Re-Imagining

I originally started this blog as a way to track and stay accountable as I tried to lose weight and post recipes.  That was a nice idea but it didn't work out so well for me.  My blogging became erratic as I failed to get a solid start on dieting and/or a new exercise plan.  I came back every couple of months to admit to a set back and my intention to start fresh again.  This blog hasn't had the effect that I was hoping for.

Recently, I read this blog post.  Take a moment and read it.  Here's the part that stuck out to me:

I always thought that some day—when I finally stop failing—I will become smaller, and when I become smaller literally everything will get better (I've heard It Gets Better)! My life can begin! I will get the clothes that I want, the job that I want, the love that I want. It will be great!

I haven't necessarily had these feelings regarding weight loss but reading this post made me realize that I had put my life in a holding pattern.

I'm a 24-year-old college graduate.  I graduated with a degree in Biology from a small private Christian University at a time when unemployment levels were skyrocketing.  I wasn't ready to go straight to graduate school so I temporarily moved back home with my parents while I applied for jobs in my field.  Fast forward two years, I still live with my parents and now I work with them too.  I'm working part-time doing the accounting/book-keeping for the family business, which is most definitely not a job in my field.  I started applying for graduate programs last year and have become adjusted to not being able to plan past the next August/September.  This means that I've been unable to plan more than a year in advance: no traveling for dancing, no pre-planning for out of town Steampunk events, no long-term commitments, and lots of hesitation.

This Fall, I decided to change the direction that I wanted to take my graduate school education.  My previous planning has come unraveled.  This change is a good thing and will almost certainly make me happier than my original intentions but it leaves me feeling under-prepared.  My new program of choice, Genetic Counseling, has some additional requirements compared to the life of Academia I had previously desired.  Given the new requirements, I have chosen to take this year off of Graduate School applications and improve my qualifications for genetic counseling programs.  This leaves me in a novel position:  I can now plan almost two years ahead.  I can get out of this holding pattern that I put myself into and live more intentionally.

Things that will be changing:

• A New Church Home- I'm picky so this could take some time
• Classes!- Statistics, Counseling and maybe a language refresher or two
• Volunteer work- hopefully something with an advocacy component
• Job Shadowing with a Genetic Counselor

It's time for me to accept who I am and what my life is like.  If I can accept and embrace who I am then I can move forward and be happy.

With these things in mind, this blog is going to change quite a bit.  There will still be posts about weight loss and recipes because I do want to live a healthier life.  However, there will also be posts about things that are weighing on my mind.  

You can expect to see:

• My Experiences Church Shopping
• Various thoughts on Religion, Christianity and Spirituality
• Updates on my Path towards Graduate School
• Anything else weighing on my mind