The unplanned/planned journey.
Four years ago today I embarked on a journey to change my life.
I had just moved home in January of 2011. I was going through a very easy divorce. He was in a hurry to move on and did everything. I had also changed jobs in January. I with the help of my mom and aunt had packed up all of my belongings and my ex-husband put them in storage.
I had always wanted to go back to school and this was the perfect time. My kids were gone in their directions. So I enrolled in the full-time esthetic program of the college in the neighborhood and began August 2011. It was difficult at first. Although I had worked in cosmetics for many years, that was just the bare information needed to be an esthetician. In addition, I was trying to work as much as possible to keep an income flowing. My employers were supportive in the beginning. However, we were also having a fair amount of change at work. I studied as much as I could. I stopped going out as much with the exception of stopping by Texas Roadhouse often.
December came around and the first semester was over. I was relieved and with our new schedule for the spring semester I decided to begin work on my associates. At this time, I had several educators that were very supportive of my quest to obtain a degree. They encouraged me to reach farther and put into my mind the notion that I could one day be in their shoes. Me? teach? I thought no way. I put this thought to the back of my mind for several months. My classes were going well. I had a potential position lined up with my employer as an esthetician. Life was great. I was finding the me that had been hidden behind so many titles. I was a wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend and co-worker and so many more descriptives that this list could go on forever. The sum of me was so much more. I wanted to keep going. It was at our graduation ceremony that it was simply said "you aren't done yet." I knew at that moment that I wasn't. I had made it through to my goal of being a licensed esthetician but now what. I continued over the next few semesters working on my core classes for my associates. As I was nearing the final courses, I inquired about the cosmetology instructors program. I had been a former student and had kept in contact working on the advisory board. A day later I was accepted into that program. I did not know how I was going to take four to five classes for the next three semesters. I really did not think about it I just did it like it was normal. That brings us to today. This is the four-year mark of a journey that I thought would take much longer. In the four years, I have obtained my esthetics license, opened my own business, completed not only my cosmetology instructors certification classes but also my Associate of Applied Science in Management. I did it. I did not do it alone. I had help from my friends, family, and instructors. The beauty is that I made it not the five years but in four. I really had not even planned on going into business until after this was all done. However, I am almost two years in and it feels great. In May of this year, I quit my job and I am supporting myself.
I hope to take my cosmetology instructor state exam by the end of this week. The next goal is to begin teaching and to work on my bachelor's degree. My five-year plan is to become branded and the way I am moving it will not take that long.
I had just moved home in January of 2011. I was going through a very easy divorce. He was in a hurry to move on and did everything. I had also changed jobs in January. I with the help of my mom and aunt had packed up all of my belongings and my ex-husband put them in storage.
I had always wanted to go back to school and this was the perfect time. My kids were gone in their directions. So I enrolled in the full-time esthetic program of the college in the neighborhood and began August 2011. It was difficult at first. Although I had worked in cosmetics for many years, that was just the bare information needed to be an esthetician. In addition, I was trying to work as much as possible to keep an income flowing. My employers were supportive in the beginning. However, we were also having a fair amount of change at work. I studied as much as I could. I stopped going out as much with the exception of stopping by Texas Roadhouse often.
December came around and the first semester was over. I was relieved and with our new schedule for the spring semester I decided to begin work on my associates. At this time, I had several educators that were very supportive of my quest to obtain a degree. They encouraged me to reach farther and put into my mind the notion that I could one day be in their shoes. Me? teach? I thought no way. I put this thought to the back of my mind for several months. My classes were going well. I had a potential position lined up with my employer as an esthetician. Life was great. I was finding the me that had been hidden behind so many titles. I was a wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend and co-worker and so many more descriptives that this list could go on forever. The sum of me was so much more. I wanted to keep going. It was at our graduation ceremony that it was simply said "you aren't done yet." I knew at that moment that I wasn't. I had made it through to my goal of being a licensed esthetician but now what. I continued over the next few semesters working on my core classes for my associates. As I was nearing the final courses, I inquired about the cosmetology instructors program. I had been a former student and had kept in contact working on the advisory board. A day later I was accepted into that program. I did not know how I was going to take four to five classes for the next three semesters. I really did not think about it I just did it like it was normal. That brings us to today. This is the four-year mark of a journey that I thought would take much longer. In the four years, I have obtained my esthetics license, opened my own business, completed not only my cosmetology instructors certification classes but also my Associate of Applied Science in Management. I did it. I did not do it alone. I had help from my friends, family, and instructors. The beauty is that I made it not the five years but in four. I really had not even planned on going into business until after this was all done. However, I am almost two years in and it feels great. In May of this year, I quit my job and I am supporting myself.
I hope to take my cosmetology instructor state exam by the end of this week. The next goal is to begin teaching and to work on my bachelor's degree. My five-year plan is to become branded and the way I am moving it will not take that long.
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