Movin' & Shakin'

I'm probably going to have to name a future animal the above title, because I feel like I've said that phrase these last few weeks more than any other thing I've ever said. Which is impressive (but not the kind with HYPP).

I feel like my life is alternatively movin', shakin', and then doing a lot of... nothin'.

On the one hand, I register for classes in less than 2 weeks. I think and hope that maybe then it will hit me that I'm going back to school. I signed off on my degree plan last night and mailed it to UHV this morning, which was a little surreal.

You know what this means, right? It means that whenever I'm answering "What is the highest level of education you have achieved?", I'm going to be able to answer the celebrated "graduate school". And that I'm about to spend more money and have even less time to do the things I love.

I'm very excited, and I'm a little nervous. I think I am definitely making the right decision, and I'm very happy that even though I'm going back to school, I don't have to actually go to a school- I get to do everything online. Having lived in a college town the last 3 years, in addition to the 4 years that I was in college, I'm a little more than ready to not be anywhere near one for a while.

I'm nervous because of the aforementioned financial and time expenses, but those generally come with any new venture. Those things are in God's hands, and I feel like this where He is leading me to be- so with God for me, who can be against me?

On the same hand, I've had lot of sudden interest in Sienna from potential buyers, which comes on the heels of me deciding to hang onto her until the spring (of course). A lady came and tried her out last week, and she was very impressed with her temperament and training- which made me feel very good. She wasn't quite where she needed her new fox hunting prospect (yes, fox hunting) to be, but that's ok. Another lady is coming to look at her this weekend.

If this lady doesn't decide to buy her, I think I'm going to go ahead and take my advertisements down. I'd really like to get some more shows under her belt and get some more miles on her on the trail. My plan originally was to sell her in the spring of 2013, and I am going to stick to that- unless I randomly win the lottery and suddenly can afford to collect horses. I have a good idea of what I want next- in fact, I've already met a prospect that fits my requirements- but right now it is nice to have two horses that are ride-able.

The "nothin'" part comes in on the job front. I have no idea how many applications and resumes I've sent out, but I have only received responses (in the negative) from 2, which is wildly discouraging. One of those two even required an animal science degree, and they still told me I didn't meet their requirements. I'm under the assumption that the person who sent me that rejection letter was either a) drunk or b) rushing home from work for the weekend, and therefore did not actually read my resume, but who knows.

I still have a month and a half to achieve my New Year's Goal for 2012 of finding a new job, so I'm trying to not let it wound me too badly. At least my current job affords me excellent holiday breaks for both Thanksgiving and Christmas- the latter of which will be spent in my parents' new home in another city, which will be strange. And I have people championing me all over the place, so I feel like things are bound to click into place.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'm going to end this post with a few things I'm grateful for:

-all of my family, and the opportunity to be together at Thanksgiving
-getting to meet up yesterday with my older brother Brandon for the second time ever
-my bff Patricia, who is always so supportive and encouraging of me
-my bff Kaitlin, who adopted me as her bff before we had even met in person
-my bff Elizabeth, who immediately volunteers to help in any emergency even though we no longer live in the same town
-all of the factors that made the wreck my roommate and I were in much better than it could have been
-the fact that Chica is now running around like a banshee, no longer in pain
-finally having a direction to head my life in
-a scorpion-free house for a little over a month now (thank you, cooler weather!)

I just have a lot of feelings! Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention being thankful for all of my animals, whom I'm grateful for every day- even when I come home to a brand new toilet paper roll shredded all over my room.