Remember that time I said I was quitting school?

So a month or two ago I wrote about how I wanted to take some time off from school.

Well...guess who changed her mind again?

Shocking, right?

I sometimes make a big decision a little too quickly and then tell the whole world about it.

Pretty common for 20 year old's I think.

After spending weeks applying for jobs, I only had one interview scheduled with a college that I ended up cancelling because of the horrible job reviews I read about.

Plus, I cancelled because at that point I decided I should finish graduate school.

Here is my thought process.

1.) I don't want to be called a quitter. I always said I wanted to finish graduate school and I am going to.

2.) I've devoted a whole year to this program and I do not want to start over. It was a hard first year and it should not be wasted.

3.) In order to decrease the stress and the mundane-ness I was experiencing, I am moving to a four year track. This means I will graduate in June 2017. It also means an average of 5 credits per semester except for this coming fall which will still be a 9 credit semester because of two classes I want to take. 

4.) I can work more with this schedule as well and will be done with school in April of 2017 allowing me two months to search for a job before my graduation ceremony.

This is probably what I should have done all along, but sometimes you have to realize it yourself. Everyone surrounding me wanted me to finish school and adding on a year for it does not change the fact that I will complete it.

So thank you to all who sent warm thoughts and prayer my way. I believe I received them and very much appreciated it.

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Road Trip Essentials

Road Trip Essentials by racheljones-ii featuring clear glasses

The Summer time is the best time to road-trip, or at least for me. 
Thanks to Turo for the inspiration for this post. If you are interested in a new way to travel renting cars or renting your own, check out this cool new idea from relay rides.

#1 Good Vibes- Obviously there is no such thing as a good road trip without having good music. The radio can always work, but sometimes you enter into those static areas and you need something to tune out that horrendous noise. Some of my favorite artist's to listen to on the road is Gavin Degraw, Needtobreathe, and the wonderful Taylor Swift.

#2 Sunglasses- This is so important. The Sun can do damage to your eyes so protect those beauties and look radiant while doing it!

#3 GPS- I don't know about you, but who knows how to read a map anymore? The GPS is awesome and helps you get everywhere...most of the time.

#4 A Friend or Friends-My best road trips include a friend. You need someone to keep you awake, sing along with you, and help you eat all of those snacks you brought with you.

#5 Snacks- You need snacks. 1.) Because it will help you make less stops because you're hungry. 2.) It is a necessity for road-tripping.

I don't think I have any road-trips planned this summer, but if I did all of the above would be coming with me. What are your road trip essentials?

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Currently

Listening-to these two songs on repeat!

Loving- the guy I met on okcupid and decided to go on a date with. Who would have thought 8 months together and we are still laughing as much as we did at the beginning.

Thinking: about how I should be reading rather than watching The Cake Boss since I've seen all the episodes anyways. 

Reading: this list could be long. My First White Friend by Patricia Raybon, Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott, Reading the Bible with the Damned by Bob Ekblad, and many many more books for summer term. 

Wanting: to go on an awesome shopping spree. Too bad that's not in the budget.

Needing: more hours in a day. There is not enough time to get everything that I need to do done. I also need a lawn mower because I broke ours yesterday.

Eating: today it was Taco Time nachos and sweet potato tots.

Thankful for: the blessings I've been given, my friendship with my roommate Molly, my boyfriends parents hospitality, free access to Netflix thanks to my man, and so much more.

Planning for: a trip to England in February!

Working on: being a better time-manager which means getting off the Internet and doing some more reading.

See you Internet world!

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Becoming An Adult

Sometimes life asks you to grow up very quickly in less than 24 hours.

I knew when you turned 21 that you are expected to mature quickly, to start acting adult like which is weird because it's also when everyone starts acting like an idiot with partying every weekend and drinking like a horse. (Is that even a phrase? Probably not)

Well this week life said you need to grow up right this very instant. 

See this little problem:

This little thing is the reason I had to grow up in less than 24 hours.

You see I'm still on my parents insurance because you know I just graduated college and I'm paying for everything else on my own so why not receive a little help from your parents. 

Well it turns out for the entire 10 months I have been living here my health insurance has not been applicable.

So when your finger hurts and you can't go to the doctor it means you grow up.

Luckily, the state of Washington has easy access to health insurance and as of 9:30 p.m. I now have my own health insurance.

Oh and since I was growing up so quickly, I decided it was time to man up and finally get a Washington State drivers license. Is it just me or is it sad to lose your home states license. I loved every time someone looked at my ID and saw I was from the mid-west. 

Anyways, I grew up yesterday. What did you do?

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Life at the Moment-

I think it is only fair to share with ya'll where I am at in regards to school since I spent a lengthy post talking about possible ending it.

In this past week, I finished my second semester of my first year of graduate school. Everyone please keep your fingers crossed that I pass my New Testament class. This good student over here chose to not pay attention all semester and then was presented with an essay question test with questions she had no idea what the answers were. Yeah, I know super great decision on my part. You'd think I would have tested this out in high school or undergrad. Nope! I decided graduate school was the best time to try and see how that all works out. 

Sorry for that tangent. Any who, I finished this week and I start my summer term the first week in May. That will be two months of intense school work and then I am done until September. And being done could also mean being done for good or maybe just a year. I have spent the past few weeks applying for jobs in the admission counselor field with high schools and universities. I've also applied for a few administrative assistant jobs. 

I realized I am much more of a hands on individual than a sit down and listen to a lecture individual. Part of me is just wanting to get out in to the work force and see what it is like to work a 9-5 job or something along those lines. I think I just need to see what the other side of life is like.

I've been considering a few options to take:

1.) If I get a job as an admissions counselor, I will take a year off and see how I like it. At the end of the year, I will consider if finishing my graduate work is what I want or not what I want.

2.) If a job does not come along, I will take one class in the fall and work as much as I can at the Cheesecake Factory.

3.) I'll take a complete year off and work full-time for some kind of job.

I've been questioning myself why I think this is a good decision because I was so set on moving out here for graduate school. And while I've been asking myself that, I have come to discover a lot:

1.) I thought I needed an excuse to move to Washington and school became my excuse.

2.) I never wanted to be a college graduate that was in the statistics of other college graduates who did not have a plan for after college.

3.) I wanted to make everyone around me proud and I created an idea and dream that everyone could be proud of including myself, but I am realizing that maybe its not what I want to pursue in the long run.

These past few weeks have been filled with lots of questions, but I am encouraged by these two quotes:

"I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before and more importantly, you're doing something. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect. Whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life. Whatever it is you're scared of doing, do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever. "

-Neil Gaiman-

Prayers, kind words, and any job sources in Washington are greatly appreciated. 

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6 Months

Today I celebrate 6 months with this guy.

Yeah, yeah, I'm going to get all sappy on you, but how can I not!

Here are the things I have come to love about this man:

1.) His never ending talk about cars and how he will stop halfway through when explaining them to me because he realizes I don't understand the language he is speaking. And each time I remind him that I may not understand, but I will always listen. Some day I'll actually be able to understand a little bit of what he is saying. 

2.) The fact he calls me "baby" in the way I call him "baby" because its distinctly my way and he has fully embraced it.

3.) The willingness to give me a back rub when my back is killing me after a long day of work and never asking for one in return.

4.) His understanding of my Starbucks addiction and the time he surprises me by re-loading my card because he knows I waste too much money on it.

5.) How he will never ask me to pay and is always shocked when I pull out my card before he does. He always puts me first.

6.) The way he loves his mom. He would take a bullet for her!

7.) His shyness of speaking of his accomplishments. While I know he can brag, he can also be the most humble man. 

8.) His comments that bring tears to my eyes about how thankful he is for me, how beautiful I am compared to all the other girls in the world, how lucky he is he got me, and so many more wonderful comments.

9.) The fact he is the first man I've dated that I haven't tried to run from because I fully trust him and can't imagine one day without him.

10.) How he tries to treat me like a princess by taking me to fancy dinners or planning extravagant outings even though he knows I'd be happy with pizza and a One Tree Hill Marathon.

11.) Speaking of One Tree Hill, the fact he is totally engrossed by the show and looks forward to watching it as much as I do.

12.) His willingness to let me get my way and watch One Tree Hill instead of watching the new Top Gear.

13.) The fact he wants me to continue to surprise him with lottery tickets even though each one I buy is never a winner.

14.) His willingness to listen to me talk about everything that's on my mind and then gives me encouragement to do whatever I think is best because he just wants me happy.

I could probably go on for hours and hopefully in another 6 months I'll be giving you even more reasons on why I love him so I'll save it for later.

Enjoy the sappiness while I enjoy the batting cages!

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Current Thoughts

I've got to say it. I have missed blogging. For the last few months it seems like I've written one post a month and I miss my every day blogging. But I also haven't had any ideas to write about. I've been writing paper after paper for school and it seems like it takes all the words I have to say even if they are not the words I want to write about. I haven't stopped reading my favorite blogs and I am a little jealous that they do not have to waste all their words writing papers. 

I guess I am back in the mode again where I am questioning whether being in school is a good idea or not. I've been considering taking a semester off to see what it would be like, but I don't like the idea of being a semester behind. I keep coming back to the curiosity of if I will actually become a counselor after I graduate or not. Yes, I like what I am learning, but I guess I am wondering if that is enough to keep me going. I'm good at school. I get my assignments in on time, I do my best to pay attention in class, and I am letting what I am learning sink in.

Its just so mundane. I've been at this for 17 years now. That's a long time to be studying, sitting at a desk or table, and listening to someone else teach you about the one thing you want to do. And then I realize any thing I really want to do requires time in school. If I stopped doing counseling, I'd want to be an event planner, but that also requires more time in school. I also want to get into the matchmaking field but that also requires some kind of certificate. 

I don't want to work in the restaurant industry forever. Yes, the money is really great, but its not become mundane. Maybe I am just nervous that counseling will become mundane after I spend a few years in the field. Maybe I am nervous that I'll never be satisfied? The thoughts are overwhelming. With school, these are constantly running through my head. It's a lot to hold altogether. 

And this is where I've come to:

I'm not sure what feels right at the moment, but I'm looking to discover it.

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