Everything That's Happened

Since the last time I stopped by.

I know. It's been a while. So here's what's been happening in the writing (and non-writing) world of Sarah:

1) My agent and I agreed that I needed to rewrite CODY. This was a big deal because, well... it needed a lot of work. The main reason I have been AWOL from the blog is that I have completely rewritten CODY. It took months of rewriting, editing, going back, re-editing, sending off to betas, re-re-editing, but I am so proud of what it is now. It's a huge improvement.

I sent it back to my agent on Friday, so naturally, I've been obsessively checking my email ever since. I will definitely keep everyone updated as soon as I hear anything back. With any luck, any fixes she sees are easy and we can get back into submission. I'm so scared, but I love this story so much. I really want to see it succeed. Please everyone keep your fingers and toes crossed for CODY!

2) School has been rough, partially due to a broken relationship between myself and the principal, partially due to a couple deaths of former students that really rocked my world as well as the world of my students, and partially due to just simply feeling like I didn't have my own space or any sense of autonomy in the job.

So... I made a change! I applied for a position as a math teacher at the high school in our district and got it! Starting in August, I will be teaching Geometry and Algebra 1. New building. New principal. Same students (just a few years older)!

I'm a little nervous of the change, but overall, I'm excited. I think I needed to get away from my former principal, and I needed a chance to challenge myself with a new experience. Of course, I will miss my friends from the middle school, but we'll still see each other at district events and professional development.

3) I don't talk much about my family on here, but there have been some health issues with my oldest son that have affected my work and writing life. Nothing life-threatening or really all that dire, just inconvenient. It's been going on for a few months now. We've spoken to his pediatrician as well as a specialist at the local children's hospital, and I think we're making progress to getting the issues resolved or at least managed. But my patience as a mother and my time as an individual have taken a hit.

Some exciting new changes though:

I've made the decision to claim space for myself! Namely, the dining room at my house. Currently, it's a dumping ground for various packages/mail sort of things that come into our house. We never use it for its intended use (dining) so I figured, why not revamp it and turn it into a library/writing room? I've already starting making plans to look for the perfect writing desk and bookshelves. By the end of the summer, I hope to have a space to call my own in my home. There will be pictures!

Also, I've spoken to my doctor and been referred to a counseling practice. I haven't seen a therapist since I was in college, over ten years ago. And it's been hurting me.

If I'm completely honest, I've known I needed to see someone for a long time, but I've never taken the initiative to actually seek one out. I'm at a point in my life where I know this is something I need to do to maintain my health. I preach to my students that it is always okay to ask for help, yet I've been negligent with my own needs. Well, it's time to practice what I preach and to take the right steps to taking care of my mental health.

Because mental health IS important, and real, and a part of overall health.