It's finally Fall!

The weather has been up and down this week here in Georgia. It was 80 degrees two days ago and now it's closer to 50. I'll take it though. My Wisconsin skin prefers the chilly weather over the heat any day. It's finally starting to feel like fall. That means I can start wearing my cardigans, sweaters and boots again!

I got some good news this week. I was looking up what classes I am taking next semester. I was set to take: Cognitive Psychology, Psychology of Diversity, Psychology Capstone (Senior seminar), and a lab-based science. The two last classes were gonna be a doozy, for sure. Well, it turns out I already took a Learning and Cognition course at North Georgia before I transferred. I contacted my advisor and she doubled checked my transcript. Turns out that I don't have to take Cognitive Psychology. Thank goodness! One less class means a lighter load. It gives me the ability to focus more on the three classes I do have to take! Maybe even a little more time at FOCUS.

Over the weekend, Jake and I went up to my old stomping grounds in Dahlonega for the Gold Rush Festival. We met up with my girlfriends and sorority sisters Friday night. My friend Jen found a wonderful cabin in Suches, north of Dahlonega. It was about a 30 minute drive to Dahlonega, but well worth it. The cabin and views were beautiful! The owner was very friendly and even showed us how to use the zip line. Jake and I didn't participate, but it was fun watching a few of the others. On Friday Night, Jen waited until all of us arrived at the cabin to reveal her beautiful engagement ring! None of us had any idea! Her boyfriend, David, proposed the day before. We were all very excited and it was a great way to start the weekend!

On Saturday, we went into town for a sorority alumnae banquet and walked around the festival. There were arts, crafts, turkey legs, funnel cakes, gyros, EVERYTHING! We were all more concerned with the food from our favorite Mexican restraunt in town, Pueblos. The food was as good as I remembered! There were a lot of bikers and cyclists on the road up there over the weekend. It made me think about how awesome it would be to do that in the wide open, mountain air. Jake, on the other hand, was more interested in the lakes and ponds we passed!

My future is starting

Things have been turning around these days.

I started back at school last January and graduate this May. I feel as
though it can't come soon enough! My grades have been awesome. I got a 4.0 my
first semester back. Once summer classes were over and I was only working, I
found myself searching for things to do. I started reading those few weeks in
between classes. My favorite was The Hunger Games trilogy (I highly recommend
it). I realized that it was the first thing I had done for myself in months. I
was so concerned with doing well in school and maintaining a full-time job that
I was miserable. I had lost myself in my busy schedule and felt like a robot. I
cut back at work from full-time to part-time.

I was surfing the internet one day and it dawned on me. I had a little more
free time and wanted to do something that I loved, but I wanted it to be
beneficial. So, I looked up counseling centers in the area. I came across FOCUS
Counseling & Training, Inc. in Woodstock. I e-mailed the owner and asked if
they were looking for volunteers. I explained my circumstance--a psychology
major approaching graduation and looking for any field-related experience.
Within a week, I heard from Janice, the office manager. The center was looking
for a volunteer to help with filing client paperwork. The only catch was that I
would have to get fingerprinted for a cost of $52. I didn't expect that,
especially with cutting back at work, but it was worth it to me to go ahead and
get fingerprinted.

I started volunteering in August and it has been a wonderful experience.
Because I've been fingerprinted, I'm allowed to read the client paperwork and
follow their therapy notes as I file them. I've also been answering the phone
and signing-in clients. I've had the opportunity to talk to the therapists of
the agency and they've given me some good advice about grad school.
On Monday, Beth, the owner, pulled me into her office along with Janice.
She said she wanted to talk to me about something. Beth wanted for me to
continue volunteering, but wanted to pay me for 5 hours every week. I gladly
accepted! I would much rather be working in the field of my choice (&
degree) than at my retail job. This way I could do both. Well, I got a phone
call this morning from Janice. She said she sent me an e-mail, but was too
excited so she called me. Beth and Tammi, the financial manager, wanted to bring
me on for more than 5 hours a week. They wanted to hire me for 15 hours every
week to continue helping Janice and Tammi wanted to train me in something else.
What great news! I'm very excited. I will have to cut back more hours at my
other job, but it's worth it. Beth has also offered me a job upon graduation! I
don't know the details of it yet, but she is very persistent and mentions it
every time I see her.

Hard work really pays off. I may be a late bloomer or take longer than most
to finish college, but I truly believe this was the right path for me. 2 years
ago, my heart wasn't in it. I would've never considered volunteering in the
psychology field. I needed to get out into the real world to realize I don't
want to work retail the rest of my life. I realized a lot during that time and
it got my butt in gear. Look at me now! I am very blessed. God has opened so
many doors for me. He does the same for all of us. We just have to walk through
them.

Keep those open doors coming.