I’ve been waiting to spill the beans for over a month, but what with the holidays, and vacation, and the gogogo! that life can be, it’s taken me a little while to set aside time to have a heart to heart with you.
But don’t let that throw you off- I’m about to burst from the seams with excitement! Why? Because for the first time in my life, I really, really know what I want to do with my life. I’m 25 and have been out of college for almost four years. Many of my friends are well settled into their careers, and many more are struggling to pinpoint how they might want to spend the productive hours of the day. People always tell us that adolescence and high school will be hard, but I’m slowly learning that our 20s can be a real challenge, too. From picking a job, to dating around, to deciding where to live, there’s so much to figure out! It’s tempting to want to get under the covers and stay there until life has sorted itself out, and part of me used to wish someone else would make all the big decisions for me. Won’t things be better when I’m settled, and married, and know how everything works out? It was like I was waiting for “real life” to start. And where’s the fun in that? Then it hit me: this is real. There’s not necessarily an “end point” where you can sit back and know that all of the work is over. Once I accepted that, my anxiety melted away. Literally. One day I went to bed and woke up the next morning feeling calm and clear.
So, this is a long and winded way to announce that this coming Monday, I’m going back to school to get my Masters of Social Work. It was something I wanted to do in high school, when I was volunteering regularly with a nearby homeless population. It took a few different career trials (publishing, physical therapy, many restaurant gigs, temping) to figure out how passionately I want to do this. It’s going to be hard, and the coming months will be extremely busy. But I’m happy. Really and truly.
In honor of this, I wanted to share a recipe with you that is sure to make you feel cozy and warm. It’s very simple- only 5 ingredients, most of which you may already have at home. Sit back. Relax. Curl up with a good book.
I first tried Gold Milk last May when we were staying in Portland, Maine, for a week. There was a little coffee stall inside of a market collective called the Public Market House, and, like cafes do, it drew me in. It was the late afternoon, and I was waiting for B to finish work for the day. I wanted something hot and comforting, but I have a rule that I don’t drink coffee after 3 so I don’t disrupt my sleep schedule. Anyway, I saw this “gold milk” on the menu, sampled it, and fell in love. I’ve been meaning to recreate ever since, and saw a variation for it on Facebook just the other day. It’s filled with warming spices like cinnamon and cardamom, and a nice pinch of turmeric to ease inflammation. And the color! Pure gold.
CONGRATULATIONS!! I know you’ll do great at school and I can’t wait to hear more about your journey.
(And I can’t wait to see you this summer – stay tuned).
yayayayay! congrats on this exciting step! i have lots of things changing over here too…life keeps starting over and over for me haha. here’s to continuing our journey
i def need to try that gold milk! looks great and would be a great snack to have before bed warmed up.
This is so exciting Katie! I have many friends who started their careers with an MSW and it has served them well in lots of different venues – both personal and professional. Looking forward to hearing/reading more as you start down this new road and know that your friends and extended family are here if you ever need a hand. Can’t wait to try the Gold Milk!
Congrats! I’m so excited for you : )
So proud of/happy for you! Can’t wait to hear more. xo
I’m so happy for you! And this gold milk is definitely my cup of tea – yum!
congratulations!!!
CONGRATS! SO exciting!
Huge congrats to you sweet girl! It’s so gratifying to have that “ah ha” moment when you realize where you are meant to be in life. I know you’ll do great and i’m so proud of you! xoxo
Katie, we are so proud of you, and the Social Welfare world will be so much richer with you working in it. Bravo!
Congratulations, Katie! Social work sounds like a wonderful, meaningful path. If I hadn’t gone back to school for education, I definitely would have gone for an MSW. Looking forward to hearing more about school!
And I saved that gold milk recipe. Yum.
i am so, so excited for you, katie!! but you already knew that
can’t wait for you to get immersed into this totally absurd, always evolving profession. you will never be bored by any job ever again, that is a given. GET EXCITED!
SWFFL! that stands for social work friends for life. yeah. i went there.
Congrats, very exciting
I really liked what you wrote about not waiting for “real life” to start, very true and something that holds me back from living life now.
That gold milk sounds heavenly, i’m going to go make that right now!!
So so wonderful! There’s a song by Carly Simon titled “These Are The Good Old Days”, and I think that says it all. Being busy is great when you’re doing something you love, and the fact that it will be worthwhile and important work is all to the better.
Tonight, Golden Milk and Downton Abbey.
SO EXCITING!!! my sister is looking in MA programs – Hunter, NYC, etc – she is about to finish up her undergrad in SW – def if you have a second send me some info on the Touro college program – it would be right up her alley and its in a great location. SO exciting for you!
Congrats, Katie!! I think you’re right about your twenties– I definitely had some MAJOR existential angst breakdowns when I was trying to figure out who/where/what I wanted to be “as a grown up”, ha.
Oh my goodness, this is such an exciting time for you! I am so super proud of and happy for you and can’t wait to hear more as you progress towards your next career! And FYI you’re pretty much ahead of the game as studies now say a person will have 3 careers in their lifetime…you’ve already figured out 2 weren’t the right ones for you
Congrats on going back to school Katie! That’s wonderful to hear! I’m sure it will help you fulfill all the things you’ve wanted to do!
Congratulations!!! I’m 25, too, and just recently starting to settle on one direction for my career… it’s thrilling and calming all at once. I relate to this on so many levels and I wish you only the best!!!
awesome! I also just went from FT to PT in order to become a student again. I am currently taking prerequisite classes in order to apply to grad school for OT.
congrats to you on the next step! Grad school is always especially scary because it’s a lot of time and money, but it sounds like you have found what makes you excited, and that is always an amazing feeling!! Also, I have so much respect for social workers, and all of my therapists in the past have been social workers! (In addition, as you know from my snail mail- hopefully it arrived?, I was in the middle of applying for MSW programs this year!)
Anywho! Excited to hear about this next chapter! Keep us updated!
Love and hugs,
gc
that’s super exciting katie! congrats for finding a peace of mind about where your future is headed <3 best of luck! xo.
Congratulations Katie! I am happy to hear how happy YOU are. I believe that our paths in life form with a purpose and we have to trust that. You are just following yours, and that is beautiful.
Congratulations, Katie! As I’m nearing the end of the 20s decade, I can say that you’re spot on with your analysis. It is always throws us for a loop! Three cheers for you sticking to a path that makes you happy. You are warm & compassionate, and I have no doubt this is the right fit for you!
Oops. Should have read: It also throws us for a loop! (Haven’t had coffee yet….