My Life One Year From Today

In a couple of months I will find myself in the midst of some major life changes.  I will be completing my Associate Degree at the end of May and in order to further my education I will be moving out of state.  Here are some of the changes that will be taking place:

Employment- In order to move, I will have to quit my job.  Taking this step brings a mixture of emotions.  Our company has been going through major restructuring and there is no such thing as job security even though I’ve been a loyal and responsible employee for nearly 3 years.  Rumors of further layoffs continue to circulate and the stress of worrying is tiresome.  At this point I feel that a layoff would be a blessing as it couldn’t come at a better time in my life.  While a layoff couldn’t come at a better time in my life, it couldn’t come at a worse time given the current job market.  Having the ability to chose when I leave my job would make a transition easier as I would be able to find work before we left.  Being laid off will also give me the extra push I need in order to make the leap of faith.

Moving out of state- I want to attend college in another state.  In order to save money on tuition I plan to establish residency in the state.  In order to do that I need to live in the state for a year.  For that reason I haven’t put out any applications at any universities.  This is a risk that I am willing to take as I am not sure exactly where I will end up.  At the moment I am considering northern Arizona, but have never been there and am not sure how I will like it.  We have a trip in May to visit the area so that will help in making our decision.

Finding work- In order to sustain ourselves we will need to find work.  I hope to be able to find something which will become the first steps towards a career and not simply another job.  Without having a Bachelor Degree this may prove to be a challenge, but hopefully will be something I am able to work around.  I hope to find a company which works to protect the environment.  I have been considering the possibility of a position with the National Park Service.  While I don’t think I would be happy as a Park Ranger, it may be a good first step.

Finding a place to live- Our current living situation is ideal.  We have a small apartment which is very affordable and finding a replacement at a rate which is similar to what we have now will be a challenge.  We want to find a safe community and neighborhood which is close to where we work and go to school.

Within the next year I hope that our transition will be complete.  I hope to be settled into a new apartment with my foot in the door of a new career and accepted into a 4-year university.  There are many changes on the horizon but it is a great opportunity to give some forward motion to my life and my future.