A New Road?

I'm in absolutely NO rush to get back to work, not by any stretch. However, the more I think about returning to work (eventually?), the more I contemplate returning to the classroom.

It's a really weird place for me, because I've always wanted to be a teacher. From the time I was little and in school, I knew that teaching was what I was called to do. I never had any doubt about my future and when I went to school, I got my degree in elementary education. I went to grad school twice and got two Master's Degrees in education. 

I taught for ten years and they were great. I learned something new each year and found myself really getting better as I matured into a "master" teacher. When I was named my school's Teacher of the Year in 2010, it was followed by being named a semi-finalist as county TOY and then I was named a Scholastic Book Clubs Teacher Advisor. I literally went out on a total high. The best came at the end, just months before Gus entered my life.

When I decided to stay home and not return to the classroom, the decision was difficult, but God made it easy for me. My school year was starting at the beginning on July and I was still not able to leave MI with Gus due to ICPC (Interstate Compact for the Protection of Children) clearance not being granted yet. Without any other choice, I had to resign because I wasn't there to start the school year and didn't know when I'd be back to NC.

Now that I've been home with Gus for 2.5 years, I don't miss the classroom. I don't miss a lot of the things that come with being a teacher, and if I'm being honest with myself, should I ever return, I don't think my heart will be in it the same as before Gus.

So it leads me to wonder, if not teaching, then what?? 

I can't see myself doing anything that I'm not passionate about. Which leads me to think about what I am passionate about. Teaching is in my nature, and the desire to teach others will always be part of who I am. So is there something that I can do, that will allow me to teach others, and still be something that I'm passionate about?

My conclusion is one that I think is pretty awesome, but makes me question it at the same time. 

I am passionate about adoption.

I need to figure out how I'd take my desire to help others with adoption and use it for a career. Ideally, I'd love to work for an adoption agency. Maybe not as a counselor, since I don't have the social work background and don't want to go back to school, but maybe something else? I don't know.

I've thought about helping adoptive parents create their profile books. I've seen a few different companies that offer their services and after looking at their stuff, I've said to myself, "I could totally make that myself." I've even started working on a profile book for our second adoption, but I didn't want to put too much effort into it since I don't know how or when it'd be necessary. If we use an agency, they often have specific requirements. And with Gus's adoption, we made a book and it never even went to use.

So... I'm not in any rush to return to work, but I'd love to have some guidance about how I'd pursue working in the adoption world. I just want to help others and I'd love to have a job that I get paid to do it, but it's something that I love doing. That's how I always felt about teaching.

Any suggestions???