Means to an End

Yesterday, although this assessment was significantly over due, I handed in a big essay. This may seem quite small and trivial for some, but for me this really signified the beginning of a new phase of my life. Yes, I know how cliche this is sounding... but let me explain.

Last year around this time I decided to drop out of university and work full time... Studying became too overwhelming and I did not believe that i could do it. I had medical reasons, and this seemed to justify my decision to take some time out. But working full time with no purpose in a job with higher expectations that university, led me to consider some new options. I felt like i was discovering myself again and I was tailoring what i wanted to do: by the unfortunate process of elimination. For the second half of 2010 I had been working as a youth leader at a local church co-ordinating their after school care program and sunday school... and having the opportunity to teach and learn from children of all ages got me thinking about studying education.

I never believed that I could be a teacher, even though all through out my life (the short twenty one years) I have enjoyed being around children. Out on a whim one night after work, I decided to apply to Macquarie University for a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education... I was so busy the next few weeks that i didn't check my offers until later, and i had received an early entry round! It really blew me away, and I accepted... and here I am almost a year later, waiting for my second last exam.

A lot has occurred between now and then, and I don't know whether I have the ability to write or capture what I have experienced and what I have learnt. I'm sure when exams are over i'll be able to share some of my experiences with you, but for now i want to focus on the idea of 'completion'.

To be honest, i'm not very good at finishing things.. whether they be related to uni work.. conversations, projects etc. I am ... spontaneous to say the least.. and when it comes to academia, if it became too hard I would find a way around it, or drop the subject. Yes, I do have medical explanations for this habit, but it was really something that came to my attention over the last year. Last semester I experienced a few hiccups, and so this semester i was determined to finish what i started. And although there has been many tears, coffees, rants, chocolate, driving, reading etc I am excited to say that I have almost finished this semester. That i have completed and attempted all assessments, and not given up.

I know this may seem trivial to some people, but for me it is really a huge landmark! During the year I also released my second book "Almost" - which again was something I started and finished. The clarity and wealth of knowledge and experience I have collected over the last 12 months has been astounding, and i am so thankful for the support which surrounded me.

I really can;t wait to put pen to paper and share some of these experiences with you (after exams of course!)...

So yes.. I thought i'd share this with the world wide web and let you know that i'm still going, still learning and still here! And most importantly.. I'm taking life one step at a time... :)