Last weekend I went to a blogger’s retreat called Breathing Space.

I’ll be honest with you, I was a little nervous to go. Being non-mormon, non-married, and kid-less, I knew I would be in the minority. But I told myself that a girls retreat would be fun, plus it would do me some good to go outside of my comfort zone. So I bucked up and went.

The event was held at Daybreak. We stayed in the model homes. They had classes during the day and fun events in the evening. I must say, I was completely blown away by how well organized the event was. The organizers were super crafty women who paid a great deal of attention to the small details. I have no idea how they were able to cram so many smiles, sunshine, flowers, and happy feelings into a coffee and alcohol free event – but they did. It was nearly flawless.

My anxiety did rear it’s ugly head the night of the Stepford Wives themed dinner. During the networking hour I became convinced that everyone was giving me dirty looks. I went outside and called Cute. “Hi babe. I don’t think I can do this. These women hate me. Plus they have a soda bar, not a bar bar. I tried to talk to someone and she shut me down. I’m pretty sure that no one wants to talk to me.”

Now, it’s not often that Cute really says much. He is normally a go-with-the-flow type of guy. But for some reason, he said exactly what I needed to hear. “Get your but back in there. You paid money to go out there, network, and have a good time. Go get your money’s worth. Those women do not hate you.”

So, begrudgingly, I put on a smile and did just that.

And guess what? They didn’t all hate me. In fact, I met some really amazing women. We laughed, told stories, and became friends.

In the end I was very glad I went. Daybreak is a beautiful place. If I was living a different life, one that involved a husband, kids, and religion, I think I could be very happy out there. It is such a fun community and there is so much for children to do. There are play-sets, paved trails, community centers, a pond, family shopping and even live music played outdoors on the weekend.

As it stands, my life is that of a single (non-married) career-woman and there is nothing wrong with that. I feel at home in the safety of the city. But I’m glad I got to see how the other half lives. It looks perfectly lovely.

Blogfully yours,

Summer

PS – you can see more pictures from the event on their Flickr stream.

blogging

I just finished taking my last final.

I’m still digesting this sentence.

No more night classes. No more Salt Lake Community College. No more staying home to do homework while all of my friends are at the pool, or skiing, or doing absolutely nothing. No more eating dinner out of a vending machine. No more sleepless nights worrying about how I am going to juggle work and school. No more tuition. No more expensive college books.

I’m done.

But, for some reason I am reluctant to celebrate. It’s strange, but now that I’m done, having an associates degree just seems like not that big of a deal. Or at least I’m worried that is what other people will think.

Woo. Hoo. You now have the same degree that every other 21 year old has, only ten years later than them. Congratu-friggin-lation.

But, on the other hand, I do feel proud. It has been a long, long process and I have stayed diligent through it all. In fact, I have been writing about my college journey for almost FOUR YEARS!

Yes, taking night classes part-time results in four years to get an associates degree. It’s embarrassing. Do I really have the right to gloat about my silly little degree that took me so long?

Yes. I think I do.

Blogfully yours,

Summer

PS – continuing education? Yes, I intend to get a BA degree. I’ve come this far after all. However, I’m taking the next seven months off to focus on my career. If everything goes well, in 2013 I’ll start another four year process to get an undergraduate degree.

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