Tom Cochrane and Rascal Flatts said life is a highway, but I think that implies a “destination-based” experience that certainly has never applied to me. My life’s road has always felt pretty winding, perhaps more than most. It’s not that life has thrown me a lot of curveballs – in fact, I would describe the drama of my life as fairly humdrum. The twists and turns of my life have not come from outside interference. No, for the most part, they are entirely of my own making.
When I was 18, not long after finishing high school, I quit college to become a mom. Seven years later with the birth of my second child, I suspended my slow-moving career development to be a stay-at-home mom again. After getting back to work for a few years, I left my career behind again to be a full-time student, during which time I got a divorce. After obtaining a master’s degree as a full-time student and part-time instructor at the university, I enthusiastically entered the career field for which I had been preparing. Before too long, that career path veered sharply and I found myself thriving in a different industry. This led me to become a full-time student once again but in conjunction with full-time work this time. I also became a wife again.
The pandemic threw us all for a loop and I found myself unemployed. Feeling extreme burnout and an intense need for a change, I took something of a sabbatical for myself. While working on finishing my MBA and contemplating my next career moves, I got news that pulled the rug out from under me once again.
And so now, I write this as a 45-year-old once-again-stay-at-home-mom to a baby girl just starting to walk. I don’t know what the future holds for me career-wise, or if I will ever see something resembling a traditional career again. Do I expect to ever again use any of the education or experience I have gained in the working world? It’s a question that keeps me up at night.
But this is my journey, and to the best of my ability and to the extent it makes sense, I intend to share some of this journey here.