A pivotal moment in my life
Dear Cafecito,
My life changed forever in May 2024 when I got hired as a... remote High School Counselor.
I gained tons of valuable experience during the pandemic when I worked from home in my role as High School English Teacher.
Nearly a decade later, I am starting to feel confident in my role in education. Although recognition for my efforts were minimal, I know deep in my heart I was a great teacher because my students always kept reminding me that I was making a positive impact in their lives. My main focus in my career is to make sure our students thrive and become the best they can be.
Now that I work from home, I get to look back and see how my strengths and weaknesses shaped me into the educator I am today. For a long time, I hesitated to step out of my comfort zone and apply for other positions in education. As a teacher, I taught various subjects like English I through IV, College Readiness (ACT focused), and TSI College Prep ELA. Out of all the subjects I taught, TSI ELA was my absolute favorite.
In a few months, I’ll be 40 years old with no kids… wait a minute, my fur babies ARE my kids.
There is no such thing as a perfect life or career, but I have learned that the best thing you can do for yourself is investing in your own personal GROWTH. Taking action is the key to experiencing new things in life.
Most of the time, we unconsciously avoid changing ourselves because we are scared of failing and just making a “bigger mess” in our lives. Well guess what? If something doesn’t turn out as planned, you can just take a different approach, right? Just think about the time when you first started cooking rice. Your first attempt probably came out either too grainy or mushy until you figured out how to make it right.
I feel super fortunate to have had the chance to teach a subject I am truly passionate about. Perhaps I’ll do it again down the road, or maybe not. However, right now I am realizing how important it is to put my mental and physical health first more than ever because I am about to enter a new decade soon.
I’ve been thinking about starting to share my experiences and journey on Substack for quite some time now, but I just didn’t know what to say or how to begin. But right now, I finally decided to open my Macbook and start typing my little heart out. I really am hoping that my stories can make a positive impact on others, or at least help me connect with the people who feel the same way I do about… taking a leap to the next chapter in our lives.
I named my Substack “The Cafecito Diaries” because I’m totally obsessed with coffee in Spanish. And get this, back in 2018, I even got married in Spanish! I’ll share more about that later. But for now, let me just say that the word “cafecito” means a lot to me because… it completely transforms me when I drink it. I love it!
So, here’s the deal. I’m starting this space for myself and for everyone else who is interested in reading stories about overcoming challenges, diving into all things self-care, becoming self-sufficient, and I can also share a few teaching tips here and there. Most importantly, I want to focus on personal growth and development because I am a firm believer that it can help us improve our quality of life.
Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? Or maybe you're feeling a bit stuck when it comes to stepping outside of your comfort zone. Share in the comments!
Sincerely,
Clari♡ from The Cafecito Diaries ☕️📝 | 💌 hello@claribotello.com
Disclaimer: This post is provided for educational and informational purposes only. This post does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services.