You may find yourself sipping latte in Anchorage when you really want to wilderness camp in Denali. Part of the adventure is how you assess where you want to be. Look for landmarks. If you don't see skyscrapers, you're not in New York. If you don't see cowboy hats, you're not in Texas.
Teaching is like traveling.
Finding 'the Pit' is part of the journey. Reflective teachers take time to prioritize, not just at the beginning of the year, but as they navigate through the roadblocks and check their course along the way. I've seen wonderful teachers get so mired in the details of teaching that they don't see all the good they are doing or enjoy it. It's not hard to do. Teaching is hard, frustrating, full of minutiae, interruption, disruption, and discipline issues that distract from what's important.