Mom Mode Activated

My mom has a photo of me in daycare, dressed as a veterinarian for Halloween. From ages three to twenty-one, that was my answer to the classic “What do you want to be when you grow up?” question. I took every chance to chase this dream—volunteering at animal shelters, shadowing local vets, and even interning at an animal sanctuary in Australia during my junior year of college. So, when I applied to vet school my senior year and got an interview, I was thrilled.

Driving to College Station that day, my stomach was in knots. I had never really thought about a backup plan, even though I joked that I might become a NASCAR driver. The vet school interview turned out to be the most nerve-wracking experience I’d ever faced. Although I usually get anxious meeting new people, this was on another level. As soon as I got back to my truck, I broke down. I felt I hadn’t done my best, and the panic of “What now?” rushed in. With graduation just two months away, I wasn’t sure what my plans after college looked like. My boyfriend—now husband—and family were supportive, but doubts began to creep in. Would I keep trying if I didn’t get in? Should I finish my chemistry minor and choose a different path? The uncertainty consumed me.

After weeks of soul-searching and family talks, I realized that while I loved the veterinary field, my excitement had faded. The thought of four more years of school, living away from my boyfriend, and the tough nature of vet school no longer appealed to me. I was ready to start working. One day, during a conversation with my dad, he suggested I explore property management. Through some connections, I landed an interview for a property administrator job in downtown Austin. I was offered the position and quickly grew fond of the role. My passion for organization, helping others, and being part of a team made it a great fit.

However, after nine months of an hour-long commute, battling traffic, and facing slow days, my initial excitement faded. I realized I needed a job that wouldn’t require a commute, but still let me use my administrative skills while adding some creativity to my daily routine. I began to consider teaching—a significant shift for me, given that I had promised myself never to enter education after watching my mom’s challenging 20-year career in the field. I had seen her work long hours and pour herself into her job, often leading to burnout. Despite this, I felt drawn to the idea of using my admin skills creatively while working with students.

I decided to pursue an education degree, focusing on early elementary education. While continuing my property admin job, I enrolled in an online program. I completed my coursework just in time to apply for jobs before the 2020 school year. After several interviews, I accepted a position as a first-grade teacher.

I could write a book on my teaching experiences, but I’ll save that for another post. For now, I’ll summarize and avoid going down that rabbit hole.

I was thrown into the classroom with only the theories I learned from my online classes, starting my teaching career from home due to COVID-19. I was incredibly nervous, needing to figure out classroom management, develop my teaching style, and build relationships with students over Zoom. Despite the challenges, I survived and continued to adapt, moved back into a physical classroom, all while planning a wedding and finishing my degree online. Thankfully, I had a supportive team to guide me.

The second year began with the surprise of finding out I was pregnant just before school started. I faced yet another unusual year of teaching, managing a classroom of 19 first graders who were still mastering how to tie their shoes, while I could barely tie my own. This group taught me so much personally and professionally. The pregnancy hormones and exhaustion made it tough, and I started my maternity leave at the end of March, not returning until the next school year.

Motherhood has been the most challenging and rewarding experience of my life. I fell in love with our baby girl, cherishing the four months I spent with her before returning to work. The thought of leaving her with strangers filled me with anxiety. I cried in the weeks leading up to the school year and even started her in daycare early to ease both of our transitions. Thankfully, her daycare was just across the street from my school, which proved invaluable as I juggled teaching and motherhood during my third year. That year was filled with forgetfulness and challenges, from leaving my pump at home to having to leave mid-day to pick up our sick baby. Balancing my roles as a wife, mother, and teacher felt overwhelming at times, and I often felt like I was failing at one of them. Turns out part of my struggles were undiagnosed ADHD – a story time for another post.

Then, my husband received a job offer as a ranch manager that would allow me to stay home with our daughter. The first six months were tough as I wrapped up the school year, he transitioned into his new role, and we found out I was pregnant with our son. We began to pack our home for the big move when his employer started showing some true colors that we weren’t really vibing with. I’ve always been a big believer in the quote “if God will lead you to it, He will lead you through it”, and boy He led us right on out of there. I won’t delve into that situation, but it ultimately led us to a place of unemployment together. While it was a challenging time, we believe it was part of God’s larger plan. Cooper found contract work with a family friend until he secured a more permanent position, which turned out to be a blessing. It pushed him out of his comfort zone from physical labor into a desk job—something he would never have pursued on his own had we not been in a desperate situation. Now, over a year later, we’re grateful for that experience and what it taught us.

I’m so proud of him for navigating this transition and taking a leap into something new. He loves his job, and I’m incredibly grateful that it allows me to continue to stay home with our two beautiful children. After two years at home, I can confidently say this is the best job I’ve ever had. Looking back, I see that all my previous roles were stepping stones that taught me invaluable lessons for motherhood. I truly believe I’m exactly where I’m meant to be, raising my kids to be wonderful human beings. 

Sometimes life has an unexpected way of placing you exactly where you needed to be. Is your career path what you thought it would be growing up?