Changing Who I Think I’m Supposed to Be: Meet Nicole

0

Before I had children, I had always defined myself the same way. Whenever I was introduced to someone, the conversation always started with an enthusiastic, “Hi, I’m Nicole! It’s so nice to meet you!”

I am a people person, and I love talking to anyone and everyone, even if it’s someone I have just met.

The conversation would always lead to me talking about how I was a teacher, followed by the person usually stating what a demanding job that can be and how teachers must have all the patience. I’d usually smile and agree and continue to chat about how it could be challenging but that the kids needed me and how I had been teaching since I was twenty-three.

I felt that the word teacher defined me as a person. It’s who I was.


I loved my students, and when it was time to have my own children and take a break from being a full-time teacher, I was convinced that raising kids wouldn’t be that hard. After all, I had eleven years of experience, not counting the babysitting jobs, nanny positions, and summers as a camp counselor. Being a mom would be a piece of cake.

Well, I must say that now at forty-one years old, I certainly stand corrected. It still shocks me that I had become such a victim of sensory overload, being over-touched, and downright exhausted from raising three children when I used to have a classroom of twenty-five each year!

I learned quickly that it is a different level of being tired when you don’t even get a bathroom break, and there is mom-tired and teacher-tired. And hats off to the moms who are still teaching full-time! I hope all of your students buy you Starbucks gift cards for the holidays. I’m guessing buying wine is still frowned upon?

So presently, if someone were to start a conversation with me, it would be a much different vibe. I’d most likely be chatting in my leggings, tee shirt, and sneakers, holding a venti, with my hair tied up in a mom bun.

And not the nicely done mom buns. It would be frizzy with my postpartum baby hairs sticking straight out and my curls fighting to be free. I can hear the conversation now, “Hi, I’m Nicole! It’s so nice to meet you!” but would then turn into me saying how I am currently a teacher turned stay-at-home mom, blogger, and aspiring writer who is still deciding what her big passion project will be. Well, maybe I won’t say all that in one mouthful, but knowing me, I may.

All I can say is that I am not sure where life will lead me from this point on, but I am happy to say that wherever this journey takes me, I’ll have my family beside me every step of the way, chaos and all.