As a teacher, the summer is truly the best opportunity to unwind and feel completely free of professional obligations (at least, until curriculum work veers its ugly head in late July), so I find it refreshing engage myself in a few satisfying experiences that I deprive myself of for 10 months of the year.
First, going out on a school night! I refuse to go anywhere after I get home from work Sunday through Wednesday. I need rest, sleep (yes, there's a difference), time to grade/lesson plan, catch up on tv, and maybe actually see my husband. So, the girls date I got to enjoy last night at Cooper's Hawk was a great treat. I've never been to this establishment before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. All the food was outstanding and I left becoming a member of their wine club. (yippee!) Now, I just have to figure out how I'm going to get there during the school year.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Yes, the secret is out. I am an enormous fan of this show. I start every summer vacation by taking a few all-nighters watching this entire series. Now, I've had some house guests and other things pop up along the way, so at three weeks in, I'm just now making my way to that goal. But, staying up all night is something I would never attempt during the school year, even on break. The sleep schedule is a precious thing. Don't mess with it.
Scary movie marathons. During the school year, I don't typically have time to watch one movie, let alone a marathon. So, being able to devote an entire day to vegging on the couch without concern of grading, lesson plans, getting my own homework done, or replying to emails is simply heaven.
Cooking. I start a work day completely intending to cook my husband a great, home cooked meal when I get home, but after a 9 hour work day and 3 hours commuting, I often loose my steam to then stand in the kitchen for an hour and cook. He often must endure take out, quick trips to easy restaurants like TGIFridays, or leftovers from the weekend. Now, I get to cook lunch and dinner! Doing this makes the grocery bill a little higher, but we're eating better quality meals, aren't going out, and it helps my husband and I lose all the weight we gained during the school year.
Sleep. I can't go to bed early. No matter how exhausted or sleep deprived I am, I can't go to bed before 10:30. So, when you get up at 5 am, that's not a good number for sleep. I can stay up late, late, late, but getting up early, early, early is definitely part of the reason I'm getting gray hair. I could force myself to go to bed at 8 pm and feel exactly the same as I would at 5 am had I gone to bed at midnight. So, I may as well stay up and be productive! Either way, my brain and body LOVE sleeping until the sun rises. So, after a few school free days, my body quickly starts sleeping until 9 am on the dot. It becomes a chore when I have to wake up earlier than that for appointments and such. In fact, just the notion that I may have to get up early to take my car to the car doctor Saturday morning (ut, oh) is already making me upset.
What work rituals do you have when your on vacation or enjoying the weekend? Any suggestions during my freedom?
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