I used to be so concerned with every decision and if I was making the right one or the one that would make everyone happy. I was in a car crash six years ago and needed back surgery in order to heal. That was quite the journey! The whole process was very humbling as I learned to walk again but I'm out of pain and getting my life back on track. It took a long time to figure out what the bigger lesson was but I started teaching Drivers Ed to other teen drivers. I know everything happens for a reason and that crash definitely changed my outlook on life. I'm all about living each day and not worrying about the next day or anything else that happened in the past.
I graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelors degree in clarinet performance and a minor in English. I then taught elementary band for seven years so you'll have to pardon my repulsion to Hot Cross Buns, Twinkle Twinkle, and Jingle Bells. I loved watching and listening as the kids got better. I really loved my teaching job and closing my classroom door to have a blast with the kids. The standing ovation I got at my last concert before my job was eliminated is something I cling to. I got really tired of getting laid off every spring so I changed careers into Animal Welfare. It has its very stressful and long days but is so rewarding! Gracie is my rescue dog from Tennessee and I needed to learn everything I could about separation anxiety to prevent her from devouring another couch. (Apparently she thought I was hiding in the couch and came looking for me.) Anyway, I started reading anything I could, apprenticing and attending conferences. I also took the National Boards and passed so my little hobby actually turned into a career path. I just moved to Florida in April from Massachusetts and am still getting settled in. I'm adventurous on my own but only to a point.
I currently run competitive agility with my rescue Labrador Gracie. Sometimes we come away with titles, most other times we supply the comic relief element to the crowd for the day. I'm all about laughing as much as possible and just enjoying each day! I get so much personal satisfaction from watching my dog have so much fun with me!
I'm looking for a gentleman who knows how important the little things are. I don't need or want someone to pull out my chair or hold doors, but someone who understands that it's the little gestures that go a long way. We used to spend summers on Cape Cod in Massachusetts and one of my all-time favorite days was to bring hot dogs in a thermos to eat on the beach, go exploring for new shells, and finish the day watching the sun set into the ocean. I've been wanting to learn how to scuba dive for a long time. It's one more thing on my list of things to do in the near future! One of my favorite quotes is, "Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend."
