I Am Lucky

So, now I had to figure out HOW I would get myself to North Carolina! North Carolina...2000 MILES AWAY FROM HOME! This would be an adventure. An adventure I had to figure out in 5 FAST months! Would I drive? Would I fly? How would I get my car out there if I had to fly? How much stuff did I need to take? How would I get my stuff out there?

Wow... this was becoming quite a process! I started calling moving companies, but they were expensive. As I went through all my own "genious" ideas, and ran into a brick wall, my dad FINALLY shared his opinion as to what I should do! He's a gentleman, and won't push his ideas on ANYONE unless asked. He suggested I call UPS to see how much it would cost to ship my belongings. Then he suggested to ship my car and fly out there. It was just as expensive (on paper) to drive myself across the country with the cost of gasoline and hotel rooms, as it would be to fly myself and ship the rest. So, I did just that. I boxed up everything I owned (and maybe a little more that I figured my mom wouldn't miss...lol), and made sure they were light enough to lift on my own (another suggestion of my dad's : - )). I spent all my money in my savings account and planned to move everything out to NC, then buy a TV, bed, and couch when I arrived. Thankfully, my parents chipped in and helped me again with a plane ticket (this would NOT be the last time they would help me financially). I thought for sure, and I even voiced to my mom that "they wouldn't need to ever help me again financially". I was certain I was "Miss Independent", and didn't need any assistance from the parents anymore; just emotional support. Phew... I was wrong! But, I'll get to that subject a little later.

Sometimes, we want to leave the nest, but when we fall, it's amazing to have such wonderful parents to pick you up. My parents have NEVER let me fall completely on my face. Don't get me wrong, they definately helped me learn some tough lessons through experience, but they never let me fail or quit. I'm so very grateful for both of them! I hope to be HALF the parent each one has been to me someday! I consider myself very lucky and I do take pride in the way I was raised. My parents did a really great job! I had to certainly learn how to appreciate how wonderful they are though. I've seen some disturbing behaviors from parents over the years that makes me sick to my stomach, but it's made me quite grateful for their guidence, support, and leadership in my life. I am lucky.

I have never spent any money in my savings account before, but I considered this a great pharmacy school adventure an investment worth going broke for. I was scared though. Scared of the term "poor college student"....literally.

Ground zero humbled me (ie: a newly broke graduate student). It humbled me especially when I GOT to pharmacy school, and was faced with my classmates in the private school. I was not prepared for this. I wasn't concerned about clothes, or purses, or heels, or matching umbrellas for goodness sake! My mom was always the "shopper" in our family, and I just wasn't "into" it so to speak. So, I was ill-prepared for this adventure of discovering the reality of "professional dress", and the FACT that people judge you by how you look, bottom line. I was always taught not to judge others for how they look, but that didn't mean that others would point and judge me. I just was really oblivious to what classy "fashion" entailed. This is another lesson I learned along the way. I learned the importance of taking CARE of yourself, and to have some confidence; just not TOO much. I had to learn the balance of humility and confidence. No one likes an arrogant person, and no one can RELATE with an arrogant person. So, don't be arrogant! : - ) I consider myself lucky to have learned this lesson. I STILL have times in my life when I need to remind myself of the balance (in EITHER direction). Sometimes, being too humble will get you walked all over, and then being too arrogant leaves you lonely. My hope is to one day get it down "pat"!