Every day of the past year or so seems to echo the refrain of “unprecedented.” It’s been a time both slow and fast, boring and frantic. I also used the time to reflect on my work as an academic and who I want to be in academia. Many of the choices I made early in the pandemic were borne out of survival (for both me and my students). But what I came to realize was that slowing the pace allowed me to be the teacher and person I actually want to be. For instance, when we first pivoted to online learning, I slowed the pace of all my classes, dropped some assignments, and focused on meaningful connections with my students and with the material. I was flexible. I was kind. I was present.