For the past couple months (and especially weeks) I've been experiencing the stress and anxiety that is probably normal for many soon-to-be college grads. I'm moving to a brand new part of the country to be with my husband, and I have absolutely zero connections there and don't know anything about the city. So not only am I graduating college, I'm starting post-grad life on completely unknown turf. That's a tiny bit scary.
When I visited El Paso last December another Army couple told us about New Mexico State University, which is located within commuting distance from our apartment. In my previous search for graduate schools I had never thought to look in different states, so this was a pleasant surprise for me. My original plan was to just show up in Texas and try to find a job from there, because the only graduate school I had found was not really suited to my interests. Long story short, I sent in an application to the MSW program in New Mexico really last minute, just to say that I tried.
Well, turns out I got accepted! I'll have to complete my MSW in two years instead of the ideal one, because the Advanced Standing program starts in the summer and I wasn't able to provide a field evaluation fast enough. However, the school has decided to waive several courses I've already taken so it's more worth my time to attend for two years. Which means I just get to take more electives that actually interest me! This may be the unconventional option, but this decision was made with a lot of prayer and I do believe it's best suited for me. I'm going to be really busy, but I'm thrilled to at least have this summer off to get to know my new home and be a full-time wife to AJ. I love that. :)
Some people have already asked me why I would decide to go to a two-year graduate school if I'm not sure that my husband will be in Texas for that long. Yes, it's true that AJ could get orders at any time at all, and that we really don't know anything about when the Army will move him. However, AJ thinks that if we get out after four years that we'll be able to stay in Texas for two years, so we're trying to operate on that rough estimate.
Still, the real reason is that I'm not comfortable with putting my life on hold just because I'm afraid AJ will get orders. Yes, our life is pretty uncertain, and we know that. We also can't control where we live and when. But if I worried about that all the time, I would be afraid to put down roots in Texas and pursue the things that make me happy apart from AJ, and that's not okay. This perspective may seem strange to someone outside the Army way of life, but among military families it's very normal for spouses to live apart because of careers, deployments, or other things (although you bet we'd rather be together if at all possible!). This is a part of what AJ signed up for, and so we just have to make the best of it. And trust that God's got it all figured out. Everything I do is with AJ's encouragement, and both of us have already made some sacrifices for each other's dreams and for our marriage. We're still rookies at balancing the military, our dreams, and our marriage, but so far I think both of us would say that we have no regrets about our choices since getting married. And we'd both say that we're beyond excited for me to graduate so I can be in Texas!
All that to say...I'm so excited to be back with my husband again, and to keep moving forward in my profession. Now I can truly look forward to a life in Texas, and I can't wait to be there!
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