Holy crap! I'm really doing it!

It took me at least five years to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I knew that I wanted to get a Masters Degree, but I wasn't quite sure where I wanted to go with it.  Working for the American Heart Association, I knew that I was passionate about health issues, and wanted to become more involved in that realm, but I didn't know how...

I thought about getting my MBA, but seeing Chris get his and hearing about his classes made me yawn. There just didn't seem to be enough in his classes that would inspire me. I'd probably cry my way through the accounting and economics classes. So that was a no.

I thought about getting a Masters in Education, and becoming a teacher. But hearing the strife and stress of teachers getting and keeping jobs made me so nervous.

I thought about a Masters in Public Health very, very seriously, because to me, this was the part of the American Heart Association's mission that I identified with so much. But I found through chatting with a variety of people in the field, that the ideas that I had about what I wanted to do were rather few and far between, and the type that the stars had to align perfectly to get (i.e. funding, program, timing, etc.).  So, that is actually still in the back of my mind, but on the back burner until a later date. :)

Finally, I chatted with someone who suggested becoming a Nurse Practitioner.  The role of NP is so vast that it can span one-on-one health care to program implementation. The jobs aren't as scarce and tenuous as teaching and they're better funded than many public health programs. And because I grew up in a hospital, saw my dad working with nurses as a pharmacist, was cared for by nurses (and then took care of their kids!) - it just felt right.  The scary part of all of this? I had landed my first 6-figure job, and I was going to have to say goodbye to all of it!

Throughout my decision making process, I started running with Back on My Feet, a charity that helps homeless individuals start over through running and other programs. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, we meet at 5:45AM to run. Before and after the run, we say the Serenity Prayer: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Now, I am no where near a religious person, but somehow, this struck a cord with me.  Since when have I not jumped in head first into crazy things.  I went from a 3 mile race to a marathon without a second thought. From a sprint triathlon to a half Ironman to a full Ironman. From the comfy world of my parents home and my hometown to Boston, where I knew no one. From the finance world to non-profit fundraising.

So I quit the job and I started at Regis College in September of 2011... and I have never been happier! I've never once thought that this wasn't the right path, or that I had made the wrong decision.

And holy crap. I'm REALLY doing it!!!