Honesty is Key*

Hello All!  I am sure you have been waiting anxiously to see how my semester ended and what exactly happened during MD3.  Well, .......Life happened.  I must admit that it was a very tough semester but I pulled through without letting it break me down.

It began with a peer and me working on a project to educate Anguillians in CPR but it didn't end that way.  There was some resistance from the community that we did not anticipate.  Luckily, we were still able to educate the students at school.  Because it was a student-run project, we were able to log some tutoring hours because the certification is a requirement for the AICM semester that is currently held in Chicago.  If you want to see a video I made about the project, you can look here.  Never mind the music.  It was my first one.  A better quality video is to be uploaded shortly.  The information about the project is also to be updated as well.

Also during MD3, I lived every moment in the library.  There were some naps, tears and laughing that may have occurred but mostly studying to say the least.  I say all this to assure you that although I did have my outlet by teaching CPR that I also made time to study.  And here's some proof!

I still ate well and lost some weight through the semester but I assure you that it wasn't stress.  I was supposed to be preparing for the annual 5K event that is held on the island by the Red Cross but that didn't exactly happen because I wanted to sleep a little bit.  But I can sleep when I'm dead right?  Plus sleep is overrated.

So even after all the studying and writing to memorize drugs and pathologies, it still wasn't enough.  I when I say that, this wasn't enough.  Yes this is as bad as it looks to learn.  But I  prevailed with this material.  Life was a juggling act and unfortunately two things fell out of place.

So what am I saying?  I am saying that I did not pass two classes during the regular semester.  I did not plan to put myself in that position but I must say that things happen beyond your control.  What could have contributed to this?  It could be many things.  It could be the added stress of having class until 5 pm each day and taking a break until 7 pm or it could be the time that I stayed up late to bake and eat chocolate chip cookies.  Or from having to write a 5 page paper for Walden University or completing my vRx assignment for pharmacology.  As you see, it could be a number of items.

So what now?  Well I went home for break after my exams.  My family and friends were very supportive and demanded that every moment be dedicated to studying.  Honestly, I did not want to study.  I was becoming content with the idea that if I had to stay a semester longer that I would be okay.  After some thought, I began to develop the confidence that these exams were to be conquered by me.  So here at Saint James, currently, there is an opportunity to "redeem" yourself if you fail the course during the regular.  So there is a cumulative exam that you have the opportunity to take.  In order to pass the course of which you must score a 70% and that allows you to pass the course.

So after the endless hours of being told to study, it is safe to say that.............


I PASSED!!! Woohoo!!!  I am now in my final semester of Basic Sciences!  So let me catch up on what I missed in the last 3 days.  So I will run now to study hard and make all of you proud!  Oh what can this semester bring?

And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

-1 Kings 2:3-4, KJV 

Rainy Days and Cloudy Skies

Hi!  I know everyone has probably been dying to hear from me but it has been literally a lot of rainy days and cloudy skies.  On top of the rain, which is odd for my experience here in Anguilla, I have had some rainy days in my life back home.

Raining in Anguilla at School

Rainbow after the rain in Anguilla

Just to have proof, I decided to take a picture of it for the world to see.  By the way, I wasn't the only person to do this because a lot of students were surprised at the amount of rain that we were getting as well.  Afterwards, we had the rainbow of God's promise show up on time.  It was such a beautiful sight that I just had to capture it and show it.  I know that we've all seen a rainbow plenty of times but I thought this was especially special because this is exam week and I have never been lead somewhere that God can't take me out of.  I can only speak for myself.

Crocus Bay

I am very sorry for writing so late but I have not had the best of days.  I have been attempting to make better study habits and so far I am succeeding.  I thought last block may have been my best block here but this one, although the hardest, may be my best one yet!  I promise I will stop saying that once I set better expectations for myself.  I will not discount medical school at all and say it is easy when it definitely is not.  There are just some parts that are more challenging than others.  Juggling five classes doesn't seem very difficult until you add in the extracurricular acitivities that some students take part in as well as Walden University Masters degrees as well.  However, it is all manageable because many students before me have done it all successfully.  Up to now, you know that I am involved with Anguilla Red Cross and Cover 2 Cover.  LAst Saturday, there was an event for Red Cross at Crocus Bay involving kids.  We had activities for the local children as well as some of the students children.  Due to obvious reasons, I did not take any pictures of the children but here's a picture of the beach.

So before, I introduced the troubles of this semester.  I am not sure if I included my dad getting sick on top of all the weight that I carry as well as other things.  This week alone, my computer has decided to quit on me.  I was blue screened about 4 times in 3 days.  I decided to give it a rest and just upload everything to a cloud so I could still access powerpoints.  I just may have to do the old school method and take notes in class with pen and paper opposed to a laptop for a while.  This is very frustrating however when you are studying for your toughest exam yet and your most reliable source of information just decides to stop working.  It's kind of like your kidney which I learned about this block.  You never realize how important it really is until it stops working.  But life moves on and I still have to study.  So now, I have pretty much taken over a library computer cubicle since not a lot of students use them unless they are printing.

 So to also accompany the troubles of my week, the police had a checkpoint like they often do and who is the person to get flagged down?  Fortunately, it took less time than I expected.  But let's progress with my day.  Shall we?

My friends and I at Junk's Hole

Junk's Hole

Junk's Hole

I go to take my exam that I am overly excited to take.  I think I was as ready as I was going to be.  I must say that I thought I was.  So as I am taking the exam, I am not really judging my time at all.  I was on question 37 out of 50 when there was 15 minutes left.  This includes the additional 10 minutes we received for the exam.  I did not "finish" this exam but I still passed because I filled in some bubbles as I was walking toward the teacher to hand in my paper.  My second exam was better because I finished and then my friends and I went exploring before we attended a Breast Cancer Walk for the island hence the pink shirts.  We went exploring on the East end of the island in Junk's Hole to look at the beauty we have around us.  Here's some pictures of our adventures for the afternoon.  After taking some pictures for social media because that's somewhat of what we do, we attended the breast cancer walk.  I was told somehow that the walk would only be 1 mile and another student thought the walk was 2 miles.  Two hours later and 5 miles walked, we finished.  It was dark by that time so sorry for the lack of pictures of that.  It was a lot of people supporting the cause by wearing pink shirts and walking.  There were even a few that ran.

My friend and I at the Breast Cancer Walk

 But even in the midst of all my troubles this week, I still managed to smile through it all because there are far worse things that could have happened and I am still blessed for having what I have.  To give an update on my family, my dad is doing better.  He is home out of the hospital and trying to be the master chef that he is when he can.  My friend's cousin, Deepika, is at home waiting while money is still being raised on her behalf and she is sustaining currently on oxygen therapy.  She is still waiting for her transplants however.  I will make a page for her since this will be a recurring theme and will be updated as needed.  Again, here is the link to her GoFundMe page.

All in all, I have to end and go study for my biochemistry and neuroanatomy exams.  It seems that this is all I ever seem to do.  I still haven't caught up on my TV shows that everyone said I would be able to watch.  As some motivation for troubling times, here's this:

"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you,Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

-Isaiah 41:10, NKJV

Time Management and Transportation?!

Hello All.  I would just like to say that I appreciate all the views of this blog.  I believe this blog is serving its purpose of helping others, and that was my primary mission.  This week is the week of blocks already, but I thought since I have a little bit of time to kill that I would take a break from studying and share something today.

I have been getting a lot of feedback this past week pertaining to time management.  A lot of my classmates explain that they wouldn’t be able to juggle Walden University with Saint James School of Medicine.  I honestly have to say, some days I wonder the same thing myself, but it is all about time management and what you do with your free time.  I don’t have a regular schedule that I follow, but I have figured out that every time I have a free moment that I should use that free moment to do something constructive.  I will admit that some days are more productive than others such as Sunday when only studied for about two hours total and I was in the library for six hours.  It’s all based on how you utilize your extra time.

With Walden, I usually have a discussion and an assignment due each week.  With it being block week, this time management is a little bit tougher.  Honestly this week, I will attempt to get my assignment finished between now and tomorrow so on my study day, I can focus primarily on my coursework.  Little perks such as that are always very helpful in the long run.  When I am not proactive, I usually end up forcing myself to race against the clock to finish my assignment in about a few hours and turn it in before the deadline.  I still can write a 5-page paper pretty fast, and I thank my undergrad for that.  My opinion on time management of the two schools boils down to how you prioritize yourself and time management.  A lot of studying is involved in medical school, and the discussion posts are based a lot on personal experience to justify your reasoning of the concepts with the masters degree.  I use the books from Walden, which are shipped to the school each semester as a guide.  I hope this helps anyone who has questions about this matter.

My Temporary License for Anguilla

My Car while I'm In Anguilla
2000 Mitsubishi Libero

Okay so now a follow-up from the previous post, I have officially bought a car in Anguilla.  It looks……nice, I guess.  I honestly just wanted something that got me from point A to B.  It seems thus far that it will do that so I am not complaining plus it has air conditioning so I can’t complain.  A picture of my car is below along with my license.  And yes, my license is a piece of paper.  You receive the temporary license from Inland Revenue, and it is only $20 US.  I would like to include that with buying a car, you purchase car insurance for a year or six months.  Purchasing it for six months doesn’t make much sense because you pay 70% of the full years’ cost.  Luckily, insurance is not the same cost it is in America and is only $500 for a whole year.  And pick your jaw up from the floor because that is $500 EC which is about $200 US.  Not bad, huh?  If at any time you need details about that, don’t hesitate to comment or send an email because I am not endorsing this company.  Also, they would like for you to include your previous license to vouch that you have been driving for over two years.  My previous license I broke into three pieces and had to receive a duplicate.  And it didn’t help that I received it just before I got here.  So for anyone that plans to buy a car versus rent a car here’s your heads up.  I also must mention that while I was driving back to school after buying the car, there was a herd of goats in the middle of the street walking slow as can be and I just thought it was oh so lovely!  I'll add a picture of that for humor.

Next, I have to get the car licensed because the previous owner wants to keep her license plate.  So that’s apparently around another $250 US.  I forgot about how much stuff like this cost.  But I will keep you guys updated on that.  I must say that my independence that I now have been completely worth it.  I was able to attend the health fair that we had at the grocery store on Saturday that was sponsored by the Anguilla Red Cross.  We had a great time and below is a picture of a few friends and me.  I must say that we look very diverse!

My Friends and I at the Anguilla Red Cross Health Fair

Alright so I must end this and get back to studying for the beast this Friday, and I appreciate all prayers made by my audience.  I hope you all have a great week and last but not least a verse that I received from someone who has been reading this blog:

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

-Proverbs 27:17, KJV

Physiology and Biochemistry Woes....

Hello all once again!  I just wanted to give you all a brief update on my life.  It feels like it's been a long week although it's only Wednesday.  This week has been full of interesting little things.  Yesterday we had our first physiology quiz which seemed way too easy.  With that said, I will let you assume how well it went for me!

But how should I start this off.........

Well on Sunday, I came to the library.  I used to get rides from the librarian because we went to church together but since I've been back to the island, I have been more solitary.  I absolutely HATE asking for rides.  It is honestly just so annoying that I would rather hitch one than be that person that you talk about that you are always giving a ride.  As the library closed, I honestly did not know at all how I was going to get home.  It is not the greatest feeling either so it just so happened that a lovely young man with a good heart decided to take me home.  It was a nice gesture but that is the last time I ever want to be stranded like that.

When I got home, I called my mom to discuss possibly getting a car.  As I have mentioned before, I don't have a lot of money nor do I come from money so this was all the money that I have remaining until I receive my financial aid from Walden.  So, yes.  I'm pretty much hurting for money but because I need it, I will get it.  We agreed on what I should do which is not let me be stranded again so that equals get a car.  I think I've found one but I will definitely post my chariot when I get it.  Just FYI, the cars here are not always the greatest but if you remember that they are only to get you from point A to point B, you will be fine.

Another thing that I did consider was the fact that since I am purchasing a vehicle that all maintenance is up to me.  Yes, I see why people rent a car but being that I have met so many people on the island that are like family to me, I have faith that I will be alright.  Plus I will have to sell it but I think I will stay on the island until the end of the month after my MD 4 semester.

Monday and Tuesday were spent studying for physiology of course but I have honestly neglected studying for biochemistry since the beginning of the semester hence the title.  I honestly feel bad but I am truly leaning on my background in chemistry from college but I don't think I can any longer.  I just started literally studying for it in the last three hours.  Two PowerPoint's down and eight more to go!  And yes you read that right.  I don't need the ridicule because I know that was a bad idea.

Not to mention that last night I went to dinner with the Walden University representatives and a few students.  Oh my, the shrimp was so good but I do regret that two hours that I could have been in tutoring for physiology.  Oh well, I can't change what happened now.  The Walden representatives did pitch an idea for us, the students, to develop a way we can organize something that could potentially impact the island.  It is a very good idea but I am trying to fit in the time to do Walden and this program in itself.  And that's stressful enough.  But I have some ideas in the back of my mind.

This post is getting a little long and I have to return to studying so I will leave you guys with this:
And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

-1 Corinthians 10:4, KJV

PS: I promise if I do get some wheels that I will take a picture and list ALL the relevant details in case you would want to do the same.

Second Semester Begins!!!

Excuse my absence but I was attempting to have fun after passing my classes for my first semester.  And yes, I passed!  I can be truly honest and say that there was a moment where I didn’t know if I would or not.  Also, I had a big fiasco with my second landlord causing me to move yet again but this time definitely with someone safe and I know I will be treated with care.

So yesterday was my first day of classes for my second semester and I can already tell my satisfaction that I will have with them.  It is not exactly the most positive feedback.  It feels as if I will have a lot more free time than I had in my first semester however, I do still think I will use it to study a lot again.  This semester, my classes include: Biochemistry, Physiology, Neuroscience, Genetics, CCBS and RHM. They also changed my classroom which affects my norm but I won’t complain although I did see an ant which may add to my dissatisfaction.  Plus I think you all know my feelings about ants at this point (if not, see post First Week of Classes).

So let’s go back to the discussion about my classes.  Biochemistry and Physiology are everyday in the morning and as of now, they don’t seem very challenging but that may be because my undergraduate degree is in chemistry.  But my goal is to stay on top of those subjects this semester primarily because they are every day.  Also, we were told the only class that gives curves is Physiology and my class is a little notorious for getting 20 point curves on a lot of exams last semester.  Neuroscience makes me feel like I am in organic chemistry again because it seems like I will be drawing a lot of pictures and filling in words as I see fit.  We had our introduction to RHM yesterday which is Research in Health and Medicine.  RHM is a course over the span of three semesters in which they expect for you to perform some type of research while in school on this island.  In this portion, we just listen to lecture about important research mechanisms and have a test on that information and we also do a review of literature.  Every semester, we have CCBS or Clinical Correlates of Basic Sciences.  I have no idea of what to expect this time other than presentations that I’ve heard about.

So since I have been away, I went home to Atlanta.  My first meal was Cookout and I ate a really good cheeseburger.  Oh how I missed them so much!  Of all places to not go, I forgot to grab a Frappuccino from Starbucks.  I did bring back some dresses, my lunchbox and two pairs of heels.  I would’ve brought more but there is no real point since I only have one more year.  I hate that I forgot to bring more food back but you give and take.  I was only home for 6 days which does not provide enough time to see all of my family and friends but just enough to give me the push to go through this semester.  I did get to celebrate my mom’s birthday which is always great and we had a blast at dinner that day.

Since I have been back at school, I have learned that I am the event coordinator for Cover 2 Cover which is an organization that rents books to students for the semester.  My position is to find opportunities to fundraise so that we could purchase more books.  I also became a buddy this semester and I have the lovely chance of being a buddy to fellow from Florida.  He seems like a great student already although he tried to freeze me in the study room last night.

Lastly, I began my Walden University courses again which add to my crazy life.  Right now, it sounds like a ridiculous amount of things going on but with classes finishing at 3 pm each day, I think I will be fine overall.  Besides, how can a class called Understanding Students be so difficult?

So I can honestly say, just like the goes I never would’ve made it through last semester without Him!  So thought for the week,

“Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

-Psalms 55:22, NKJV

New Block, New Day

So I know it has been a while but I got into the groove of school and when I had to time to mess around, I kind of forgot to write on here.  But I promise to do better I promise. I must say that I am handling two schools very well.  Or so I think.

If you recall, I am attending Walden University at the same time attending Saint James School of Medicine.  Yes, I know.  You don't have to tell me.  I know.  It is difficult but a lot easier than you think.  I only work on Walden University work twice a week.  And I am pursuing a Master's in Higher Education so that makes it a lot easier.  I have two other classmates pursuing Master's in Business and another Master's in Healthcare Administration.  Overall, I think my program is the easiest.  Plus it's helpful in paying for my education for St. James.  I will add that the refund that I received from Walden is not enough to cover the cost of tuition which does not even include living expenses.  So still, I will have to apply for the Delta loan so that I can eat and sleep somewhere safe.

Now onto what you really want to know about.  I survived Block 1.  Block is how the school divides the semester and it is the exam period for all of your courses.  I will also add that everyone has them at the same time which is good and bad.  The upperclassmen are the available tutors but being conscious that they are studying for their exams as well as helping you study yours can make you feel more considerate when asking them questions.  I won't share how I did but I will say that I am pleased with my first quarter grades and I think I could of performed better.  It wasn't the greatest start but I know I have a chance of surviving MD 1 if I perform consistently.

I also will share that starting in the summer is an advantage because of the many holidays that we observe.  Already we have had three days off from school because of holidays.  I'm not complaining because the extra study day wasn't a bad thing.

So far, I think that my favorite course is embryology.  It may be a little biased because I do like the human life a lot but it's a great course overall to see how our organs came to be.  I can only say that everything has its specific place and our body was made in its way for a reason.  I can honestly say that I am amazed in all my courses at least once per class.  So generally about 4-5 times daily.

But I think someone would rather know about my study habits.  It makes a lot of sense since I wake up to this everyday.

View of St. Martin from my Porch

Not to brag but it's there.  Every morning.  Beautiful as ever.  I did say when I moved here that I was going to enjoy it as much as I can.  I very much appreciate my view each and every morning.  I will mention that my budget has been blown since I've been here.  For future reference, I'm going to have to do better.  Back to my study habits.  I will also mention that my study habits are going to start changing for this Block because cramming for a week before the exam was just not the right thing to do.  I am actually starting strong by reading through the material before class and it is really helpful.  I also suggest asking for help when you need it because before our review lab the week of blocks, I had no idea what the names of the coronary vessels were until I asked the professor and he showed me one by one on the cadaver.

I also will admit I did call home crying (home sick) last weekend because I had no clue as to why I came down here but this blog is a reminder of what this journey is about.  I will say that when I moved here, I did not rent a car at all.  A lot of students do to get around and maintain their sanity.  I suggest it if you can afford.  Me, however, I don't come from money that allows me to do such a thing.

I also have to mention that for some humor that the bus driver really would like to take me on a date.  Well, that is a great idea and all especially being that I mentioned having a boyfriend before.  But getting on the bus every morning hearing "Good Morning Gorgeous" isn't bad either.

 So far, this journey has been full of happy moments and tears at the same time.  I am praying for better days and study habits.  Tomorrow night, there is a block party at this island called Scilly Cay.  I'm not going simply because a professor said it is pretty expensive to drink there and drinking with people I don't know just doesn't sound very safe as well.  I'm sure that I would rather study and go to a beach on Saturday anyway.  I know I sound like a party pooper but there are plenty of opportunities to do things.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12, NIV

My Last Day Before School

So today we had orientation at school.  I am so glad that I met one of my classmates at Shoal Bay yesterday.  So let me back up a day.

Yesterday, someone posted in our group about meeting as a class at Shoal Bay so we could all meet each other.  It sounds like a good idea until you really think about it.  People who have never met and don't even know what they look like plan to meet at a beach and talk about our futures?  Yep.  But it actually happened.

Shoal Bay

One of my classmates actually lives down the street from me.  We were planning to walk together but that didn't exactly happen.  She left well before I did and I was walking pretty slow.  I will say that that 3 miles of walking in the heat of the day was probably not the brightest idea I've ever had.  When I got to the beach, a local typed in the WiFi code so that I could message my classmates and talk with my family and show them what I was able to see.  It is beyond beautiful and more than I can take in.  So I started messaging my classmate to discover that I was sitting right behind her.  Get that?  She was very sweet and she wanted to know about our other classmates.  I had met a few already but I didn't know all of them.  But something is better than nothing right?

Turns out that the idea of telling people to meet at the beach did work because it was about 10 of us in all that actually showed.

Me at Shoal Bay
getting some color

 It felt really good to meet some classmates and know that there were some like me.  Some people had taken time off from school, like I have and we have a few that are coming straight from school.  Overall,  I think we had a really good meet and greet.  So about the girl who lives down the street from me, she gave me a ride to orientation the next day.  God is so good!

So orientation.  We arrived on time but of all things to forget, I forgot to bring a pen.  Who does that?  It only looked like there were about 20 students but there were parents and other spectators there so I am unsure.  All of the teachers sat across the front of the room.  I don't know but I was there listening to the Deans speak and asking okay, this is what I really want to do right?  The teachers introduced themselves and then we had a teacher that was a local give some history about the island.  Plus admissions had told us on our last webinar that it would be like some sort of party.  I beg to differ.  We had a guy playing guitar that was the Calypso King.  Calypso is the form of music they play here and I wish I had recorded it but didn't realize it until halfway through.  He was really good and it was a very warm welcome.

We had some upperclassmen show us around the school.  It isn't very big but it is built abnormally to my norm.  I was expecting a single building with air conditioning in the hallways.  Well, the classroom isn't located in an area like that.  All the rooms in this section of the school have doors that go to the outside.  They call our classroom the "dungeon" because it is so dark which doesn't sound like I will like it too much.

So they told us that they were going to have refreshments after the orientation.  I wish I had taken a picture of the gloriousness they had for us.  It really consisted of a bunch of snacks and juices.  Not what I thought it was going to be at all.

I did remember that I had a package delivered to the school that I needed to pick up from the receptionist.  I retrieved it and it just so happened to be my diploma from Walden University for my certificate in Project Management I just obtained and my books for my upcoming program.  It was a nice surprise especially being that my diploma of all things was shipped here instead of my address in the states but oh well.

Lastly, they had a bus tour that was going to show people around the island but being that I didn't know if they were going to drop me off at my house, I opted to ride with the person I came with.  Orientation started at 10 am and I got home around 1 pm if that says anything.  So for the rest of the day, I have just been cleaning my house and trying to fix something to eat.  This apartment is really large but kind of lonely.  I did think that having a 2 bedroom apartment would be fun but it is really not starting to sound like it.  I think I want a roommate but on the other hand, I am kind of embarrassed of this ant problem I have in the kitchen.  I'm going to talk to the landlord to get this cleared up.

Well, the time is here to finally start on this unknown path.  The only wisdom I can conclude for now is:

Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother's womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.

Ecclesiastes 11:5, NLT

Arrangements I made Before the BIG Adventure Or Arrangements I made to save money Part 2

The only arrangements that I made for leaving the United States couldn’t just be monetarily, right?  Of course not.  So other than saving money, what else did I do to prepare?

Well, I read a lot of forums (ValueMD) and discovered that people finance their medical education overseas by going to school online for various programs but the most mentioned was MBA.  I did more research and discovered that Walden University has a partnership with Saint James and takes 20% of tuition fees if I use their school.  Somehow they also talked me into taking classes in June!  I will mention that I am very easily persuaded so it took them little effort to do this.

So I took classes to see how I could balance a job and online schooling as well to kind of give me the feel for how it would be at the island.  It was tough.  My motivation to do the work was sometimes very low although I did do it.  Also, the classes themselves were pretty easy I must say just time consuming at times.  I started off in the Certificate of Clinical Research Program because it was in the health field.  I hated it.  As I went through the introductory course, I realized very fast that it was not the field for me.  It may be for someone else but it really made no sense for me to take those courses.

After the first class, I started the Certificate of Applied Project Management.  I picked this degree because it would help me with work (even though I plan on quitting) and it also filled my desire to learn to lead.  I wouldn’t say that I am a natural born leader but I could always use training to help me be better than I am.  Plus it would help me with a project that I am working on at work that I probably won’t be able to complete.  I think the main reason that caught my eye would be that it would help me in meeting my goal of having my first semester paid for.  And I will say that it helped in getting about half of it being that I had a lot of hiccups.

But of course, what else did I get to prepare for school?  I bought a host of things including a new laptop, suitcase, and I started “watching” items on eBay to buy as the time gets closer.  I also found many sites to watch the plane ticket prices so I could choose the cheapest tickets possible.  So far, it looks like Spirit may be winning that race by a couple hundred dollars although you have to pay for checked and carry-on bags.  The only catch is having to leave earlier than expected.

Leaving earlier than expected would allow me to have some “vacation” before school starts but I will be leaving my friends and family sooner than later.  Sometime back in August, I met a wonderful man that is standing behind me for this decision but I am leaving him in a city with a lot of very thirsty women.  On one hand, I know I need to make myself happy but on the other I want to make sure that they are keeping their claws off of him.  But after 6 months, I have no doubts that nothing can come between us. 

My other worries are my family.  My family is not the greatest ever but what family is?  This year, I have seen my younger sister more than I have in my entire life.  She is 14 and could really use a good influence in her life.  I am really disappointed that I can’t be that person for her but I am sure that if I keep praying, she will be okay.  I also have my brothers.  I have one in Raleigh, NC and he is still trying to figure himself out.  Then I have one here in Atlanta, GA that is trying to be the best father he knows how.  I applaud him of his efforts because he is one of the best fathers I know.  My older brother doesn’t worry me as much anymore because I know he has found the “one” as long as he doesn’t mess it up.  Then I have my parents.  They moved from our hometown of Micro to the big city of Atlanta, GA last year for my mom to find a job and she is still searching.  Without me, I don’t know if they can stand on their own but we’ll just have to see.

Overall, I have made a decision to leave and better myself.  Sometimes we have to leave our comfort zone and go into unknown territory.  Or it’s better said as:

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

-Joshua 1:9, ESV