Time

Three weeks and two days until Christmas vacation, not that I'm counting.

For me it's always been the longest haul of the year. It doesn't matter exactly when the holiday starts, I manage to just barely crawl over the line and collapse.

Somehow this year it doesn't feel like that. Maybe it's still too early to tell.

After school starts up again in January, there are traditionally no days off until Spring Break. Keep in mind that I don't consider teacher proD days to be days off. We still go to work. Sometimes the days are quite delightful, and other times I'd rather be at the dentist.

Spring Break is a week in my district, but many have two. This year the Easter 4 day weekend falls one week later. May holds Victoria Day, and June is the end of the year.

There is a new holiday in BC, introduced by a government desperate to buy votes. February 11th will be "Family Day".

This is what the rest of my final teaching year looks like, assuming I make it all the way until June. I could leave any time.

Clearly, I'll make it to Christmas. I'll even return all rejuvenated and perky in the new year. This never lasts long, but should get me to the end of January. This would be a good spot to bow out, as it is the halfway mark in the year, the end of second term, and the end of the first semester.

It will, however, still be all dark and cold and dreary. I'd be quitting my job in order to spend time trapped indoors, or be outdoors and shivering. I really doubt I'll want to go then.

The next logical exit time would be Spring Break, which is the third week in March. This is tempting, but if I come back afterwards I'll get paid for the week off. Must take everything into consideration.

This would effectively leave the months of April, May and June.

The hours of daylight will be long, and the weather will be nice. I'll be doing a lot of window gazing, assuming I don't retire.

I only have so many Springs left. Do I want to spend another one in a classroom? We'll see.

The longer I stay, the more I'll earn and the better my pension will be. However, by this logic, I should stay 8 more years until age 65. At some point I will pull the plug, and I will do it this year.

I'd call it either the end of the year, or maybe sometime in the last few months.

I've known people who hold their career as their central focus and identity. They often shrivel away after retiring.

I've also known many who retire into a new era of contentment and self-improvement. They seem to fluff up, and their pre-retirement wrinkles largely relax away.

I can't wait to get started.