Do you need a break? From what?
I live with tension.
Some days I’m tired and I long for a break. There are always things happening for people: students facing mental health challenges, students in financial crisis, the organisational imperative of keeping things running smoothly, strategic decisions that can’t be put off. It can be exhausting.
Sometimes I wonder what the next email will be—the one that changes everything—or who will walk through the door with an issue that needs immediate attention. After a while, the constant readiness wears you down, and you start longing for relief from the pressure.
And then I turn around and have a wonderful conversation with a student in the dining hall. I see their character shining through. I notice signs of maturity. You realise how much you love these people, and how much they’ve changed in the time you’ve known them.
That happened three times this week.
A rich conversation with a student thousands of kilometres from home, becoming a thoughtful, grounded human being. A student who has recently left, moved into her first rental apartment, and is taking the next step in the adult journey. Students from war-torn countries who sought me out simply to express their thanks for the support we’ve been providing.
You realise afresh how much you love this work—and how important it is.
I thought I needed a break from the pressure of work, but I really needed signs of hope.
I thought I needed a break from the urgency of young adult growing pains, but I really needed to connect and see how they are developing.
I thought I needed a holiday, but I really needed to know that it is all worthwhile.
I thought I needed an afternoon without decisions, but I really needed to see signs of agency—students taking responsibility for their own growth and maturity.
Do I need a break? Sometimes, yes.
But often what I need most is not escape.
It’s hope.
The Afterword 
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