songbirds and perching birds, but there is an occasional heron to brighten my day. And I do love my goldfinches here! 
So I am a year out of the classroom and a year away from Ocracoke; I am a year into retirement and my new normal. I have not yet found my rhythm, but I will. Surely I will. The same sun and moon still rise and set. I will figure it out.
bethdlayton 