• After being a teacher for eight years, I quit my job.
• At age 30, I realized I couldn't keep walking into class with anxiety about what I was going to find
• I decided to become a ski instructor, where I can still use my teaching skills.

After eight years in the classroom, I turned in my teaching badge and picked up a ski pass.

Turning 30, I began to look at my life and question if I wanted to stay in the teaching profession for the long haul. With no desire to go the administrative route to becoming a principal, the thought of paying for graduate school for nothing more than a pay increase left me feeling like I was at the end of the teaching career road.

Like many other educators, I was recognized for my teaching skills with more work, difficult kids, and parents treating me more like their kid's personal assistant than a teacher. I'd walk into my class every morning with slight anxiety about angry emails from parents demanding study guides and questioning project rubrics.

Feeling burned out and broke, I decided to abandon the classroom. Leaving teaching wasn't just a career shift but a decision to reclaim joy and rediscover purpose in a new way.

I decided to use my teaching skills in a new environment

Unsure of my next career move, I became a ski instructor. A job where I can use my teaching skills in a new environment. As a ski instructor, I connect with kids as they learn new skills and see the joy on their faces when they finally master a steep hill.

Seeing kids light up with learning is long gone from teaching as kids simply want to know, "Will this be on the test?" and adjust their memorization accordingly.

While helping young children with ski clothes and getting their boots clipped into their skis can be tiresome, it is nowhere near the frustration I felt using outdated technology in the classroom on spotty internet. I no longer spend my days trying to help kids log into various platforms and troubleshoot computer issues but instead show them how to navigate the slopes and find their self-confidence.

I miss my colleagues

While I miss colleagues and the feeling of belonging to school, the ski industry is a tight-knit community filled with people looking to share the joy of skiing. The ski instructing industry is filled with easily available resources through training, workshops, and mentorship. I feel equipped with a variety of resources to do my job.

This was a stark contrast to the classroom days when I was making do with what I had. I taught without textbooks and was left to find my own resources online. While administrative staff always supported me in the classroom, they were just as overwhelmed and under-resourced as I was and could only do so much.

A bad ski day is still a good day

Teaching kids to ski comes with its own rough days, like when a kid doesn't quite make it to the bathroom in time, or the temperatures hit the single digits.

I'm exhausted at the end of the ski season and need a good month to recover, but even a rough day on the ski hill fails compared to an average week in the classroom.

My mental health is better; I'm outside and active. I still get to connect with kids and see them grow. I get to walk alongside kids as they conquer their fear of skiing down the big hill for the first time or riding the ski lift. Parents respect and appreciate my evaluations of the kids' progress. They accept my remarks on their skills and whether they are ready for the next level.

Every August, when I see the back-to-school supplies roll out in stores, a piece of my heart misses the classroom and the coworkers I had. But my life is healthier now, and I'm reminded about the parts I loved most about teaching that I wasn't getting to do. But on the ski hill, my passion for teaching continues.

I don't know if I will ever step back into the classroom or how long I will call the wide-open ski slopes my office. But for now, I will be holding my lessons among the rocky mountains, where the scent of fresh pine wafts through the air as I guide my students down the mountain.

WNBA superstar Kelsey Plum is moving to the Los Angeles Sparks in an enormous multi-team deal.

There's a chance the Pittsburgh Pirates emerge as suitors to sign Texas Rangers pitcher Andrew Heaney this winter.

Justin Marks and Pitbull's Trackhouse Racing team partners with Red Bull in a landmark sponsorship deal, marking the energy drink brand's return to NASCAR.

The Atlanta Braves could get desperate in an attempt to stay competitive in the loaded National League East heading into 2025.

Israel will allow displaced Palestinians to return to the northern Gaza strip from Monday morning after Qatari and Egyptian mediators managed to solve the crisis over the release of an Israeli held hostage in Gaza, the Israeli prime minister's office said.

Why it matters: The failure by Hamas to release Arbel Yehud, a civilian woman, on Saturday as the hostage and ceasefire deal stipulated created a crisis that raised concerns that the agreement could collapse a week after it came into force.

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• The return of Palestinian civilians to northern Gaza is one of the key deliverables Hamas demanded as part of the deal.
• Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinian civilians have been waiting in the past two days along the Netzarim corridor south of Gaza city waiting for the IDF to withdraw its forces and allow them to move north.

Catch up quick: On Friday, when Hamas gave Israel the list of four hostages that were expected to be released the next day it didn't include Arbel Yehud. Instead it included four women soldiers.

• According to the hostage deal, civilians women are released ahead of women soldiers.
• The Israelis protested to the Qatari and Egyptian mediators, but didn't stop the implementation of the deal.
• On Saturday, after the four soldier were release Israel announced it will not allow Palestinians to go back to northern Gaza until Arbel Yehud is released.
• The Israelis also asked White House envoy Steve Witkoff to intervene and demand the Qatari and Egyptian mediators to press Hamas.

Driving the news: On Sunday night local time, after 36 hours of negotiations the Qatari foreign ministry announced that an agreement had been reached to overcome the crisis.

• According to the agreement, Israel will allow Palestinians to move to northern Gaza starting Monday morning, the Qatari foreign ministry said.
• Hamas, for its part, will release Arbel Yehud and two other hostages on Thursday and three more hostages on Saturday. This will double the number of hostages that will be released this week.

State of play: After the agreement was reached, Hamas gave Israel a document with information about the remaining 26 hostages it is supposed to release in the first phase of the deal.

• An Israeli official said the list didn't include names but only data about the condition of the hostages. The official said that 18 out of the 26 remaining hostages in phase one of the deal are alive — a similar number to prior Israeli assessments.

The Houston Astros recently made a blockbuster trade to ship Ryan Pressly to the Chicago Cubs, which could be the key to an Alex Bregman reunion.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has ended a strange and unfortunate NFL streak after defeating the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship.

Porsche Penske Motorsport claimed back-to-back victories at the 63rd Rolex 24, with the No. 7 Porsche 963 winning the overall race and GTP class.

Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford was carted off the field after suffering what appeared to be a significant injury.

The Houston Astros could put together a dream lineup if they can find a way to re-sign superstar infielder Alex Bregman.

Colombia-US clash erupts over deportation flights, sparking 50% tariffs and fiery statement on sovereignty from President Gustavo Petro.

President Trump has signed an executive order aimed at revamping the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in the latest sign he's seeking to change how the agency handles disasters that hit the nation.

The big picture: Sunday's announcement of the order comes days after the president said he was considering "getting rid of" FEMA altogether, as he and others in the GOP have in recent months complained the agency's disaster response has been biased against Republicans.

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• Trump could significantly impact state and federal disaster response by withholding federal disaster declarations and preventing certain types of aid from flowing to states, at least for a time. He's threatened to do so in wildfire-hit California.
• He's yet to name a head to oversee FEMA.

Driving the news: Trump signed the order after visiting communities impacted by historic fires in Southern California on Friday during his first presidential trip of his second term.

• The order calls for the creation of a task force, dubbed the Federal Emergency Management Agency Review Council, to review FEMA and recommend changes in a report to Trump.
• The group will be composed of the secretaries of homeland security and defense, along with private-sector subject matter experts, per the order.

Between the lines: The task force could recommend getting rid of the agency.

• But only Congress can get rid of FEMA.

Our thought bubble: There is agreement among many experts in the disaster management community that some reforms to FEMA are necessary, Axios' Andrew Freedman says.

• However, governors are likely to push back against attempts to have them shoulder the full burden of disaster response given their comparative lack of resources.

Go deeper: Trump suggests states should handle emergency response instead of FEMA

Editor's note: The headline has been updated to clarify that the executive order calls for an examination of overhauling FEMA. 

The Boston Red Sox could be a candidate to sign Philadelphia Phillies free agent Carlos Estévez this offseason.

The Toronto Blue Jays could look to add free-agent starting pitcher Andrew Heaney after signing slugger Anthony Santander.

NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson playfully challenged basketball icon Shaquille O'Neal to a free throw contest in a light-hearted social media exchange.

Team Canada loses a key piece to its defensive corps for February's international tournament.

After being gone for months and returning with her original gimmick, Timeless Toni Storm has finally returned to AEW. And she's coming straight for Mariah May.

The Clippers land an All-Star forward in this hypothetical trade.

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon will be extended until February 18, the White House said on Sunday.

Why it matters: The extension was a result of mediation efforts by the Trump administration that were aimed at preventing the collapse of the ceasefire.

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• The extension will allow another three and a half weeks for Israel's military to finish its withdrawal from Southern Lebanon and for the Lebanese army to finish its deployment along the border.

Driving the news: According to the ceasefire agreement, Israel had to finish its withdrawal by Sunday at the end of a 60-day period defined in the deal.

• On Friday, the Israeli prime minister's office said the IDF would not complete its withdrawal.
• Hezbollah warned that it would consider the ceasefire null and void if Israel breaches Sunday's withdrawal deadline.
• The White House said on Friday afternoon that "a short, temporary ceasefire extension is urgently needed" and the U.S. will work with "regional partners" to secure it.
• The Trump administration has been negotiating with Lebanon and Israel in the last 96 hours to prevent the ceasefire from collapsing.
• A few minutes before midnight local time the White House issued the statement announcing the extension of the ceasefire.

What to watch: The White House said Lebanon, Israel, and the U.S. will also begin negotiations for the return of Lebanese prisoners captured after Oct. 7, 2023. Many of these prisoners are Hezbollah militants.