The Waiting Game

I feel like most of my life has been spent waiting. When I was in elementary school, I was waiting to get to junior high. When I was in junior high, I was anticipating high school. We moved to a brand new town the summer before high school, and once I started, I couldn’t wait to be done. I hated high school. College wasn’t much different. I changed my major about 3 times, and ended up graduating with a degree in General Studies…something that’s pretty much useless.

 

It was a big adjustment for me after I graduated college. I’d been in school for 20 years, always waiting for the next grade level, the next test, the next paper that’s due. Then all of a sudden, I’m done. It took a while for me to realize that there was no more waiting. I had no more tests, no more projects that would be due soon. Nothing to study for, nothing to prepare for, nothing to write down. All I’d ever known was waiting for that next big thing to happen. Instead, I was working at a tech support call center full time, moving out of my parents’ house into my own apartment, and trying to figure out what it means to be a grown up.

 

Fast forward 4 years. Here I am, still at the same job. I’m not happy, and it shows. I dread going to work, I’m not a huge fan of most of my coworkers (although there are some that are awesome), the management is less than desirable, and I want out. Cue the waiting. Although this time, it was something I had control over. I knew I wanted a change, and I needed it desperately. I considered all kinds of things: becoming a nanny, going back to school for 4+ more years and getting another Bachelor’s degree, moving to another town just to start over. All sounded good on paper, but nothing motivated me. Until….

 

I had heard about a teaching program that the local University has, several of my friends were involved in it. I’m not sure why I hadn’t ever thought about it before, but for some reason it dawned on me one night that that was what I’m supposed to do. A total God thing. You know how people say that a peace just washes over them? That’s what it felt like. I’ve known that I want to work with kids my whole life. Both my parents are teachers, so technically it’s in my blood anyway!

 

The program is designed for people who already have a Bachelor’s degree.  I would teach school while in the program and taking classes, and when I’m finished, I’ll have a Masters of Arts in Teaching. It took me a while to get the ball rolling on the admission process. There were 3 tests I had to take before I could apply. I just finished the last test 2 weeks ago, and last week I turned in all my paperwork to the Graduate Studies office on campus. Oh, and I also have to secure a teaching job. I will hopefully start teaching this coming school year, and will finish the program in May of 2012. 

 

Now I wait. Again. Wait for the University to call me for an interview. Wait for my last test results to come in. Wait for the job fair next month to hopefully get a job. Wait until I can finally give my notice at my current job.

 

I’m so very lucky and blessed to have the support that I do. Of course my parents are tickled to death, especially since I vowed at an early age that I would never, EVER do the same job they did. I have some simply freaking amazing friends that allow me to bounce ideas off of them, brainstorm with me about jobs and scenarios, and are just there to listen as I vent about the lack of communication our University has between departments. They have seriously been my lifeline, and I don’t know if they know how much they mean to me.

 

Here’s to waiting…