Halfway there!

One of the things that I am most proud of this fall is how much work I have completed on my Masters degree.

I've always known that I would earn my masters, as a teacher it's practically a requirement. I looked into several online programs and chose Western Governors University because it made the most sense to me. I could work at my own pace, do as many classes as I wanted in a term, and it was a very reasonable price.

I started in July and I am already over 50% of the way towards my masters. I've decided to take December off to enjoy Christmas and all of the fun surrounding it but I'm so motivated to get right back on track in January.

My degree is in Curriculum and Instruction and it's totally opened my eyes about what I am doing in the classroom. I truly feel like I'm thinking more about what I'm doing and how it is impacting my students. I want to always be doing things that will help them to be their best so it's great to be working towards a degree that I can apple in my classroom every day.

My goal is to be finished before June 30th so that I don't have to do another term (and pay another term's tuition). It is a lofty goal and it will take me really focusing but I keep reminding myself that once I'm done, I'm done forever...and that is pretty awesome.

I keep telling myself it will be pretty crazy to have so much free time next year, what will I do after this summer when I don't have grad school or a wedding to plan? I guess I'll need a new hobby!

If anyone out there is looking for a Masters degree, or even an undergraduate degree, I can't recommend WGU enough.

*I'm not paid or given anything to write this, I just wanted to share my experience and how happy I am with my program 

what i'm hoping for in 2014.

As much as I feel like New Year's Resolutions are cliche, I still love the idea of making them every year and working hard to achieve them.

*Be intentional with my quiet time and journaling every day. I have read my Bible more this year than the other 23 years of my life combined and I love the changes that I see. My relationship with the Lord is growing every day and I want to stay on this track. There is so much to read and so much more to learn about Jesus and this year I want to continue that relationship with him and really dive into the bible.

*Make my health a priority. I have a gym membership, I need to use it. I know how to eat healthy, I need to actually eat that way. I have gone a couple months with eating lots of junk and not working out and now I need to get back in shape because I have a lot o big things coming up this year. I am a maid of honor in a wedding this summer and I want to be in perfect shape for that event. Not to mention the bachelorette party in Vegas for that wedding in April. If a weekend surrounded by 8 girls who are in perfect shape in shorts and bikini isn't motivation, I don't know what is.

*Further my education. Even though I just graduated with my Bachelor's last year, I am planning on starting my masters this year. Depending on my summer plans, I might start in June to get a few solid months complete before I get back to school. I know that it's going to be a lot of work but the feeling of accomplishment (and raise) makes it worth it. Plus, I would rather do it now before I have kids and other distractions.

*Go on a trip with my boyfriend. We have been together for over 4 years but since we were in college and then broke after college, we still haven't gone on a real vacation together. I think that is something we definitely need to accomplish this year.

That's what I will stick with for now. There are so many other, smaller, goals that I could add but then this list would go on forever.

Happy 2014!