Earlier this year I disclosed that I am 34. I am not ashamed of that. I am 34, it is what it is. Sure, I am not where I expected to be at this point in my life, but who's life goes exactly as planned. If life went exactly as planned.
So this was the plan from early on. I was going to be a teacher (decided that at 4) and I was going to be a Mommy. I was going to marry a doctor and I was going to drive a Porche - not sure how I was going to fit the kids in the car, but that was the plan.
It comes time to pick a college. I go to visit UW Green Bay and I hear all the horror stories of how hard it is to get a job in education in Wisconsin (at the time I was not leaving go ole Wisconsin), how competitive the school of education was, and the failure rate. That was enough to change my plan right then and there.
My journey took a major shift.
I was working at a nursing home at the time and thought that becoming a physical therapist seemed like a great option. So I visited the school that was a great option for physical therapy. I fell in love and had a new path. That was until I didn't get accepted.
Oh boy, now what was I going to do. So I talked to my best friend. She was taking a year off and then going to UW Stevens Point, so I should apply there. I thought it would be fun to go to school with Jody again seeing that a move in highschool separated us by way more than just a few miles. Our journeys started taking different paths way back then.
Well, I got accepted. Now what on earth was I going to go to school for. I wasn't going to be a teacher that was going to be just too hard (biggest mistake of my young life). I really liked my psychology class so I decided to major in that - brilliant way to make decision. I completely advise against it.
Fast forward 3 years, I am living an un-saved life of a college student in the middle of Wisconsin where the biggest thing to do is get drunk. My motto at the time was "I am going to party as hard as I study and I plan on partying hard." I had priorities! Thursday nights I would study until 8:30 then get ready to go to the bars. Fridays I would handle classes - late enough to wear off the effects of Thursday night. Saturdays sometimes we went out sometimes we didn't. Everytime we went out we closed the places down!
I went to work hung over many Saturday/Sunday mornings and had to work on the loudest machine (the folder machine). I remember saying to my supervisor, "I know why you are putting me on this machine, it won't stop me from coming in hung over next weekend."
But you would think I learned my lesson about making decisions because I enjoyed something, but I didn't. At this point I was HATING my psychology major and had no clue what I was going to do with it. I was getting no direction anywhere, so I decided to change majors (2nd semester my junior year). What do I do ... make a decision to add a major because I liked a class I was taking. Yep .. I really liked my organizational comm class so I added a communication major - emphasis in PR and advertising. I am SO smart ... I knew I was going to become this corporate girl living downtown running from here to there in my stillettos with coffee in one hand, a cell phone in the other and my life was going to be perfect! I would hang out at coffee shops and life would be just like it is in the movies.
And that is just how my life turned out ... I can't even type that with a straight face!
It was obvious that God had way bigger plans for me, even though I didn't even really know Him at the time.
I end up going home - and cleaning up my act some. I would go out once in a while, but I had to be an adult now. I was a COLLEGE GRADUATE! I was big stuff. I moved back in with my parents and I had it made! I couldn't find a job, I had no money, and I had bills to pay. It was awesome! {please note I am being far from serious with my enthusiasm}
Well, I found a job that was okay. The pay was decent. I had some responsibility and a large cube. It worked. Until I got a phone call one day.
My journey was about to head south. Literally.
That phone call happened on July 5th, 2001 at 4:55pm. Why do I know the date and time of that phone call - because I had to get out at 5pm to get my brother and sister down to a concert that started at 7. (Blink 182 if anyone is wondering - yes I am the best big sister in the world). That phone call kept me over a few minutes, but it was totally worth it. That phone call was the first time I ever spoke to the love of my life. Yep, it was my now husband calling.
My story is going to end here for now ... I will finish it when I get to M! Yes, you must wait until M. I will tell you now, M is going to be Marriage. I will tell you our story that week. So, you have to come back!
Cute!!!
ReplyDelete