December 29, 2024 – Where did the time go?

Or shall I say… ENDING A YEAR?!? Where did the time go? Great question. If anything, I am so grateful for 2024. I feel that I have grown and I feel HAPPY. My #OneWord2024 was HAPPY. It was an unusual word for me to choose. Over the last decade, I would often choose words that are “work related.” But not this year. This year I focused on a way of being or rather a way of feeling: happy. One-word has offered me an alternative way to goal set or make a resolution.

When I think about my one-word of HAPPY, I think about “does this make me happy?” My one-word served as an excellent self-assessment tool. In then end, I would only what made me happy. If it was something I did not want to do, I just didn’t do it. If I did like what I was doing, I stopped or pivoted. And, I learned to recognize what I love to do. For example, I love presenting at conferences. This photo is taken in Vancouver after presenting at the FNESC Fall Conference.

I also love networking. I love connecting. And, I love building and belonging to a community. Attending and presenting at the FNESC Fall Conference with my friend, Desiree, felt like coming home. We presented at FNESC in 2018 on assessment and I missed FNESC 2019 due to job action at the university. Returning to this conference felt more like a reunion. I reconnected with so many people and I also met so many people too. Conferencing fills my cup. 🙂

The year also ends with a swift recovery from a surgical procedure. I got my gall bladder removed. I was having many gall bladder attacks over the last 5 years. On December 3, my gall bladder was removed. The day surgery experience was amazing. The wait was worth it and the timing could not have been more perfect. One week after my surgery, I visited the surgeon for a follow up session to learn that my gall bladder was inflamed and there were 40 stones in it. Yikes!

Despite having to present a couple weeks after surgery and then a family trip to Vegas a week after that, my recovery has been quick and I feel great. I felt great soon after surgery, but now that I have recovered, I never felt better. Moreover, I was grateful for my Chair and university for being so flexible and patient. To end the term, I managed to complete my marking for 3 courses and course outlines for 4 courses for next term on-time. All I could think of was, one step at a time.

Admittedly, some deadlines were not met and some things had to wait for my return from Las Vegas. This trip was something I planned with my siblings and my kid. My kid turned 21 this year and I wanted to go to the states to celebrate this new chapter in her life. She is in the middle of the third year of her program and I wanted to celebrate her “official adulthood” in the city of lights. My siblings are so supportive and I am grateful for their company and planning abilities.

You can only do what you can do… and it has to be within reason. Part of my 2024 way of being was thinking about my wellness and sustainability. I was in the practice of SLOW and being ok with what I can and cannot do. One of the things that fell of the plate was my weekly blog post (for both websites). I just did not have the capacity for it even though I wanted to do it. That’s ok. I’m back!! And voila!! I am super happy to get back at my reflective practice via blogging.

Other deadlines that were met near the end of this term were submitting conference proposals for WestCAST 2025 at SFU. Another conference, of course, and I am a part of 3 submissions. The first one is co-presenting with a few teacher candidates from the secondary education cohort, the second one I am supporting an elementary teacher candidate with her solo presentation, and finally, the third one is co-presenting with my fellow colleagues from BCTEN.

All three presentations were accepted to WestCAST 2025 and I look forward to being a part of that conference in February. I just love working with teacher candidates and with folks from other teacher education programs in BC. I feel very lucky to do the work that I do… and yes, it makes me HAPPY. I have also been engaging in research projects I enjoy being apart of and I’m learning lots. Finally, I am volunteering with groups, like the art gallery, that brings me JOY!!

To conclude 2024 and the busyness of the end of term was purchasing a home. I cannot believe that I was able to do that and I did not realize how much I was compromising, coping, and stress I was experiencing at my rental apartment until I moved into my place. I was looking for quite some time and went to a few open houses. Once the ball started rolling, I made an offer, closed the deal, and moved in to my place while teaching and ending the term. And yes, I’m happy.