Climbing the Financial Mountain

Hi everyone!

Sooo this is my exciting Friday night! Honestly though, I do love the down time.  It's been a crazy past 2 weeks of final exams and I still have ALL of next week to look forward to as well.  All of next week means:

• Monday- 1 final practical on level surface crutches, walker, cane training
• Tuesday- 1 MAJOR final lab practical over the lower extremity, then work overnight from 330-Wednesday AM
• Wednesday- work for a different family from 930am-430pm
• Thursday- Lab Practical over stair training for crutches, walker, and cane, then 2 lecture practicals back to back starting at 300 and finally ending at 730 pm
• Friday- lecture practical at 1 pm.

GOD help me not to lose my mind in this next week!  I think I'll do fine as long as I distribute my time accordingly and don't allow myself to get overwhelmed!   Taking it one test at a time, and studying ahead for some exams will really help me to "Keep Calm and Carry On"

I realized tonight how much summer school, for TWO ONLINE classes is going to cost me.  Approximately $2,100.  YIKES!  I wish I could say I knew how the heck I'm going to afford this, considering financial aid from this past year was fully consumed for the past 2 semesters of tuition + living + health expenses.  Yes, budgeting may have helped me to land myself in a better position than I find myself in at this point; however, it's just unfortunate that the worry for needing to know how to pay for school is a problem.  I'm trying to keep my cool and not get worked up about it because I know it will all work out some how, but it just stinks soo much that getting an education has to cost so much.  I REALLLLLY don't want to get into politics within my blog because that's not what I want to write about, and I know many people have different views on issues within politics, but my blog is something that we have in common and I'm glad you keep following it for whatever reason you do! <3 (Thank you!!!!)

I guess considering the cost of education and the sacrifices I am making along the way to obtain it; I am ultimately grateful for the ups and downs of the financial situation.  I come from your typical middle, working class family.  Throughout my entire life I have seen the financial burdens that my parents have endured.

• I've seen my family living week to week on their paychecks
• I've seen my parents argue about expenses and how to pay bills 
• I've seen my parents sharing 1 car between the two of them several times for months or years at a time.
• I've seen my friends driving their brand new cars they got when they turned 16 while I still got dropped off at school by my parents until I was 19 years old.
• I've seen my dad lose his job that he held for over 20 years and result in accepting a job that pays less than the $12 p/hr that I now make babysitting

I've seen a lot of problems that stemmed from the financial burdens that my family has been exposed to, but you know what else I have seen?

• I've seen my parents sacrifice their hard earned money to send my brother and I to a Catholic grade school so that we didn't have to attend the local public school with a poor education system
• I've seen the Grand Canyon, Sedona, AZ(beautiful!!), Disney World, New York City, the oceans, the mountains, the country's interstates from coast to coast
• I've seen the memories that I've retained from each of these trips that required months and months of my parents saving up for so that we could them.
• I've seen my mom working as a social worker that makes $30,000 at best and be happy and content with her job because she loves what she does despite the lack of income.
• I've seen my parents continually try to provide the best for our family despite other financial obligations
• I've seen the money that my parents took out of their paychecks to save up and establish a college funds savings account for my brother and I both.    

And perhaps most importantly:

•  I've seen the individual that I've become through my work ethic and determination as a result of the financial struggles that I've lived through.  

I know that I want to pursue a graduate degree in Physical Therapy because; although my parents struggles were actually **~blessings in disguise~**, I don't want my children to be 9 years old and have to know what the phrase "making ends meet" means.  OF COURSE this is not the only reason I am doing physical therapy.  I love and value helping others and feel like physical therapy is such an amazing way to do so; what better feeling can you REALLY, truly feel than when you help an individual start walking or running again after they have been told they may never stand again on their own?

Realizing my current financial situation with summer school and the large amount of student/parent loan debt I, and my parents have acquired over the years and continue to rack up, I know that I am still blessed.  When I started this post, I was still quite upset and anxious about the whole money situation.  As I wrote this, and as I now sit here typing, I continue to acknowledge that money or the lack there of, has brought me to where I am today.  Money may be tight and free/'me' time may be tight as well, but it is tight for a good reason.  I have a goal that I am working towards, and in approx. 2 years from this date I will be walking across a stage with a diploma in my hand and I will be on my way to making money doing what I love.

I am a student, I am wise, I am determined, I am a hard worker, I am growing, I am learning, I am accepting, I am motivated and I will remained focused despite the obstacles that are thrown my way.

HOW do I keep doing it? And WHY do I do it?
THIS IS WHY-- AND THIS IS MY GOAL AND MY PASSION :

Adam Taliaferro: an AMAZING video! Please check it out! <3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soOuzLs3CRY

(Also, check out 'Miracle in the Making' by  Brown, S & Carchidi, S...it is the book about Adam Taliaferro's journey= FANTASTIC STORY!)





Thank you all so much for reading--


KC<3