This session has been somewhat of a struggle.  I truly love what I do everyday, working in the library with a great team and fantastic kids. Studying, family, work and me is a real juggle – no different to anyone, I know.  A lot has happened since I started ETL505. I accepted a new job, which took me back to full time – the first time in 12 years. I traveled overseas with my gorgeous family, where 50% of the family (both children) came down with whooping cough.  I also represented the ACT for Masters Hockey. It’ll be fine I said as I embarked into ETL505. 

After spending 4 years in a primary library my new job took me out of a primary school library to a high school library – not a new school, returning to my old stomping ground.  I love going into work every day and I feel very blessed to be in a high school library, and more so to work with the fabulous ladies I work with every day. They have all taught me more than I could have imagined.  However, I am really missing not having an extra day of focus on my studies. I knew I had to readjust my work-life-family balance and I was managing quite well, but I hit a wall. Looking back I probably took on too much.

Our family adventure to the US was amazing! More than amazing! We travelled to New York, where had the most marvellous time exploring.  I was able to spend a few hours in the NY Public Library where I worked on and submitted my first ETL505 assignment – it gave me goosebumps.  It was such an awesome experience. The history of the building, grandness of the ceilings and rooms were breathtaking, and the sheer nerdy joy of it all was a major highlight.  To top it off, as I came out of the library, on my post submission high, there was a local author sitting at a card table. I wandered over to him and we chatted for a bit and turns out he was a poet.  He handed me one of his books that had been reviewed by the SYdney Morning Herald, a few years back. He told me to choose a poem and he would recite it for me. He did, and his accent and words really gave his poem about NYC more authenticity.  Of course I purchased one of his books and he signed it #nerdalert. Just so it’s clear, I am not aloud to be left alone with authors on account of my too many fangirl moments.  

We saw Wicked on Broadway, explored Greenwich Village, printed m&ms in M&M world, ate our way through NYC and took a horse and carriage around Central Park (among many many other things).  From there we visited Orlando and overdosed on Disneyworld and Universal. To continue onto San Francisco and finally Hawaii. It was so wonderful to experience a part of the world with our kids.  Hawaii took on a tour around the big island where we learnt a great many things about volcanoes and tsunamis – which I then talked to with my year 7 classes, in the library. Looking back I probably took on too much.

Whooping cough in the family is exhausting, and I didn’t even catch it.  We suspect our eldest picked it from school before we left, she started coughing in San Francisco.  Since she was vaccinated, she had a mild case, with a dry throat kind of cough and no other symptoms.  By the time we returned, we left my husband in the US for a conference, she was downright exhausted. My husband returned and spent two and a half weeks at home looking after the girls, because a week after he returned the youngest developed symptoms.  Looking back I probably took on too much.

Finally I, still during this session, jet set off to represent the ACT at the National Women’s Masters Championships – we came 5th but that was not a reflection of how well we played.   I played with and against some of the best hockey players in Australia, and held my own in some ways. That aside, again another assignment was looming. I managed to finish my assignment, with the help of an extension (I am still eternally grateful, Helen).  While I was away, I began to think, maybe this is all too much, study, work, family and life. I also wondered how I could fix it so it’s not so demanding. And it was my husband who reminded me, we don’t normally travel, or have sick kids or go away. While the last session didn’t go completely to plan, and I lost motivation/focus along the way, I managed to succeed for the most part.  Looking back I probably am being too hard on myself.

ETL505 affirmed some of what I am doing already, generated some great conversations at work with my team, and taught me many things about RDA, cataloguing and being a librarian for my school.  How great is it to reflect and really love what you do in spite of all the life we are living?

First Day of my new library position

 

New York Library staircase.

Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, with the Family

Hockey action shot