I've figured it out

This is a big honkin' deal.  Bigger than Elvis.  Or sliced bread.  I've figured out what type of career I would like to do!!

Like a lot of people I know, I definitely had a quarter life crisis.  Unlike a lot of people, I refused to pay for grad school until I was absolutely sure.  Now my GRE scores are well-expired, and I'm not sure if grad school is ever in the cards.

Back in 2010, when B was deployed, I blogged about trying to figure out my calling and how I went to a Career Planning workshop at Fleet & Family Support to help me out.  Well, almost two years later, I think  I have it.

I want to be a Family Life Educator.  There it is.  I've written it down.  I feel like I should ring a bell or call my mom or something.

I re-read that old blog post tonight, and the only thing that is missing is "the great outdoors."  But I think I can fill that void in other ways, without having my career hinge upon it.

Okay, I actually already sorta am a Family Life Educator.  I have been (volunteer) teaching Budget for Baby class to expectant military couples for almost a year now.  It had been growing on me, obviously.  Sometimes my classes stink and the participants sit there like bumps on a log and just listen to me bumble on about the parts of a budget.  But I taught a class today and seriously hit it out of the park.  I was able to somehow transform it from almost non-participatory to a pretty lively and informative class!  I don't even know how I really did it, but it was kinda magical.  Thinking it might have been all in my head, I read the anonymous evaluations that the participants filled out, and I got perfect marks from every. single. one.

I think this is actually a great field to combine my educational background.  My degree in Child & Family Development can help me teach more of these budget types of classes, and I would also like to get into teaching some parenting skills or other family topics.  My advertising background will definitely come in handy because I will probably be the one who has to market these classes.

As for the next step, I'm not sure.  I know I want to be primarily stay-at-home for a while, so this will be sorta put on the back burner until I'm ready.  I then will need to get some certification and find someone to pay me (the hard part).  However, I am already volunteering my way into it more fully, as I am now taking on more than just teaching the Budget for Baby class.  They made me the chair of the operation, so I'm making some marketing materials and making this class the best it can be!

Have you figured out your calling?  How long did it take you to really know?  (I'm just about 10 years out of high school, in case you're wondering!)