Month: July 2019

Status Update

by Kimberly Frey, posted in Uncategorized

When I last wrote to you all, I had presented my summer “to-do” list. This being only the second time in my teaching career where I have a full summer break, I was purposeful at the beginning to make sure I would be using this time wisely. Fast forward three weeks, and the status update is as follows:

  1. Half-marathon training: I have been running more consistently than I have in probably a year. In addition to my running, I have been going to yoga and other workouts designed to help me build my strength and speed as a runner. My pace is still slower than I would like it to be, but as I focus on more speed workouts in the upcoming months, I am hoping that will improve.
  2. Organizing/Cleaning my apartment: I am happy to report that I have made quite a bit of progress in this area! When I look around my apartment, I can see the areas where there has been improvement. Alas, I can also see the many areas where I need to get it in gear, especially since I essentially only have two weeks to finish up these projects before I return to work.
  3. Focusing on writing: At the beginning of this summer, I set an ambitious goal to write a new post for both of my blogs at least once weekly. Well, that hasn’t quite happened, although in addition to writing for my other blog, I did also get quite a bit of journaling done. Next week I will be leaving for my vacation. I am bringing my laptop and plan on blogging about all my adventures, as this will be a first-time experience for me and many of my friends have asked for me to share my stories.
  4. Getting ready for my trip: I feel that this is where I have made the most progress. I did not realize how time-consuming planning a solo two-week European vacation would be. Not only did I book all my Air BnBs, but I have also researched and booked all of my tours, excursions, experiences, etc. While this has taken quite a bit of my time since I last wrote you, it has been very fulfilling. I am so excited for my trip and can’t believe that I will be heading out in only eight days!
  5. Preparing for my new website launch: This is probably the area where I have made the least progress, which is ironic because it is definitely the one I thought I would most focus on when this summer began. However, I still have some time to be more productive in this area and have made sure to include it in my schedule to ensure that I do just that.

I feel that going through this list, the wins/losses columns are pretty even at this point. Because of some work commitments that I have going on next week, I will only have two or three days before my trip to devote to anything. Upon return from my trip, I will have one week of vacation left before returning to work. I understand that it’s crunch time, which is why I am sitting in a coffee shop on a beautiful summer day writing to all of you and creating new content for my website. Thank you for supporting me as I focus on achieving my goals. Feel free to comment/share what you are currently focusing on so I can return the favor!

Trying Something New

by Kimberly Frey, posted in Education, Motivational, Running, fitness, Uncategorized

Hello, summer! I realize that summer vacation for the majority of teachers is already almost halfway over, but my school district didn’t have their last day for students until June 20th. So for me, summer vacation is really just getting started.

Initially, I had planned on finding a job for the summer to supplement my income since my school district distributes our salaries over a 10-month schedule instead of a full year. The thought of not having a steady income coming in was very nerve-wracking for me – even though I have money saved and my regular bartending gig. However, as I sat and went through my actual income vs. expenses, I realized that I would be able to swing not taking on (technically) a third job. Furthermore, not getting another job would give me the time I have desperately been needing to check off some major items on my to-do list:

  1. Half-marathon training (trying to run a sub-2 hour race this year)
  2. Organizing the piles of papers that have taken over my apartment (plus maybe even some deep cleaning)
  3. Focusing on writing (for both my blogs, my novel draft, and my personal journals)
  4. Getting ready for my trip (longest vacation ever!)
  5. Getting everything ready for the launch of my new website (can’t wait to share with you all!)

Looking at this list, it doesn’t seem that long. Just five items, right folks? Breaking down each item on the list though, makes it seem daunting for even a fierce goal-setter such as myself. My planner and I have become best friends as I have spent time breaking down each of these tasks into manageable chunks for each day while making sure I also have time to catch up with family and friends. I am excited about all the opportunity this time is presenting for me since this is only the second time in my teaching career that I haven’t taught summer school. I guess since item #3 on this list is to be more focused on my writing, you should be hearing updates on my progress on a more consistent basis. I look forward to sharing this summer with you as I try new things, explore new places, and begin new ventures. Hopefully my tales will inspire others out there to attempt something new as well, and if so, I hope you will comment here so I can join you on your journey.

Let the adventures begin!