My Journey Begins...

This being my first *ever* blog post, I should explain the title... Nobody knows how to spell my name! I find that my name should come with a cup of coffee from Starbucks, for how often it's misspelled. Thanks, mom! Just kidding, I love my name, but I always have to tell people, it's Danae, but "with an 'e'..."

So here I am, Denae... I'm 6 days shy of 30 years old, and my childhood self is excited that I can finally use Jennifer Garner's line in 13 Going on 30... "Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving!" I have the most amazing boyfriend who supports me, and without him, I would probably only be able to say "Thirty!" because let me tell you - the way life is right now? I would not be thriving (and I'm flirty with him).

Confession: I'm a first year grad school student. I've had a life-long dream of pursuing higher education. I graduated earlier this year with my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology... it only took me about 10 years to get that 4 year degree. But I convinced myself I would be OK if I lived by the truth that it's not about how fast you get there - as long as you get there. Boy, that helped me sleep at night. I wish I could say that for this program.

I am in the 3-year Master of Social Work program at California State University, Stanislaus. They tell me which classes I'll be in, where I'll be, when to jump, when to breathe, you know - the basics. While I knew it would be hard work, I did not expect it to take such a toll on my "normal" life.

I find that I'm choosing between a full shower, or sleeping 10 minutes longer and using dry shampoo instead. I'm finding that I eat more foods in packages, than foods I'd prefer. I find that I've removed all blood from my body and replaced it with caffeine. I wake up at 5:00 AM, and get to work at 6:30 AM on most days. Normally, I'd start work at 8... boy how I miss those days.

Are you ready for my schedule? Here's the life of a full-time employee going through grad school:

Monday:

Wake up (5:00AM), Work (6:30AM-4:45PM), School (5:30PM-8:15PM), Sleep (10:15PM)

Tuesday:

Wake up (5:00AM), Internship (7:00AM-3:30PM), Work (3:30PM-8:30PM), every other week - Zoom Seminar Class (8:00PM-9:30PM), Sleep (10:30PM)

Wednesday:

Wake up (5:00 AM), Work (6:30AM-4:15PM), School (5:00PM-8:15PM), Sleep (10:15PM)

Thursday:

Wake up (5:00AM), Internship (7:00AM-3:30PM), Breathe (3:30PM-5:30PM), School (5:30PM-8:15PM), Sleep (10:15PM)

Friday:

Wake up (5:00AM), Work (6:30AM-6:30PM)

Saturday:

Die a little inside.

Sunday:

Die a little more, knowing Monday is coming.

Somewhere in there I manage homework, when I remember it exists... somewhere in there I've poorly managed to maintain my relationship... and somewhere in there I've managed to eat (refer to the boyfriend who takes care of me).

I used to work 40 hours a week, and after punching my time in last week, I managed 35.25 hours. I use vacation for the remaining 4.75. My boss is not thrilled with my schedule, so let's add "somewhere in there, I'm searching for a new job, but nobody wants my crazy schedule" to the mix. I have been employed with the same company for 11+ years, and this is the first time I've ever felt that my position or security here is compromised. In fact, it's caused a significant amount of stress and frustration... for the past two months.

I used to sing at my church on a regular basis, now, I don't. I've given that up. I used to enjoy going out of town or doing things on the weekends, but now, I just want to curl up and do nothing. Can you blame me?

Yet, amidst the crazy and the struggles, I know all of this will be rewarding. I'm the first in my family to go to grad school, so there's a lot hanging on my shoulders. It's no small feat for me to be able to say, "I was the first." Because let's face it: I'm not athletic, so I wasn't coming in first there. Just saying.

I know I'm only a couple months into this crazy grad school thing, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I love school. I love education. I love being in the classroom. And overall, I love the opportunities you gain through furthering your education.

So please, feel free to join me as my journey to furthering my education is underway.

#gradschool #MSW #firstyear #studentlife #studentblog