Four months away. And now, almost a month back.

This year, I had the incredible gift of taking a four-month sabbatical from my role at See Stories, made possible by the generous support of the Rasmuson Foundation.

And for four months, I truly let go.

I traveled to Kauai, San Francisco, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Kodiak. I spent long stretches at home in my garden and yard, nesting, tending, and enjoying the simple pleasure of having nowhere else I needed to be. I connected with family and with myself. I let my hair down. I lost track of what day it was, and sometimes what time it was. My nervous system is very, very happy.

Stepping away from something you care so deeply about isn’t always easy. But I was able to do it because of the extraordinary people who held See Stories with such care while I was gone. I am especially grateful to Seth Bader, who stepped in as Interim Executive Director, and to our entire staff and Board. They didn’t just hold down the home front, they helped See Stories continue to thrive through what has also been a fiscally challenging moment for our organization. I came back with even more appreciation for the strength, creativity, and resilience of this team.

I’ve now been back at work for almost a month, and I can feel what the time away gave me. I feel renewed. I’m inspired by the work again in a way I hadn’t realized I’d been missing. And I’m returning with a different sense of balance. I now have clearer boundaries, more spaciousness, and a reminder that caring deeply about this work doesn’t have to mean giving all of myself to it.

There is something powerful about stepping away long enough to really lose track of time, and then returning because you’re genuinely excited to come back.

I’m deeply grateful to the Rasmuson Foundation for making this sabbatical possible, to Seth, our staff, and our Board for caring for See Stories so beautifully in my absence, and to everyone who gave me the space to truly be away.

I’m so happy to be back, and equally grateful that I learned how important it is to step away.