It's very easy to get distracted at school. On any given day, there's student issues to deal with, lessons to prepare and papers to grade around your normal routine. So it should be no wonder that I'm always looking for something to take me far away from the stress of being a teacher.
I've come a long way in terms of staying focused at work and using my time efficiently, but this year, I've noticed that there's one particular activity that has kept me from doing what I should be doing: I keep searching for deals on travel.
I search for flights, buses, rental cars and ferries. Living in Boston, there's many more options for getting away, but things are so much more expensive here than the Rio Grande Valley that it makes most trips an irresponsible stretch at best. No matter the reason, I spend my free periods searching on Kayak, Megabus or on the sites of companies that run a ferry between Long Wharf and Provincetown. This isn't really a mystery: I need to get away. Unfortunately, most of this searching is for naught. I can't really afford these types of trips anymore.
There was a time when flying across the country wasn't a big deal, when it didn't need a second thought. It took moving 2000 miles across the country to realize how good I had it. The cost of living was as good as it gets in south Texas, and so flights that cost from $300-700 were a very reasonable expsense. Now I get uptight about going to a restaurant for dinner, because it could very easily equal the cost of a flight to the RGV.
I spend a lot of time figuring out if I can visit my family in New Jersey, my old stomping grounds in the Rio Grande Valley, or places on my long list of places to go before I die. I would never blame myself or anyone else from needing a break at this crucial time of the school year. Nevertheless, I'm not happy with myself for spending my time at work in such a manner.
I wonder what kind of things everyone else out there searches for at school, rather than at home. Perhaps you could enlighten me. Email me the kinds of things you waste time doing at school. I'll include your suggestions in a future post. Thank you!