Back to School, Back to School...

On Friday, I'm heading to North Central College to talk to an Admission's Counselor.  What?! I can't believe it either.

I've been thinking about going back to school for a year or two now... practically since I got out of school really, & now seems like as good of time as any to start deferring my massive student loans, so why not?

I don't know where to begin.  In fact, that's what has had me at a standstill for the past year or so.  No idea where to begin.  Well, that & the fact that we average a new city every 9 months.  But not anymore- that's behind us (unless we literally move behind our house, across the city line, which we may very well do, but that's where all the schools are, so that would be an acceptable move).

Anyway, I just printed off my old transcripts, dug out a copy of community college transcripts from when I was in high school, & I printed off a campus map so I won't get lost on Friday.  The Huz is coming home early to be with B.

Oh yes, B.  Unfortunately, this particular school doesn't have an onsite daycare... not sure what we'll do there.  Classes are mostly daytime.  I'll have to leave B.  Maybe with his daddy, maybe with a friend of mine. Or maybe, worst of all (for me, I mean), a stranger.  Oh no.

...perhaps that's the real thing that's been holding me in place, after all.

How did I get here?

My brother in law is graduating from college this Saturday, from the University of Iowa.  While I went to Iowa State University (go Cyclones!), I have no real animosity towards U of I, unless of course, it's the annual Cy-Hawk game.  And then it's on- I'm like a Cyclone fan from your worst nightmare (if you're a Hawkeye fan, that is).  I'll talk crap & razz you until you finally give in.  And then, if the Cyclones don't win (like this year) ... or even when they do win, I'll laugh & say it was all in good fun anyway!

Anyway, this 'time of year' has me thinking back to when DH & I graduated from ISU.  It seems like so much has happened in the 3 years since we graduated, that it can't possibly have only been 3 years ago.  We've moved from ISU to the Quad Cities (Iowa side), to Seattle, to Small City in Illinois, to Downtown Chicago, to Suburban Chicago, Illinois.  That's technically 6 homes in 3 years.  Yep, no big deal.  Except when you add that first of all, Seattle is all the way across the country where no one we are related to lives & we had to miss Thanksgiving & Christmas, weddings & birthdays, etc. etc etc.  And we got married, in Iowa, while we lived there.

We also found out I was pregnant the week after we moved into our very first purchased home is that Small City in Illinois, had Baby B (almost exactly 1 year ago) & then moved away from our very first purchased home when B was 4 months old.

So how did I get here?  3 years ago I was a young Apparel Merchandising, Design, & Production major at Iowa State University.  A member of a sorority who had moved out of the chapter house to live with my boyfriend, who was at that point, my fiance.  I was still grabbing coffee & going to class where I learned about who Bonnie Cashun was & what she did for the world & the live & times of a Miss Coco Chanel.  My favorite textbook was Vogue.  I was a bartender at a lovely restaurant bar known for it's yummy pizza & it's fabulous beer selection (over 110 beers ON TAP).   I was making martinis with good friends in our apartments & laughing about who did what at the last house party.  I was reminiscing about the years before, saying 'It seems like so long ago... when we stole the Phi Delts composite & watched the ATO's roast a pig in their parking lot.   And now, it really does seem like so long ago.  Like an entirely different lifetime.  Maybe someone else's life?

How did I become a stay at home mom in the Suburbs, with an almost 1 year old son, & a husband with whom I'll be celebrating 3 years of marriage this Spring?  How did I become the one who has 'traded in' all my sorority sisters for my mom's group (no, I'm not not friends with them anymore- we just don't live in the same city! Some of them are my very best friends!)? How did I become the girl who can only drink 2 drinks or I'm not going to want to get up in the morning?

I guess it's a simple answer, really.  I became this way because ultimately, that's what I wanted.  And I think that's what God wanted for me & my family.  A small family unit, who adores one another, who can't imagine life without that 'driving me crazy' 85 pound dog, & that absolutely beautiful (for a boy!) baby boy, & that hardworking, generous man who I'm lucky enough to be spending the rest of my life with.  I'm lucky enough to want to stay up wrapping Christmas presents for my family with my amazing husband.  Lucky enough to want to make dinner each night (okay, maybe not each night), while a small person has attached himself to my leg or while he throws everything he can access out of the kitchen cabinets.   I'm lucky enough to know that I should not take a second of this for granted, because just 3 short years ago, I didn't really have any of it, & while that was fun & all, this is the best feeling ever.

So I'll remember that this Saturday, while I watch my brother in law walk across that stage to accept his degree.  I'll remember while I watch him hug his fiance & while they snuggle their nephew, B, a little.  I'll remember that... while I watch them spend the next few years 'getting here'.

I'll remember how much fun it was, going from there to here.