Intangible Plans.

No official move date as of yet. Did I mention how much there is to do once we have a set date? Did I mention how much I really, really need to know when we're moving in order to ensure we have a place to live after the move? Right now, there's an ominous cloud of stress floating above my head. It's still a good distance above me, but with each day that passes it gets closer, and one day I'll be shrouded in moving stress.

I am applying to graduate school, but not in the way you would think. It'll be as a non-degree seeking student, and I am looking to take between one and four classes over the spring and summer terms (dependent on what's available). I will definitely look into taking that one extra course and see if I could change my degree to Molecular Biology. The only class I absolutely need to take is statistics, and I need it in my repertoire to apply for the Clinical Laboratory Sciences (CLS) program at Texas Tech.

Some of you may recognize Texas Tech - that's because H.'s dad (my favorite father-in-law) is currently in their med school program. The CLS program I'm interested in is nothing like medical school. Instead, after completing the one year program I would take a certification test and then become a certified medical technologist (also known as a clinical lab scientist, very interchangeable terms that were confusing at first, but now I've got the hang of it). That means I get to work in the basement of a hospital. Yay! The CLS program is the only one in Texas that you can complete online. Well, most of it is online. There is a condition that I be present for six days each of the first two semesters to complete a lab exam. After those two semesters, I would start a preceptorship at an affiliated hospital where I would work under the guidance of the hospital staff. There are three hospitals in the Dallas area that I could work with, which is exciting news. I'm kind of tired of all this moving already.

So there you have it. The only snag in my plan is that non-degree students do not qualify for financial aid. I'm worried about how much it will cost to accomplish all of this, but H. is very supportive and assures me that we can make it work. I won't lie and say I'm not nervous, but I will say the excitement of it all eases my nerves quite a bit.