Down the Rabbit Hole 2025

I.School Field Trip

Two middle aged recovering teachers hit the road. Sounds more like a joke- “two middle aged folks walk into a _____.” No joke. This is I.School!

Step One, figure out what you want. Step two, do that. Step three, figure out what you want more and what you want less.

When we tell people we are retired and taking a 17th month road trip, in a van, down by the river- responses sound more like the five stages of grief (which is not exactly true. TAL Good Grief! Episode 738.)  Denial, “No way, how can you do that‽” Anger, “No way! How can you $ do that!?” Bargaining, “no way, how can (I) you do that?” Depression, “…no, way… how can you…  do that?” Acceptance, “No? Way, Can I do that!” While often presented in a liner fashion, the five stages of grief are more opaque. More 5 dimensional, than linear. Step One, figure out what you (I) want. For me, it started out with what I did not want.

No joke. I was sitting in a Tuesday morning faculty meeting, after admitting myself to urgent care the day before. Monday morning, I thought I was having a heart attack. Stress, teaching, blah blah. But Tuesday morning, as I watched a power point presentation on data, status of projected outcome of statistical analysis due to the low math and English test scores, bar graphs and linear equations that baffle head-bobbing educators, I thought, “what if?” What if I died of a heart attack right now?That thought led circulated to “what if?” What if it did not have to be this way? What would I want my own school to look like? Step one. Check. Step two is knowing I can not ‘do that’ now, (money, job, bills blah blah) per say, but I can further occupy my mind creatively with the thought of, “what if?” Then COVED. Perfect! Now, I can play. I can create. Experimental school is scary. And it has to start sometime. So,

I quit! I quit school because I want to learn.

I miss kids. I will always miss kids, Students. And I want more for them, which is less (school) and more learning.

I chose Time over comfort. This adventure is not about being more comfortable. We sleep in a van. This is about the adventure, the learning, and education.