College is Finito!

diannehope/morguefile

It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks for me. I have finally (and suddenly, it seems) completed my education. I keep being asked about going forth with another degree; my answer is, simply, not at this time. Maybe one day I will, but for now, I want to get back into the writing that lights my life. I want to focus on teaching, and I want to take a little time to breathe and be with my family. I feel like I've been running uphill for the last few years, so it's time to crawl over that peak and see what's on the other side.

And it seems to have hit me and sunk in all within the last several days. I turned in my last assignments. I am making plans for graduation. I'm printing out resumes. Then I realized that I was saying goodbye to over a hundred students. Teaching has been a challenge, but it has been a remarkable experience. When I realized I wouldn't get to see those kids everyday... well, it put a hole in my heart. I love those kids and even as great it is to be done, I still feel incredibly glum. Top this with the knowledge that I will not be returning to my tutoring job in the fall. This summer is the last semester I'll spend helping students with their college courses. Everything is changing, and while I'm happy about it, I still can't help but feel a little overwhelmed with the reality of it all. I hope that makes sense.

The last few years have been remarkably fantastic, but also terribly difficult. We almost lost our home. One of the cars died, and we couldn't get it fixed for many months. I spent a semester and a half worrying about how to get my hubs back and forth to work, how I was going to get back and forth to work and class, and how we were going to manage with the kids. There have been many sleepless nights, and many days where I didn't know if I was going to make it through. Heck, the last few months struggling with the revenue commissioner's office in Fort Payne (in which none but one employee knew the whats, hows, and whys of their job) seemed to be just the last kick in the long line of attempted road blocks.

On the flip side, I have made some incredible friendships, and I've been advised by some great mentors. There is no way that I can possibly list everyone because I'm sure to miss someone that's had a prominent role in the last few years of my life. So if you've given me advice, if you've answered a question (or 1,000 questions), if you've driven me or my hubs or my children somewhere, if you've watched my kids so that I could go to class or to my observations, if you've answered panicky questions about exams, if you've made me smile during a looooong and dull class, if you've been understanding about my lack of time and stamina,  and if you've endured my mood swings, I thank you from the deepest depths of my heart. I couldn't have done it without you. :)

Peace, love, and onward,

Pamela