A New Adventure in Retirement: What to do after teaching?

After 36 years of teaching music and a sundry other various subjects, I retired in 2021. 

I loved teaching. It wasn’t just my job, it was who I was….my identity… a teacher.

For about 20 years, I enjoyed spending spring and summer breaks going places with my kids who were rapidly growing and preparing to leave our nest.

Those trips were so much fun. Seeing new sights, eating in new places and just experiencing newness was a blast. I’ll never forget my first longer trip away from home with just my two younger kids, Tye and Katie. We drove to California to visit a childhood friend. Tye was going on 13 and Kate was nearly 10. It was quite the undertaking but it changed us forever.

Wanderlust had struck. It has not waned. 

In late summer 2022, the opportunity to purchase Heartland Travel presented itself. I knew I wanted to do it but knew I needed a partner. Tye’s degree from K-State is in geography and he especially has a love for the mountain west. We went on our first Heartland Travel trip in November of 2022 as guests of the previous owner. We were hooked!

So…then it came time to ask my husband, Tye’s dad, if it was ok  with him that we buy the business together. He said, “yes with two conditions”  1) The business can never cost him any money  and more importantly  2) HE NEVER WANTS TO GO!

Well…I knew that meant my retirement would not involve traveling with my husband, ever. So Tye and I bought the business. Now in my retirement, I am able to see new and exciting places with people who love to do the same. 

It’s a perfect set-up. 

My background as a teacher has set me up beautifully for this new venture. I enjoy working with people, I love bringing folks to new experiences and I love watching faces as the new experiences are soaking in and being enjoyed. All the things I treasured in my life as a teacher.

Oh, and here’s the most important thing: a teacher always needs to think fast on their feet. Plans can change on a dime. A good teacher needs to be flexible. A good teacher needs to have a Plan B, C or D ready to go.

So does someone who plans and executes bus trips!!