I’m Ready to Recharge After an Unusual School Year

Well, it’s official. The COVID-19 school year is officially complete! For students, at least. As faculty, we still have a few weeks left, but I still can’t believe it’s over already.

This year has felt both like it’s lasted an eternity and gone by in a flash. There have been a lot of ups and downs and enormous stresses, but also some bright spots. The resounding theme from my fellow teachers and administrators is that we’re just exhausted and ready for a break. I certainly agree!

While summer provides me a break from my “day job” of being a teacher and college counselor, it doesn’t generally mean I’m less busy. I tend to pick up extra farm work over the summer, and despite the fact that I’m not a fan of the humid summer heat, spending more time moving around is good for me.

One of the tough things about my job is that I spend a lot of time at my desk, which tends to make me stiff. I actually do better with physical tasks that keep me moving without overly challenging my body.

With Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), I feel like I’m always trying to find that elusive balance between too much physical exertion and not enough. Too little, and I get stiff. Too much, and I make myself sore. I almost always land on the side of too much, though, as I seem to have been born with an inability to keep still. If I had to pick one, I’d rather be too active than not enough.

Activity, especially outside, is also how I relax and let go of stress. For as long as I can remember, physically working off my frustrations has been my go-to.

Growing up, soccer was an easy outlet. Being physical and aggressive is part of the game. Now, with contact sports off the table since my EDS diagnosis, it’s a little more complicated. But mucking stalls, dumping wheelbarrows, and scrubbing water troughs still allows me to let things go.

I don’t know that I’ve ever looked forward to the summer change of pace more. Even when I was a student, I don’t think that the end of the school year ever held as much appeal as it does this year. I’m lucky to be able to switch gears, even just for a few weeks. Most people don’t have that ability, no matter how exhausted they are from dealing with the pandemic. I’m thankful to have a few weeks to pivot and recharge, and hopefully be refreshed for another school year in the fall.

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