Notes from Retirement

For years, September was one of the busiest times of my school year. So when my sister would suggest Mexico City for Independence Day, I always said, “When I retire.” Well…here we are. This week, I’m talking about finally taking that trip, celebrating my birthday in Mexico City, and what it feels like to realize that September looks very different now.

In this episode, I share the surprisingly joyful experience of mowing a lawn for the first time at 56. After researching which mower to buy, putting it together, and finally taking it out for a spin, I found myself laughing—and reflecting on curiosity, confidence, and the freedom of being a beginner again.

On my last morning in Guanajuato, I find myself noticing everything a little differently. In this episode, I reflect on what it means to stay present before a moment becomes a memory—and on how retirement is teaching me not to rush toward what comes next. Sometimes the gift is simply learning to savor where we are while we’re still there.

In this episode, I sit down with two longtime colleagues after a Monday brunch to reflect on what retirement feels like now that our time belongs to us. We talk about what has been different, what we’ve enjoyed, what has surprised us, and how strange—and freeing—it is to experience a very different kind of Monday.

A simple moment—sweeping the street in front of my house for the first time in 25 years—made me realize how differently I experience time now. In this episode, I reflect on the end of the Sunday scaries, the first day of school without me, and how it’s possible to miss parts of a life you don’t want back.

Season 2 begins with an unexpected lesson from a tube of red lipstick. After wearing a bold new color for my retirement party, I found myself wondering what else I might be willing to try in this next chapter. In this episode, I reflect on identity, curiosity, and the quiet permission to keep becoming—no matter your age or stage of life. Because sometimes the smallest changes open the door to something much bigger.

After 35 years in education, today is my first day of retirement. Joined by my sister in our family home in Mexico, I reflect on the transition from a life structured around work to day one of a new chapter filled with possibility. Season One Finale.

Sitting in an empty office, I reflect on what it feels like to clean out 35 years of memories and close a long career in education. From retirement celebrations to saying goodbye to keepsakes, this episode explores what we carry forward, what we let go of, and why an empty office can say so much about a life chapter coming to an end.

A trip to Best Buy shouldn’t have made me emotional. But somewhere between choosing a laptop and carrying it out of the store, retirement suddenly became real. In this episode, I reflect on why buying a simple silver laptop felt like so much more than a purchase—and what it revealed about endings, beginnings, and the life waiting on the other side of a 35-year career in education.

As retirement gets closer, I’m starting to notice the things that feel harder to leave than I expected. In this episode, I reflect on the rhythm of school life, being part of a community, and what it means to leave work that has shaped your identity for 35 years. A thoughtful look at what we carry with us when a long chapter begins to close.