As I prepare to go back to the "grind" of being a full time student (while still pulling in enough Benjamins to feed the family), I had a bit of realization this past week. Once I am finished with this program, I should be within 2-3 semesters of a Bachelor's degree. While I'm not a fan of seeking a piece of paper just for the sake of having it, it would indeed seem a shame to stop that close to a degree without going ahead and finishing it off. It would be like finishing 18 miles of a marathon and calling it quits.

The problems as I see them revolve chiefly around where to finish off my degree. I love our community, and have no desire to leave anytime soon. But without extended family, any study outside of the immediate area is going to require some adjustment. We are looking at the various possibilities so that we can still remain in our small corner of Texas while dealing with the distance between home and a decent place to finish off my studies. Fortunately, I've got about two years to think about it, but I am at that point in my life when two years flows by rather quickly.

For now, I'll just prepare for several months of long days, short nights, and a lot of hard work. Wish me luck!