Lynn Fleischer
“Everyplace I went wasn’t home. New England is home. Cape Cod is home. “
Lynn is born to explore. Her life has taken her to all corners of the globe. She sailed through the South Pacific, explored Europe, adventured in Central America, and lived on sailboat in Australia. She yearns for exploration, adventure and global culture. Perhaps all of these achievements help her to mold the young minds of her students. After the travel you see, came teaching. This is her story.
Like many people, Lynn came to Cape Cod for a summer job when she was younger. The goals were to save money, and have fun.
“I got a summer job. I wanted to be around people my age, partying and having a blast in my early twenties. Then said I was going to stay like so many other people. And I stayed for the most part”
As for the most part, she did end up staying for a long bit of time until a small bit of tragedy struck. The misfortune turned into good fortune as it allowed her to live out her dreams of seeing the world.
“In my mid-twenties, I was a motorcycle accident. I received a lot of money after the accident. After that I traveled for eight years. I lived on a 40’ sailboat for five years. Our home port was Cairns Australia. We sailed from Cairns through the Coral Sea up through Papua New Guinea, over to Micronesia, and back down. That took about a year and then we lived on board for the remainder of time. I also went to a lot of the Pacific Islands, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, all through Europe. I did a lot of traveling in Central America except Nicaragua.”
Once her traveling days were over, home was calling Lynn back again. She again longed for the salt air and sandy beaches of Cape Cod. Upon returning to the US, she received her masters and decided teaching was the best career for her future. She ventured that her experiences from the travels could benefit her teaching skills and wanted to mold the minds of younger generations.
“I am a high school teacher at Cape Cod Tech. I teach social studies. I applied for the job and the fact that I was a woman in the trades painting house and I was a bartender which I think helped. Both taught me not to take any gruff. Everyplace I went wasn’t home. New England is home. Cape Cod is home. I am a fan of colder weather and most of the places I visited were warmer. I’m not interested in the hotter weather. My favorite place was Papua New Guinea, Turkey and Malaysia. I also teach cultural geography so my background helps.”
Now she rather enjoys the quietness of the Cape in the off season. The open spaces and empty beaches despite the weather can be a draw for those who seek solitude. The summers as of late have not been as fun for Lynn.
“I like that it's quiet in the winter. I like the nature. I like the art end of things. I am here because of my job and my parents live here. The time I spend here is peaceful and joyful, I am really lucky that I can leave when it is crazy. I do not like the summers so I rent my house out and move off Cape. It's too many people. It's too crazy. Everyone is in a rush. I appreciate they are here enjoying their families and spending money but I don’t want to get caught up in their frenzy. I think when I retire I probably won’t stay here.”
While she might not stay on Cape Cod after she retires, she has planted many ideas in her students through her adventures. We hope that her stories and expertise stick with some of the kids she is teaching at Cape Cod Tech. Thank you for sharing your story, and we hope that more adventures await you.
