Tuesday's Slice of Life- Solitude

    This is my first time ever linking up with Two Writing Teachers for their Tuesday's Slice of Life Story Challenge.  I am excited to join in this weekly linky and share a bit of my life with you!  
   

      As a teacher, during the school year I am always on the go.  I get up by 4:30 to go to the gym. I go to school about an hour early. I then rush around getting everything and anything ready. I teach until about 4 and then finish up some work. I come home and have dinner with my boyfriend and we talk about our days.  We watch some TV and mostly I work on school work for the rest of the evening.  Besides my morning workout, I rarely give myself a break. (I go through spurts where I try and change this, but it never sticks.)

     I just finished my tenth year teaching.  Last summer and this summer have been the only years where I didn't "work" and they have been absolutely amazing.  I can't tell you how refreshing it is to set my own pace, my own schedule, and have time to relax.  

     It was this past week, though, while running at the park, when I thought about solitude.  I spend A LOT of my time in the summer alone.  Ten years ago, I think I would have been dying to call friends to meet at the pool, but today things are different.  I spend SO much of my time during the school year with other people, that it is refreshing to just be.  I have posted pictures of this park before, but it truly is a place where I feel a sense of calm and pure solitude.  In the summer, I run here almost every day.  I am so thankful for these summers.  I know that in a month, my life will be filled with noise again and I am thankful for the solitude of these days.    

     Where do you go or what do you do to gain a sense of calming or relax your body and mind?  Don't forget to stop over and check out the linky by Two Writing Teachers.