Coffee and Mile 22

I often dream and long for the days when I do not have to set an alarm clock. I could not live my life without one, but I take a very small, significant joy in resting my head at night knowing that a piercing, resilient beeping will be silenced for just one day. I believe letting your body wake itself up when it’s ready is one of the healthiest habits we can occasionally give way to. Like a former post of mine says, I have small treasures in life that I look forward to daily and weekly – things that keep me excited and motivated. A fellow student teacher whom I spend time with says she looks forward to the 24-minute FRIENDS episode she watches each night. Another says he gets candy each Friday from his mentor and then one who gets to expel any tension by working out after school each day. Among many others, I would say mine is sleeping in on Sunday morning. I’ve started to realize that I think this is what Sundays are for.

I have always said that I don’t want a job I have to wake up for; I want a job that wakes me up. In combination with my alarm, I think I’ve found that. A little bit of excitement gives me a jolt in the morning, and coffee usually relieves any grogginess still remaining. I am thankful for the crutch as I am constantly competing to equalize my energy levels with middle schoolers.

As a quarter of the way through this experience, I am starting to have and feel the same experiences that a seasoned teacher would. I am familiar with all of the students and their behaviors, and the students are comfortable with me. This means more meaningful discussion and more discipline. I have been saturated with education up to this point at Drake yet still have so much to learn. My time in college is nearing its end – less than 100 days. Yet my time as a student teacher is nearly just beginning. I can relate this pattern to only one phenomenon I have experienced in my life – Mile 22.

I have hit the spot more times than I’d like to mention, but the marathon marker is notorious for its ability to shove all runners straight into a wall. Your legs scream and your mind is so high that ‘right foot, left foot’ becomes rocket science. At this point, the only option to retain a relentless forward motion is to search your heart for any remaining desire, grasp on as hard as you can and just. keep. going. This finish represents triumph, but it also opens doors to more possibilities.

I relate this feeling to where I am now by considering what I have already learned and accomplished. Since August 2008, I started on a path, a trail, a 26.2 mile run in order to reach the finish. I stand here staring down the last 91 days of my college experience. I have hit a point, a mile 22-phenom, where the reasons, desire and heart of all the training is what remains. I am exhausted, but I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else. The people I meet in education and on the road are some of the most kind, funny, and personable people I will ever know. Those who can combine the two lifestyles are truly fortunate.

“Dreams can come true, especially if you train hard enough”
Dean Karnazes

Happy Trails.