My First Blog: Software Engineering, Decision-Making, and Great Books.

Good Morning!

I am starting this blog as a way to document my journey as I transition into a new career (and record life along the way, because life happens in between.). I have been an educator for 9 years. I would say my 9 years in education have been very challenging-maybe slightly more so than it has been rewarding, seeing as that I am leaving. That is not to say I don't have so many great memories of colleagues and students and moments in the classroom-because I have a so MANY that I repeat to my partner often (almost weekly) that he can recite to you, reluctantly. (Seriously, ask him about what happened that time in 8th period when a student noticed I didn't have my afternoon Coke Zero.) The students are the best part of my career and I OFTEN find myself looking back at memories and moments with them wondering why the relationships aren't enough to keep me here.

I wanted to love the field. I've looked for balance. I have looked for a fit. I have tried different districts and different environments. I have held different roles within the school. Yet every year I have felt just as confused and limited and left searching for what was missing. 

I've thought of making this only positive, but I also want to be honest and transparent, so I have included my dog, Pilot, above to balance out any negative feelings my honesty might bring up.

I have gained more insight about myself and what is important to me over the years, and I am looking for more opportunity and flexibility. I am looking forward to learning and using new skills to problem-solve, collaborate and create, all while contributing to something that does good for others. When I align my values with work, software engineering fits, and I am so excited about this new journey. 

Speaking of aligning values with significant decisions:

Try this ACT worksheet. (Pg 36-41) (This is my favorite type of therapy by the way- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.) I like it's tools for when I make life decisions or help my kids clarify why they are making certain big or small decisions. A career change was not an overnight process. Oh no. It has been years-long process. However, this has been a tool that has helped me along the way and also most recently to clarify what I want and to move over that hump. FEAR can get in the way and blind you to some of your values and so it can be helpful to have this tool to force you to consider if you are acting in alignment with your values or something else. I ALSO found it helpful recently to think about if what I want in the short term is also good for what I want in the long run. Sometimes the answer is "no" and certainly that's okay and necessary for certain seasons of life but I found myself noticing out of convenience (wanting a home in the mountains NOW) I was contemplating compromising some long term goals that I didn't necessarily want to compromise. 

I learned that sometimes you need enough experience in one area to really know what your values are...but what might help in the meantime is to get as specific about what is important to you as possible. Look at and visualize even the smallest details, like where and for how long do you want to drink your coffee in the morning. (I recognize the privilege in these choices.) What does that value look like? If you value flexibility at work, what EXACTLY does that look and feel like?-does that mean you would like to work from home? How often? ---and really be honest with yourself. Just how important is that to you now, how about in two years, ten years? I found myself year by year finding it was becoming more and more important to me to have more flexibility, but I couldn't identify it for some time! Ugh, how frustrating that it took so much time to recognize this value.  Being here in Colorado while my family is back in the midwest, it is important to me to be able to take a plane home to work from Starbucks near my family, and it is also important for me to be able to occasionally sit at a coffee shop in the mountains so I can hike on my lunch break---because, um why not. Everything involves coffee, I am noticing here. 

Okay transitioning back to introducing this blog--> Who might want to visit?... People interested in software engineering, people embracing change, people experiencing a bit of a skake-up in their identity, people who love to explore nature, maybe specifically Colorado.

What I plan to include:

• My journey (documented with humor, honesty and vulnerability.)
• Coding and career books, tips, and tricks (See the links below!--Got my first two great ones I stumbled upon.)
• My adventures in Colorado. Hikes, walks, shops, and places to visit.
• Daily wisdoms that I stumble across or seek very far and wide for, or find after some soul-searching.
• Creative Projects in software engineering.

Books I am currently reading:  (1) Trauma Stewardship- must read for people in helping professions & (2) Soft Skills, The Software Developers Life Manual. --> very helpful for new or really any software engineer.

What I am currently working on for coding: LSAT logic quiz prep: specifically this course. LSAT-Nova's LSAT course (on Udemy). This is the most inexpensive course I can find (although I recently learned there is also one through Khan Academy, which was equally helpful), and it has been very helpful in breaking down tools on how to solve different types of logic problems and how to write those problems out in an easy to solve format. Highly recommend.

....Well, that is it for my first blog! See you next time.

Could you spot the Pilot?
My walk in Bergen Park before dropping Pilot off to be boarded. 
It would be pretty cool to live in Evergreen.
 Reason # 10 why it's hard to make a career change. Because I want to buy a home in the mountains NOW.