Better Late Than Never!

Flashback to my Freshman year of high school. Back to when I made the conscious decision to leave school. Only to start working in retail and eventually get my GED. Oh man, what I would tell myself then about what I know now! I know I'm not the only person who thinks that about things, but when it comes to education, I kick myself for choosing such a non-traditional route at such a young, impressionable age!

But for everything that you can't tell someone, they get to learn the hard way! Which is what I've done. I've watched people who were in my grade go on to walk the high school stage, walk the college stage, and land careers in some of their dream fields. (Obviously not all, or even most for that matter, but some!) And while I'm thankful everyday that at least I had enough sense to get my GED out of it all, that's all I have. And I'm 25 years old. 

So in something I'll always and forever refer to as my "Buddha Week", I found myself questioning where I was going career wise. The older your kids get the more you start to realize that these little people are counting on you to make it, to MORE than make it, to give them the world. To teach them, to guide them, to love them, and most importantly support them! So during my week of enlightenment, it just clicked. I was 15 when I left school, so 10 long years later, I had a desire come across me that I never thought I of all people would get. 

I so badly WANTED to go to college, get a degree, and walk across that stage to receive a real diploma. All to get me to where I wanted to be back in the workforce. After all, I've been a Stay at Home mom for right at 4 years now. All I've ever known or done before was retail management. And although as a young kid I worked my way up the management train so fast, I chose to forego continuing that to raise our babies. Best decision I've ever made. But they're growing up, so why can't my goals and desires develop too? 

After I realized that (again, a week of enlightenment will open your eyes to a LOT of things!), I could see a plan so clear, so achievable, so manageable and worthwhile that I felt peace wash over me. I have a little over 4 years before our youngest, Jonas, can start Kindergarten. Most college degrees take 4 years. That seems like a pretty good plan to me. Going back to when we decided that I would stay home with the kids, it was always meant to be a solution while they were little. Just to get them to school age and then I could figure out what I wanted to do. But why wait! If I have 4 years to get something done WHILE I'm home with my babies too, then why NOT?! 

So it began! I walked into our local college office for the first time ever, filled out all the necessary paperwork, and found out really quickly that I had to take placement tests because of my GED and time passed since any schooling. No problem right? I haven't taken any form of "Test" in 10 years, college algebra and English should be passable first try right? Wrong, very wrong! I studied my butt off, still failed the math, went home studied my butt off some more, and took the time to teach myself enough algebra to where I squeaked by on the test, only to get the all clear...you can start this Fall! 

None of this would be possible without my AMAZING husband and his support! Not only his supporting us 100 % financially so that I can be home with our kids and now go to college too, but also his truly loving support of my dreams and goals! How I got lucky enough to have somebody so sweet to me, and always looking out for me to make sure that I'm happy, I'll never know, but I'm eternally grateful! So I VERY happily chose my classes and shared the news with the kids, Mommy's going to college!

So with all of that being said...In a little over 2 weeks I'll be starting a journey that's been coming for a long time, it just got delayed a few years past where I originally saw it! Only to find out that this plan and timing suits me SO much more than I could ever imagined! I never thought I would be in college with a husband, 4 kids, and my only job as being a mom..but now that I'm here, I can't see it fitting me any other way! So here's to finding a plan and sticking to it, even if it is better late than never!! And here's to finding a cute backpack and school supplies for my upcoming college adventure! 😍 And I'll be sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly with you all on here as we go through it all! Change is a good thing, right?!