Redefining Home

The search for finding home can be an adventure with many twists and turns that one may never expect to experience.  This is the story of the search for my professional and personal home.

Home had always been Troy, Michigan.  It was where I lived for 24 years.  Graduate school took me to   Kent, Ohio and no job prospects after graduate school took me back to Troy.  A great professional  opportunity brought me to Toledo, Ohio – a city I had only traveled through for years on the way to visit family out east.  I eventually became settled, made friends and discovered some of what the region had to offeer.  But Troy remained my home. 

Long hours, a recruitment territory of 11 counties and 70 high schools, and budget cuts along with job uncertainty led me to accept an opportunity in Kent.  I looked at returning to Kent as my homecoming and was positive that the region would become my permanent home.  Moving three times in two years had taken its’ toll.

“Except when they don’t

Because, sometimes they won’t…

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.  Some windows are lighted, but mostly          they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!

Do you dare to stay out?

Do you dare to go in?

How much can you lose?

How much can you win?”  (Dr. Suess, Oh, The Places You’ll Go, 1990)

It became clear as time went on that “returning home” to Kent was not the right fit for me.  There were a number of factors involved and it was after many discussions with various family, friends, and mentors that I focused again on the job search to get a fresh start on my career and life.

My job search led me back to Toledo- the place that I had just been passing through all of my life.  In my time away from the city, I had come to realizes how much I missed the city, the people, and the close      location to family in Michigan. 

Something feels different this time around.  I have been back for over 6 months and confidently call  Toledo my home.  I have a solid network of friends and colleagues in the region.  Quite a few of my  mentors are right around the corner.  I am challenged each day in my position and have the pleasure of working closely with faculty, staff, and students at a quality research institution known for its’ academic programs and commitment to the surrounding community.

Whether it is in your personal or professional life – you must always stay true to yourself.  Being able to recognize my unhappiness and taking steps to make the changes necessary for my happiness took a lot of courage.  To be able to put yourself first is a challenge I hope everyone faces at least once in their life time.

“As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better.”

They say that “you’ll do better in Toledo.” 

I’m home.

Kristen currently serves as an Academic Advisor in the College of Health Sciences at The University of     Toledo in Toledo, Ohio.  She advises Athletic Training and Exercise Science students along with being       faculty advisor to the Pre-Physician Assistant Association. Her Twitter handle is @KMRothfeld.