Change of Plans

Well, sometimes things just don't work out the way you imagined.  In my last post, I talked about going to grad school.  Having done it for about five weeks, I came to the realization that it isn't the right time for me to pursue that goal.  So many factors went into my final conclusion.

First, the time and energy necessary for my program was more than I could handle.  It was exhausting and stressful just to drive the 50 minutes to class.  You may think 50 minutes isn't too bad but you don't live in Wyoming.  The highway between Cheyenne and Laramie can be treacherous between October and May.  Even just a little snow can make the drive dangerous depending on the temperature and wind conditions.  Blowing snow is a common occurrence leading to low visibility.  Couple that with a steady stream of semis that regularly traverse this artery and you find yourself holding on to the steering wheel with white knuckles.  In addition, I was spending a huge amount of time studying and doing the assignments (okay, I only had one assignment at the time).  It was also affecting my sleep.  The nights before the days I had class, I was sleeping very poorly which was bad because then I didn't have the energy I needed to make the drive and pay attention in class.

This leads me to the second, and the most important factor: my family.  I was stressed-out and not having a lot of time to spend with my family or for taking care of them.  Sure I made sure they were taken care of but in the back of my mind I was thinking about when I could study and not really enjoying my time with them as much as I could.

In addition, I still had my calling and my PTA position.  So, after much thought and prayer, I decided it just wasn't the right time for me to go to grad school.  Maybe I'll reconsider when both kids are in school and when we live somewhere closer to a school or with more reasonable road conditions.