It's not over after 30, It's just getting started

I've taken a significant blogging hiatus and I'm hoping that I can now get back to it. Over the past several months, I've found interesting things I want to blog about, just never seem to manage to take the time to sit down and start typing.

I figured I'd start back up with an update on a goal that I shared awhile back. Back at the end of '08 (doesn't that sound like a long time ago) I shared that I had decided to go back to school. True to my word, in Jan of '09 I was back in school taking classes. In December of '09 I actually completed my Associate's Degree! It was odd, because from the minute I started back to school, I hadn't really given my Associate's Degree much thought. I was (and still am) focused on my Bachelor's degree. However when I received my Associate's Degree in the mail, I felt such a sense of accomplishment. I was greatful for that feeling because this past semester has been a struggle for me. Not academically, in terms of grades, I completed the spring semester with flying colors, but their were just a few snags at the beginning of the semester with my textbooks getting lost at the warehouse and stuff - not to mention that I had been going to school (after being out of school for just over 10 years!) for a year straight, including summer, with no breaks... so I was reaching a burn out.

I finished out the spring semester and I am actually enjoying a summer off. I debated taking a summer course, but after struggling to keep some momentum during the spring and knowing that the fall semester was going to be a hard one, I decided that taking a couple months to catch my breath, relax and re-focus.

Now I have my sights set on my Bachelor's degree. In the fall, I will be attending Northern Kentucky University (via online... I love that!) for either 3 or 4 semesters (I'm shooting for 3, but that may prove tricky) to finish out my Bachelor's degree in Organizational Leadership. I'm also starting to contemplate what I want to complete my Master's Degree in. I've been tossing around a few different ideas, but I think I'll wait until I'm closer to finishing my BA to make a final decision.

One thing that I've thought about alot as I've been back in school is how much I wish I hadn't taken time off the first time around. Once I stopped, it just seemed easy to not go back. It would be nice to already be finished. However, I don't think it was without some benefit. I've found that the work and life experience I've had over the last 10 years have given me much to draw from for my classes. Especially in the last semester, since my classes were oriented towards aspects of professional life. I don't think I would have gotten as much out of those classes the first time around. Of course, I wouldn't have been pursuing this degree the first time around. Perhaps that is why it has happened the way it did, because it's really hard at 18, with no real life experienc to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life!

So, that's where I am... a little over halfway through my BA, taking the summer off to enjoy other things, like READING for pleasure (I'm hoping to share some reviews on some of the books I've been reading). Stay tuned for the next step in this journey.