The Downside of Summer Vacation

Summer vacation is a glorious thing when you're a teacher.  Contrary to popular belief, it isn't just a three-month slack fest though.  Teachers still have to attend conferences, go to PD days, coach (insert summer sport here), work to get their classroom organized for the next year, meet with new students and their families, lesson plan, and learn any new curriculum that might be entering the district. Does that sound like a vacation?  Ok, it IS a vacation, just with a smattering of other obligations pieced together.

Sitting outside just before sunset. 

My point in all of this rambling is…what do you do for two or three months when you don't have any of these obligations? I chose to leave my teaching position on Beaver Island and move 300 miles away, which means I'm not currently attending any of these meetings/trainings/whatever.  I also do not currently have a house (whoop whoop for living with my parents) and I do not currently have any children, other than Specks obviously.

I am BORED. Like watching reruns of The Bachelor bored.  Like staying in my pajamas until noon every day bored.  Like making up excuses to drive to the pet store bored.  To add to it, I do not know a single soul here and am operating on a tight budget while Cody and I save up for our new place (we are on the waiting list to move in soon).

Even the family pets think I am boring...

Now, don't think I haven't tried finding activities.  I joined a Meetup.com yoga group, which I am hoping to attend starting on Monday.  I've been reading, but thanks to my fast-reading nature I just finished a 1,200 page book in five days.  I am working out and doing long dog walks every day.  I am exploring the outdoors by going hiking and kayaking.  Seriously though, I am still bored.  Each of these things only takes a few hours (at most) and then I am left with 10+ hours in the day where I have nothing to do.  Boredom is obviously a problem that many people would like to have…and normally I would too.  I think if I was in my own home or knew a couple of people in the area I wouldn't mind at all.  It's just all of the things combined that kind of suck and make me want to complain.  Ah well, I suppose boredom is better than nothing…or maybe it actually is nothing….

Your turn…What are you doing this summer?
Currently listening to…paint drying…because I am that bored...