Do you ever feel like you’ve wasted time? Like it’s too late to do the things that you always said you were going to do when you “grew” up? You’re not alone. I’ve felt that way so many times in my life. I’ve felt like each chapter in my life takes me away from the goals that I wanted as a young adult. It’s tough because your priorities change as changes in your life happen.

When I was a little girl I loved to play in the dirt. I loved to dig and pretend I was digging up dinosaurs. I wanted to be an archaeologist. I would read many many books about archaeology and told everyone that that’s what I was going to be. Then when I got older I realized how much I loved law. I loved following rules, knowing what was right and wrong, and knowing how to win an argument if need be. I also had a love for everything French. I ended up taking 5 years of French in school and my ultimate plan was to move to anywhere in France and become a lawyer. Well life happened and I never moved to France and I never went to law school. Instead, I joined the Navy, became an air traffic controller, honorably discharged from the Navy, joined the FAA, married my husband, had 2 little girls, and resigned from the FAA to become a stay at home mom. It sounds a little depressing when you think about it, but I assure you it’s not. I felt sad and unaccomplished for awhile, but I realized that I’m not.

One thing I learned from the military life is that you have to adapt and overcome. This is with anything you may be going through. For me it was my deployments, the changes that I had to go through with my husband’s underways and deployments after I left the Navy, having to resign from the FAA because of our military transfer, not working but becoming a full-time mom (which I will keep saying is the hardest job I’ve ever had) and feeling like I lost my independence. I was actually really depressed. In the back of my mind I felt like I hadn’t accomplished anything I wanted to do and it weighed on me heavily. I had to realize that I have actually accomplished a lot. Because of the Navy :

• I have traveled to 15+ different countries,
• I met my amazing husband and we have a beautiful life together with our children,
• my education was paid for (an Associate, Bachelor, and 2 Masters degrees),
• my children’s college education is paid for,
• and I have met some amazing people throughout my journey.

I have learned that it’s never too late to accomplish the things that I truly want to do. I may not live in France but I’ve been to many places in France numerous times and I my love for all things French is still just as strong. I don’t have a Juris Doctorate…yet. I actually feared going to law school because I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it as much as I thought I would. However, I do have a Master Degree in Legal Studies. Most of my classes are the basic courses which are taught in law school and I loved it. I’m finished up my 2nd Master degree in Business Administration and I’m really contemplating applying to law school for next Fall. I kept telling myself at one point that I’d be too old to go to law school, I have kids so it’s going to be harder, and that the Navy is just going to move us again so going to law school doesn’t make sense. Well, I’m 35 years old now. During my last deployment the senior medical officer who was deployed with me decided to go to law school at age 45. I met a lady who went to law school while pregnant and became a judge many years later. Our next duty station will be a 5 year tour and hopefully our last. So, I really have no excuse. I think it’s all mental.

So, if you’re thinking of going back to school, going back to work, traveling, skydiving, whatever you’re heart desires…do it! Don’t ever think it’s too late because it’s not!!