Two Broke College Students

I never imagined the above phrase would describe Hubby and myself, but there it is: we're both in school, money is tight, but we're both pursuing dreams and the air here in AuntieM-land is filled with hope. And debt. But in the grand scheme of things it will be well worth the investment.

How often do you invest in yourself? That's what education is, an investment in yourself, a financial expression of your belief in yourself (or someone else) and your (their) ability to create a better, happier, more secure future centered on passion instead of obligation.

Hubby is enrolled in school. He found a program he really likes, an Associate of Applied Sciences program in Automotive Service Technology through a local community college. He is now working on his general education electives while he is wait-listed to go into the hands-on portion of the program. Things should time out well, he should finish his general ed electives just in time to begin the hands-on portion no later than January 2011. Right now he's learning to cope with online classes (his choice) and to juggle the demands of being a student again. In order to understand the magnitude of this shift, you need to know that the last time Hubby too a class was as a high-school student in 1969. Yes. Wow. I'm so proud of him for making this gigantic leap of faith and boldly entering an alien environment in search of his passion!

Summer session is in full swing for me as well. I am taking two classes, but let me tell you - two graduate-level summer classes are as much work as 4 undergrad summer classes! And this I know from experience as that was the load I typically took in the summer as an undergrad. The extraordinarily good news: this will be my last summer session, unless my plans change drastically and I decide to Pile it Higher and Deeper, or worse yet, go to law school. Either option would be enjoyable, but I'm at the point where the fun of school needs to yield to the reality of needing to take my pricey education out into the working world and get a job with a salary commensurate to my education and experience. Such a job would be difficult to combine with student status. However I'm not ruling out additional studies at some point, going to school is just too darn much fun! I'm hoping that my upcoming teaching gig will fill some of that desire and let me still have fun in the educational arena but get paid for it instead of paying for the privilege.

Yes, graduation is once again looming, Spring 2011 is my goal to complete my Master of Public Administration program, and for all of my desires to keep things low-key when I finished my undergrad, this time I want to have a total blowout celebration! Hubby and I will each have a significant event to celebrate next May, because within a few days of my graduation he will have a milestone birthday, so we're talking about having a Gigantic Combined Woo-Hoo celebration for both of us and inviting family and friends from all over the country. Not sure exactly what the celebration will consist of - probably attend my commencement and then throw a huge cookout/barbecue/pig-pickin'. In the past I have downplayed my accomplishments and not wanted much done in the way of celebrating them, but this time is different: I'm doing something huge and I want a great big party, damnit!!!

Feline family members are doing well too. GirlCat is happily napping upstairs, probably curled up in a drawer. A long time ago she figured out how to open drawers and make room for a nap by dragging clothing out and leaving it all over the floor. This got old for a while because we kept finding clothes strewn all over the place but we finally reached a compromise: we let her use one drawer for a nap, and she doesn't mess with other drawers. Guess she has us well-trained. The little Snowshoe kitten we adopted last year has grown into a fine cat. Gotta figure out a pseudonym for him but can't use BoyCat, still too painful - there will never be another BoyCat. At any rate, SnowshoeBoy is a talkative bundle of energy who makes us laugh all day with his antics, some of which I keep meaning to film and post on YouTube. He's that funny.

Guess I've procrastinated long enough, time to go write a paper, but this has been a good warm-up to get my creative energy flowing.

Peace and good grades,

AuntieM