Sorry for the lack of updates on this blog. I have a different blog that I've been posting gal stuff to. In any case, lots and lots of stuff is happening, but it feels like everything is on hold as far as long term goals go.
Instead of saving for a house, Mark and I have decided that I will be going to school instead. Which is kind of exciting, but bumming me out in a way as well... Because of the poor decisions I made as a teenager, and without someone or a scholarship paying for my schooling after high school, I jumped straight into having a job and trying to support myself.
Luckily, I worked my way into medical billing, gained enough experience, and have established myself in a modest 32k a year job. I'm not sure if this is the career path I want... I always imagined being a teacher, nurse, or a paralegal. Of course, now all the teacher friends I have say that teaching will suck your soul away. I just honestly don't know where to go as far as a degree plan is concerned.
Not only that, but plans for a house and family have been put on hold. I should be able to pound through a hard four years to get my bachelors degree, starting at SanJac then transferring to U of H Clearlake. I'll have finished school by the time I turn 30.
But then what, hmmm? I start my career of course. I don't see kids fitting into that plan very well. It feels like we will be renting an apartment forever. And if we get a house? Then the mortgage will not be paid until we are like 60 or something.
Mark is preoccupied with his idea of a proper "order of operations". School first, house second, and (if he has it his way I think) no kids. Kind of feels like we're holding each other back in a way. I want a house with a family before I'm 30. Mark wants us to both have degrees and work towards a cushy retirement without kids around to suck away all his money.
Of course we both knew what we were getting into before we married, but we just assumed that a compromise would work itself out. I just don't know what to compromise on. School? Kids? Career? Housing?
Obviously I am going to get a degree. My first class starts on January 19th. I'm taking math. english, and history. So I'm already on that track.
We will be getting a 2bed 2bath apartment in April and rooming with Ivan to help offset the cost of school. I will be moving to part time employment so that I can go to school full time. If I attend all the mini holiday and summer semesters, I should be done in a reasonable amount of time.
We're not sure how much school will cost in total, semester by semester, so our savings goals are up in the air. Haha... they were kind of put on hold for the holidays anyway!
What I would really like to see happen, is getting a house, and offsetting the cost of a mortgage by having Ivan as a roommate. Same plan, just different living quarters, right? That way we can work towards owning a home instead of renting. And the down payment...? Uhmmm, yeah... back to the problem of our savings goals.
I just don't know how this is all going to work out, but full speed ahead!!!
I'm sorry life feels on hold. I know how frustrating that feeling can be. I also know that you and Mark will figure everything out! And hopefully he'll realize that while in math order of operations reigns supreme, in life they're more like guidelines ;-). I hope y'all have a wonderful new year!
ReplyDeleteI can definitely relate girlie! Some advice though, talk to a mortgage loan officer. I think you'd be surprised what you can get with what you and Mark can afford. As far as a career goes, find someone that's already doing what you want to do. See if you can skim over the education part. Being on the other end of the degree plan, its not all its cracked up to be. And if you can find a shortcut, maybe you can save yourself the cost of an education. *shrug* Just a different perspective. :) Hope everything works itself out soon.
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