Today's Thoughts: Big Changes!

So I've been a "SAHM" for 5-months now... I am so extremely happy that I have had this time home with my sweet baby girl, but I have felt like I need to be doing something more. I'm not used to having so much extra time in my day, as I am a micro-manager and was pretty successful at making sure that every single minute was planned and busy. And while this time home has been good for both me and Parker, I knew that it would not last long.

I also knew that going back to work 60+ hours a week (which when I break it down, really is what I was committing to my former career), was not an option for me either. I don't want to put myself in a position where I am letting myself become overwhelmed with work and missing out on time with my family. I know first-hand that SO MUCH changes with this little human in such a short amount of time, and I still do not want to miss out on any of it. But I need something. Something to serve as a creative and professional outlet for me, but something that allows a bit more flexibility with my schedule. The immediate first instinct is that I NEED TO BE MY OWN BOSS! I'm fairly entrepreneurial in spirit, but have struggled to find my niche... I came up with a thousand different ideas, none of them intrigued me enough to follow through. My passion, when it comes down to it, is theatre. And I'm not quite ready to let that go.

My final year of college, I was introduced to a man from London who spoke with us about a theatre that he worked at, The Lyric. He was responsible for a program that reached out to "at-risk" youth, and used theatre as a form of therapy; to inspire them to see their potential, to help them find a place, find motivation, and realize that there is more to life. I fell in love. I've always been drawn to the tough students. The ones that no one else wants to deal with. Maybe that's why I taught middle school for 5 years... ;) But I used this theatre as a basis for a final project in one of my classes. I wanted to create a similar program, and ultimately create my own theatre, that would work along side school districts, alternative centers, juvenile detention centers, and reach out to these students. I was pumped. And then I got a job teaching in a great school district, and that dream kind of became a thing of the past.

Until recently that is ... :)

I realize that first, there is so much more that I need to learn. So here are my new goals, and I have never been so excited. I feel inspired again. Something I have not felt since graduating from UT. I feel like I am on the right path, and that this is the reason I quit my job when I did... I needed to move on, and move forward. I needed to realize that this new dream is what I am supposed to do. I. CAN'T. WAIT.

New Goals:

1. Find a job. But not just a frivolous job. Find a job that will benefit my ultimate goal. I am going to be looking to work for a theatre company, an event center, etc. to be in the middle of it and learn the business side of how things run. I am hoping to find something that is either part-time or at least less hours than I was putting in before P came along.
2. Take the GRE. I am going to be studying (something I haven't done in 5 years!) for the next few months and then take the graduate school entrance exam. I need this for the program I am applying for.
3. GRADUATE SCHOOL... This is where it gets really fun. And what I am PUMPED about! I have found a program and been in contact with advisors that has gotten me excited beyond words. The program is for Educational Psychology with a concentration in Human Development and Family Studies. What's the best part: it is a doctoral program, which will allow me to get my masters along the way. So in a matter of 3-4 years, you may start calling me Dr. Jenna Truitt. You can start now if you'd like the practice! 
4. MY THEATRE! I have not yet decided if I want to open my own theatre, or if I just want to develop a program that can "travel" to serve many different communities and students, but this is where it's all leading to.

The graduate program is necessary for me to focus on the needs of these students. I need to understand more from the psychological side to "tap in" and really make my program work. Psychology was the only other subject area that interested me enough in school to make me question my theatre degree, so I figure putting the two worlds together is the best choice!

I couldn't wait to share, because I am giddy with school yard glee. I have big dreams, and I am so happy that I get to make them come true. It's going to be a long road, lots of work, and made more challenging while now adding my baby girl into the mix, but it is something I want to do for me, for her, and for my family. I can have it all, and I am going to do whatever it takes to get there! Woo! 

Prayers are welcome :)