My first classes here at Goucher..What does it all mean?

Well...
Classes are wrapping up now.. Two ending, two more starting.. As I sit here, debating what to write, my mind instantly wanders to the maze parable Rory gave us in the beginning week.. I remember him walking around the maze on campus.. talking about how this program is going to be different for all of us, yet none of us can predict how it will end up.. how all we need to do is take the first step.. Well, I feel like that first step has been taken.

Since I left Goucher's campus on the 11th of August, my life has been a whirlwind. I could not have predicted how much I would learn, nor how much my life would be turned upside down. It started the night I got home from Baltimore and found out I'm pregnant..! My husband and I have been trying for a couple years now, and although we were both ecstatic, I couldn't help but laugh at the irony.... Seriously? Now???... Now that I just started my Masters??? Now that I have a job that I actually enjoy, and I'm volunteering at this place that I love??? Well, I guess sometimes the plans we make for ourselves don't always match up to the plans set out for us.. :)

So push ahead a few weeks, and quite a few "vomit breaks" and exhaustion spells later.. My life is still crazy, but I feel like I have made some progress. In just a few assignments, I have already learned more about this city I live in, than I have in the past year and a half of living here. While I haven't had the opportunities to get in as much scholarly research as I would have hoped to by now, the research I have done has set me up for nothing but success. I am truly starting to get a feel for the research which already exists regarding museums and community engagement (although there is TONS out there!!).. As I engage in scholarly debate with my classmates on Blackboard, I truly feel that I have the complete support of a true community behind me. Although this path may be different for all of us, we are all united in this great quest... and I can feel that every time I log in.


 Although I am not sure what discoveries the next classes bring, I am confident that they will guide me in my goals and dreams. I am anxious to do some more research involving the community events and projects already in place. As I try to figure out where my projects fit in, I am comforted in knowing that my intentions are good and my heart is in the right place. If I genuinely engage in my community, without any expectations, there is no doubt that I will be rewarded. As I adjust my schedule and my future plans to fit my changing life, I am confident that my project will serve me well. Although I cannot predict that next step, I know that in the end, my path will have been beautiful.