World Walker

Fresh out of University I was on the lookout for my very first teaching job as a Primary School teacher. Full of hope and a "can't get me down" attitude I applied for role after role after role, and didn't even get to the interview stages. My optimistic outlook quickly plummeted and I would dread applying for yet another role. I tweaked my CV, I changed my cover letter over and over and nothing could sell me. In hindsight I actually believe it was the maternity leave sections in my CV that were seen by the hiring teams. Most employers will look at a mother of three young children and go "hell no, that's sick leave overload", and I don't blame then for that because it is actually the truth, the sick leave for the kids is unfathomable.  A month later I saw a job listing at my daughters daycare, perfect I thought, I could spend all day with my girl, tick off my registration and have a nice easy entry into the teaching profession. I went into...

One of my goals this year is to pursue the things that make my heart sing. Challenge myself to try new things that I have always wanted to do, extend the skills I already have, and continue my lifelong theme of figuring out who I am. Whether you know this or not, I love to write. I just enjoy putting words down on paper, seeing what comes out. The problem with my love of writing is that it feels so personal. I would be baring a piece of my soul and having it out there to be scrutinised by whoever came across this blog by chance. I want to share what I write, but the anxiety stops me every time. And I am not claiming to be a good writer at all, I want to say that right now. If I were to share my writing it will not be the same as reading Tolkien, or Maas. I've had no practice, no formal training outside of my year 13 English classes, I just simply have a love for it. Being in this generation of the world is equal parts incredible, and equal parts absolutely terrifying. There is ...

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, I picked up an advanced reader copy of Elyse Thomson's delightful book, "Poisoned Empire." With its Cinderella retelling, magical twists, and enough political scheming to match Game of Thrones look, this book had me hooked from the very first page. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a die hard Disney fan. Give me magic, give me love. However, I've always particularly hated Cinderella. I can't get past Cinderella meeting a guy for what, 3 hours?, and then deciding she wants to go off and marry him. Absolutely not the kind of story I'd want my daughter to look up to. However, in this retelling we meet our protagonists, Selene and Iliana, who are the epitome of strong independent women, who don't need no man. In the Mage Kingdom of Lethe, only elemental magics are deemed worthy of acceptance in higher nobility, and despite this, Selene with her mastery of Poisons magic and Iliana with her metals, the w...

I have about 20 draft blog posts sitting in my drafts. Important note, they are half finished. Why? Well, I think I am a bit depressed. Yep, this is a heavy chat for a Monday, but it's relevant, and it's what I am feeling at this time. Plus, it needs to be normalised, doesn't it? The never-ending battle against mental health stigma continues. I am but another person pushing to make depression known and loud, especially when they are hidden behind pretty smiles and perfect happy social media pictures. I have been diagnosed with ADHD, which to most people who know me well, did not surprise them. The reaction from the people that love me was mainly along the lines of "oh yeah, that makes sense, cool! So now what?". The response of the people that Say they love me was, "Oh, well, you got what you wanted, didn't you?" (meaning medication and a label). That second reaction was when I was initially diagnosed in 2020 - my first year of University when I e...

Welcome! My name is Catherine, and I'm thrilled to have you here in my little corner of the internet. I'm a 30-year-old mom of three - a nearly 4-year-old daughter and twin boys who just turned 15 months old. Add to that my final year of full-time study at the University of Auckland, where I'm pursuing my Bachelor of Education (Teaching) - Primary specialisation, and you can imagine that life is pretty full-on at the moment. The summary of all this? Chaos, Coffee and Curriculum - the name of my shiny new blog. But I'm not content to just let the chaos take over. That's why I'm here, starting this blog. For me, it's like a diary - a place to share my experiences, my thoughts, and my journey as I navigate the ups and downs of parenthood, adult ADHD, imposter syndrome, and full-time study - my final year before I get to be a real-life teacher! And I hope that by sharing my story, I can connect with others who are going through the same things and spark some rea...