I was elbow deep in mango when the phone rang. While I knew that my to-do list was piling up and I didn’t really have time for one of our “dig into life” conversations, something told me that I needed to answer the phone. That phone conversation with a close friend was exactly what I didn’t realize I needed at that moment, and it prompted me to think about some things in a new way.

I began by lamenting about all the work I had to do and how I still needed to prepare for a conference I was going to that weekend. But instead of focusing on my work like I knew I needed to, I was making mango salsa. I didn’t want the fruit to spoil while I was gone, so logically I prioritized salsa-making.

This has been the case for me all month especially when it comes to working on this blog. JRNEY is incredibly important to me, so I couldn’t figure out why I was avoiding it until I said it out loud. At the end of May, I wrote a post about a recent experience I had speaking to some young women in Nigeria. It was personal, and it was authentically me on the page. And I haven’t posted anything since.

I’ve drafted a couple posts, but nothing felt right or worth reading. And most importantly, how could I write about something like the power of yes when all I wanted to do was say no and curl up in my bed for a week? That’s when I realized I wasn’t listening to myself. I wasn’t being authentic, and I certainly wasn’t practicing what I expected my contributors to share. While, yes, this is an education blog, it is also a people blog. Since this blog began a few months ago, so many educators have trusted me with their stories. They have put themselves out there and shared some very personal stuff. And here I was working on a post about the importance of networking. All I could think of was, so what?!!

I decided not to post anything, and I decided to take a break. I’m really glad I did though because it helped me get back to why I believe stories are so important and why I started this blog in the first place. The connection and shared humanity that stories provide are what JRNEY is all about. Just like this website and blog are a work in progress, so am I. So I've decided not to beat myself up anymore about sticking to a schedule; I’ll just do the best I can and focus on staying true to myself and the stories worth sharing.

A big, heartfelt thank you to Shannon Gerrity for listening and being my compass when there are days when I can’t find my map.