My birthday was awesome this year. Despite my attempts to help out my family in coming up with great present ideas, they all found better ideas and thus I received an amazing array of gifts.
- silk sleeping bag: so I can stay at my in-laws' and in hotels, and even at my parents', without bringing my own sheets because of a weird skin reaction to scented detergent.
- a smoothie maker / blender (see picture below)
- several movies: Becoming Jane, Hitch, Patch Adams, and Pride & Prejudice
- a fabulous shirt combo
- a coffee scoop (and I am MOST excited about this)
- a tennis skirt
- $, which enabled me to get a new pair of jeans
Let's also not forget the brand new tennis racquet and wrist support that I received as a very early gift in July. We've had so much fun this summer using our new racquets!
As is standard in our family, I had a scrumtrulescent birthday meal courtesy of Mom. It included manicotti with meat sauce, green leaf salad, garlic bread, and peaches doused in cinnamon. Oh my was it all delish. For my cake, I requested a Dairy Queen one, because who doesn't love two flavors of ice cream accompanied by layers chocolate fudge and crunchies and topped by the lightest icing ever. It was phenomenal.
All of us failed to get adequate pictures, as has been the trend of the Wilson household this year. But here are the three that we managed to grab to commemorate the day.
Well, first, I turned 27. Which was a surprise to one of my coworkers who, bless her heart, said, "Oh, I thought at MOST you were 25." I appreciate that coming from her age of 23! But then suddenly I remembered how old 27 sounded when I was 23. Four years is a long time in that stage of life.
In more exciting news. Today, I submitted my application to grad school.
Wait, you say, don't you already have a master's degree.
Why, yes. Yes, I do. But I've always wanted this particular master's, or, I should say, to continue this particular interest of mine academically. And now I'm almost sure I can!
This will also be a boost to me professionally. It is typical (and oft required) that academic librarians have a master's in a second and unrelated field to Library Science. If you want details, I can explain it to you. It's too long and complicated for a post.
The plan is to start next summer, which for the school at which I applied means May (in 8 months). Each semester (and each of the two summer sessions), I will take one course. This is a stipulation from my job. I can't really do my work to the best of my ability if I'm trying to focus in three or four directions. Because this degree is encouraged, yay required, by my employer, they are providing me four hours per week from my standard 40 to get to my class. Which will be necessary, as the school is 1.5 hours away from where I live, work, and eat.
It's always exciting to launch into something you're passionate about, also a little scary to take the timid step of faith believing that this is the right course of action. For me, for my career, for us, for our family, etc. I've lately been struggling with the question, Can I even cut it anymore in an academic classroom setting? It's only been three years, but can School Lana be compatible with Married Lana. Ah, that is the question. How to juggle and balance all that my life is now that it was not when I completed undergrad and rocketed through SLIS.
It's also a whole other story to plan to spend three years of your life slugging through a degree that should take 1/2 that time. But this is what's laid before me, and I'm gladly accepting the challenge.
Strange as it sounds, I think classroom challenges are the only type of challenge that I feel equipped and capable of handling.
Guess I'll find out!
Let's also not forget the brand new tennis racquet and wrist support that I received as a very early gift in July. We've had so much fun this summer using our new racquets!
