25 till 25.

Photo credit: Instagram 

My countdown app on my phone reminded me today that it's 25 days till 25. Ugh. 

My birthday hasn't traditionally been a big deal. My birthday falls near the end of the month in the summer, and growing up, with one parent as a teacher, we just didn't have a lot of money, so sometimes, it was overlooked. 

As I got older, I tried to emphasize my birthday for myself, and it has haphazardly worked. I'm lucky that I have been surrounded by a good group of friends that have sent me flowers, texts, and Instagram shoutouts to remind me how much they love me. 

This year, though, I am setting my birthday hopes high. I turn 25, which for me, equates to a quarter life crisis. A quarter of my life - 1/4, .25, 25% - is over. For me, this is a powerful moment. 

The images I had in my head of 25 don't match what I am experiencing right now, and I am having a hard time letting go of the ideal that I grew up working to obtain. Does that mean that those things aren't ever going to happen for me? Of course not, I know that logically - I know that there is so much time to have a family and get married and be responsible for the rest of my life, but I am still very much struggling with it. 

So, in order to bring in 25 the right way, I am taking the month of August - creating a birthday month dedicated to my birth and me conquering 25. Every week and weekend will come with a fun activity or time spent doing something that I want. I deserve for 25 to be wonderful and happy and filled with love. August, get ready - you have so much in store! 

Here's to 25 in 25...

I love crime and children.

Tuesday, stop being Monday and put your terrific face on! It's only a three day work week - I am having a procedure done on Friday, so we aren't counting Friday. 

I can't believe it's here - essentially, the end of school and EOGs. Everything after this is end of year reading testing, packing up my classroom (I am moving back to the mobile units), and enjoying the last few moments with this class that I have loved so much! 

This week is going to be a whirlwind - I have an interview today. My parents are coming in and I am moving this weekend - all things that I am excited about! This interview is my last attempt to leave my current situation. If I don't get offered the job, I am destined to stay at my school one more year, unless I can enroll myself in school full time over the summer, which is another fantastic idea! 

In life, you aren't destined to have the same career or job for forever. Life does not work that way. People love more than one thing, but how do you decide when it is time to move on? How do you decide when to stop pursuing one set of interests for another, especially when they are so vastly different? 

I love children and crime equally. Yes, you read that right - children and crime. I love educating children, but I also love trans-continental crime (the appropriate word for large criminal organizations.) After watching Narco Cultura on Netflix yesterday, my first instinct was to find a university who could bankroll my research into these organizations. That, however, would mean leaving behind teaching in the classroom, at least for a handful of years, to get the appropriate degrees and such. Then, I'm back at square one - which interests do I pursue and for how long? 

Who knew choosing between your passions would be so difficult? Who knew it was such a crime to love two things equally? 

So here's to loving children and crime. Here's to a job interview, and here's to trying to figure out what I am going to do with my life.

Photo Credit: Google Images