This Tuesday marks the start of a huge life change for me, I will officially start school. Actually, I am already in school, as this semester I am both a student at Idaho State University and at Lewis and Clark State College. Because nothing is more Kat like that multi-tasking.
So in true me fashion I am baking twice the knowledge into my mind!
Honestly, the origin to that story is while I was convalescing with my autoimmune plague for the last twelve weeks, I found myself wandering the web and spending a lot of time pondering what the heck I was going to do. Pivoting is a thing and I definitely have to pivot, I can't keep being so hard on my carcass.
That said, I need to have purpose and meaning and do that which I feel called to do, so after more than a bit of meditating on the subject, I realized that I needed to get back into the mental health counseling saddle.
Then I found the ISU Community Health Worker training program.
Through a grant through the HHS the program was offered tuition-free and after perusing the course syllabus I thought it would be a great dive back into the school realm. As a rural librarian I had already worn a bit of a community health worker hat, so I thought becoming certified in that area would be pretty cool.
So I signed up.
Then I got to looking at programs and found LCSC's social worker BSW. I already have a AA degree in lay ministry, and LCSC's transfer program accepted all of my credits. A few short weeks later I was all signed up and ready to go. Okay, there were a few steps in there, but honestly, everything has just flowed.
By my math, in five years time I will be a licensed in WA and ID clinical mental health counselor. But holy wow there is more than a lot of work in between this date and that end date.
You know what though, I am going to eat that elephant one bite at a time.
I started my CHW training last week, and more than anything it showed me that I am on the right path. 1/2 of my class are refugees who are trying to be bridges between their communities and their new host country's medical system. As I sat in my first three hour Zoom session learning about the class we were about to embark on together for the next thirteen weeks, I was struck by the enormity of what we are all facing in just the health care sector alone. We got a lot of shoveling ahead of us all for sure.
But here's the thing, I absolutely adore learning, and over the past couple of years of trying all the things trying to figure out where the heck my place was in this simulation, I got a bit, well, down. I thought that age and the trials of life had wrecked my capacity to absorb a bit.
A bunch of aced tests and quizzes later I realized that wasn't the case, I just needed to let go of things, rest, and focus.
My attention has been fractured and demanded all over the place for the last two decades, a very normal thing for parents. I birthed, raised, and homeschooled my children, I finished one college degree on the front end of that, I bought and built a homestead from scratch, arriving to it with nothing but two dogs and pickup with a blown up engine. I have been a librarian, a feed store clerk, a grocery store clerk, a Veteran's service rep, you a name it, and through it all I still absorbed knowledge like a sponge.
But, I got tired. Too much stimuli combined with the realities of aging eventually burn out the brightest bulb. (Not that I am too bright, if anything I would be slightly off color😁). It took two years of illness for me to get it through my thick skull that I don't have to be all or do all the things, I just need to focus on what I feel led and called to and the rest will work itself out.
So, with that said, I still intend to keep up on my blogging here in between homework and tests, because more than anything this place has helped me have the confidence that I needed to leap into change. I am looking forward to seeing where I will grow and end up, just as I enjoy taking in all of your journeys.
And on that note, I think I might go bake another pie before I get started on next phase!
Multitasking actually seem like a lot of work bug I just hope that you are able to combine things together
I wish you well and this cookie looks nice
Thanks @rafzat! I've been beyond multitasking for so many years that just having to focus on a couple things will seem like a treat lol!
Hope you found a cookie to enjoy!
!PIZZA
This so amazing I hope you will be able to combine them together, I wish you good luck dear, I can't wait to have my share
Thank you so much for all the well-wishes of luck and stuff! I hope you are having the best day ever😊
!PIZZA
I bet all these have not been easy. You are a student and also a parent. That's quite a huge task to balance. I hope you find this balance.
Aww, thanks @starstrings01! I can guarantee I will fall on my face a few times, but I hope that balance is achieved at some point lol!
Hope you had a great weekend!
!PIZZA
Yeah I did thank you! I hope you check out the Hive learners Community and Discord Server.
Way to go, Kat! You know you will do well at whatever you set your mind to.
Aww, thanks so much my dear friend! I've had great examples to learn from😊
Hope those seed orders are coming along!!
!PIZZA
No, but the candles are all put away, finally! I might get to the seed orders by the end of the week…
The tax seems challenging yet not impossible. I wish you all the best dear friend.
Thanks you so much for the well wishes! I wish all the best for you too @daniasi!
!PIZZA
Best wishes as you launch into more schooling! I hope the weather doesn't mess up your commute. Or perhaps you have several online classes?
My classes are all online this semester with the exceptions of my math tests. Those are all down at the testing building on the NIC campus, but there's only like five or so of them.
Things are going splendid so far, just a lot of trying to find my groove lol!
Hope you all are all cozy over yonder this evening!
!PIZZA
I can only say, so happy that you found what you were searching for, it does sound like a tough cookie! But if anyone can make it happen, it must be you! Keep us in the loop about how you're doing!
Aww, my dear friend, thank you😊 That means a lot and I am going to give it my best shot. Hope all the pups are doing lovely and that you are getting some photography time in!
!PIZZA
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@generikat(3/15) tipped @hetty-rowan
generikat tipped scribblingramma
generikat tipped goldenoakfarm
generikat tipped pekkymos
generikat tipped daniasi
generikat tipped starstrings01
generikat tipped rafzat