I have several things that I need to get around posting on here, and I will soon, I promise. But today was a pretty significant moment in my life.

Today, I officially left the public education profession.

I spent most of last week and the weekend organizing and cleaning my classroom to get it ready for whoever will be moving in after me, and getting my stuff organized and packed in a way that I could potentially find it again if I decide to ever go back to teaching. Plus, the person checking us out of the rooms is extremely strict about the condition of the room, so it had to be completely empty of any of my personalized touches before she’d approve it.

(It doesn’t even look like the room I’ve worked in for the past two years at all… In the end, it was only a loan, right?)

(This used to have my name under my room number, but between leaving work Friday and coming in this morning, it was already wiped clean of my existence.)

Packing up four years of my life was more emotional than I thought it would be.

Leaving the school behind? Not as emotional. A few sweet goodbyes from people, a few hugs, a few who asked me to come back and visit with Baby Boothe when she arrives. But really, the official death of my profession was quiet and without fanfare. I think it made it easier for me to not shed many tears.

I turned in my keys to the classroom.

I handed my badge to the Admin Secretary.

And then I walked out the door, and I didn’t look back.