She works hard for the money... dun dun dun dun

Today I am soul searching. I'm sitting here with a list of pros and cons for going back to work. On a separate list I have ideas of what kind of "work" I might actually want to do. Ha! Wish me luck. While I am letting my OCD get the best of me and my lists, I have a fabulous job related guest post by Melissa over at Grin and Barrett! ___________________________________________________________________________________

Oh, work life. 

It is one of those things that you don't really contemplate when your a child or even a teenager. I thought my adult working days were far ahead of me, but before I knew it, they were here. My first job I got at the ripe old age of 15. I was an intern at a ministry where my mom worked and thought man, I would love to work in an office all day. First off, they always have days where people bring in food. Second, you get to sit all day long. Third, no one really bothers you; you just kind of do your own thing. Fourth, you get your own space to decorate as you please! Score (especially for us ladies)!  My second job was at Chick-Fil-A. I really had that work cut out for me. Long hours, on my feet all day, and the "occasional" difficult customer. Not to mention of the high school/college drama! Man, I was ready to leave after my 6 year stint there! 

When I graduated from college, I immediately got a call to apply for a job on campus. It was full-time, benefits, and a break for my parents. They had been paying the majority of my expenses since I was a full-time student for nearly 6 years. I thought this is awesome! A lot of my classmates were still job hunting and applying, and here I was with a full-time position literally the week of classes. I think that is a major blessing in my life! Soon after I got my first big girl job, I met my now husband and began planning our whirlwind wedding! Then I had to think about sharing my life and balance work life and married life. I think when it comes to work life, there should be a healthy balance. I work for a college, so typically I don't have take work home. At times my husband has had to work two jobs to help pay for my student loan expenses and have time to devote to his education. I also worked full time and for a little over a year was completing my graduate program. We definitely had our fair share of busyness. I think its important to prioritize and devote time to what is important. My first thought when I graduated with my Master's was to teach college. Then, I thought do I really want to teach college, or do I want to make some extra money? After some thought, I realized that I am not passionate about teaching as much as I am passionate about helping people.

Truthfully, I started out as an education major, but after a year I felt like that just wasn't right for me. I am still searching for my "calling". I am still praying, seeking, and researching what options are best for me right now. Do I see myself working in financial aid forever? Nope. But its good to know that I have options. I can go and do whatever it is I choose. With a somewhat declining economy, I do want to make enough money to pay off my student loan debt and to cover our everyday expenses. That may sound like an oxymoron, but I paid for my Master's degree, and I want it to pay off in the future (while getting it paid off at the same time).

I think for now my job gives us the stability we need so desperately right now. I am not about to give that up!

What about you? Are you where you want to be right now?