There are those days when I think I am getting ahead…really making progress. I went through all of this change because, in part, I believed that if you do what you are passionate about, your life will make itself. This week, I was offered a new position doing something that I am quite excited about. It is the kind of job that makes me feel like the entire struggle was worth it. It has some excellent perks like travel and personal growth potential. It will certainly help me in my role as a single dad as well.
The job is the Director of Community Development. I will be focusing on the entire life cycle of intended parents who are growing their families through gestational surrogacy. Important work. Meaningful work. I can’t wait to get started. (Isn’t that how you should feel about your job?) This is all good, right?
Then, I started to get hit with the reality of my financial situation. My student loans are due. Lots of them. I left the big corporate job (and the big corporate salary) to become a social worker. Three years of graduate school and lots of loans. Granted, this new position will help, but I am a single dad raising two kids in a very affluent community. While I love my community, I live here primarily because my ex owns a home here. I tried to live in another community and it was hellish. Commuting back and forth to school and at night meant the kids lived in the car. I felt like my home was the second home to his primary home. He had the school community, the play dates, the contacts. I needed to be on even footing. Not to compete with him, but to be able to be part of the process.
While I know I could get much more for my money if I chose a different community, having my children connected to their lives when they are with me and thanking me for being able to make their lives happen (yes….they actually thanked me!) is worth the struggle. So, as all the student loans become due, I will consolidate and refinance them…and plan a movie night and sleepover for the tween set this weekend.
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Not to put more on your plate but any type of teaching, even part time usually erases student loan debt. Look into it.
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