New Beginings
Well, what better way to kick off the blog of my daily happenings than with an announcement....
I'm engaged!!!
Leading up to now...
I decided to go back to school when I was 25. I had no idea how amazing and difficult the experience would be. Amazing because I had taken the time to get some life experience under my belt, so the value for education was something I was very hungry for and I had a greater understanding of what I wanted to learn and achieve. Yet it was also difficult because I had settled into adulthood... I had a great job that was not easy to say good-bye to--and a steady income that was also very difficult to let go of. I spent my first two years back in school at a community college, going just under full time, working overnights and a part time day job which left me totally worn out a majority of the time. Luckily, it also meant I could pay my tuition in full and didn't need to take out any loans. At the time my girlfriend (Amanda) and I had just moved in together and she was transitioning from the school I was attending to the University of Illinois to finish her bachelor's.
Then Amanda graduated. I was accepted with a small scholarship to The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. Amanda was accepted into a grad program at the Illinois Institute of Technology. So we moved to Chicago. Fast forward two years >> Amanda graduated and started her career this past year. Trying to manage working as much as possible to pay what loans and scholarship don't cover every semester, I have juggled two--sometimes three jobs working 50+ hour weeks while going to school either part time or full time every semester. After being in school for a total of 5 years, I think I will finally graduate after this year--my 6th. I turn 30 this year, so it will be a big year for me.
Anyways, the point is... we have spent the majority of our relationship learning and transitioning from one phase to the next, and pretty quickly. This past year was really hard for me because had I gone full-time every semester, I would have been graduating... so I was getting very restless. (I am not a long-term goal kinda gal, so this has tried my dedication unlike anything in my life... ever!) It was hard because Amanda and I had been together for 6 years at this point. Most of my friends and family who were in relationships were getting married. I felt like I was stuck and not moving forward anymore. This was miserable for me, but probably more-so for Amanda.
Yet here we are and I am so excited. With this blog, I will try to start writing consistently to capture the adventures of my life. It has been a whirlwind and I have been so fortunate to have spent the last several years growing beyond my own expectations for myself. I am sure there will be many wedding planning posts... but I am entirely too busy day-to-day not to share the outrageousness that is my daily. I have gotten so caught up in running around and trying to juggle too many things that I have forgotten the joy of reflection.
Cheers to a year spent rekindling romance and friendships... and sharing every moment of it.