Career change

I've been trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.   I'm in my almost mid-30's and I think I finally got it.

It's been a long journey:  in college I thought I wanted to do nursing.  That didn't pan out, so I ended up getting my teaching license.  While I like teaching, I don't LOVE it and I never got around to getting a masters in it.  Even after I moved states and discovered that I HAD to take additional classes to keep my license, I didn't.   I just didn't know if I wanted to go back and get a masters degree in something I wasn't sure I wanted to stay in permanently.

For awhile I thought I wanted to do nursing again, but I think I like the idea of wearing scrubs all day as opposed to actually working as a nurse.  The long hours, sticking people for IV's and shots, and the gross body fluids just aren't my thing.  So then I started contemplating going for my masters in Occupational Therapy.  I think if I had discovered this career back when I was first in college, it would have rocked it.  However, while the career sounds really interesting and fun, I have next to no classes in sciences and the prereqs for an OT degree have a bunch of science and math courses.  Ug.

Recently I started looking at how to get into a program that has full funding.  A high school friend of mine is now an oceanographer in New Orleans after getting a full ride at Oregon State.  However, most of the programs are science or math related and pretty much all of them are PhD.  I started looking around and thought hard about Counseling Psychology.  Unfortunately, the deadline to apply was today and I discovered this fact 2 weeks ago......Not near enough time to get all my crap in.

My husband has really been pushing me to look at gaining a masters in Social Work.  Hmmmm.  I won't get rich doing social work, but it is something I have thought about for a long time.  I remember way back when I was in college, I went to see the advisor in the school of social work.  I was struggling in college because I just didn't know what route to take and I thought that if I could switch majors I would be able to turn it around.  The douche-bag of an advisor, however, was very quick to point out that I was struggling and pretty much told me that I would never be good enough to enter the School of Social Work.  She wouldn't even let me explain myself.  I was in her office less than 5 minutes.

Bitch.

I went on, might I add, to gain a degree in Education and I got high honors.  So yes, I was able to turn my shit around.

I just think that this may be my calling.  I don't really want to work in Child services though.  I think if I saw abused children I would not be able to leave it at work.  It would eat at me.  That part freaks me out.  I think I'd like to work in a hospital setting perhaps, discharge planner?  Eventually go back after 2 years and get my Licensed Clinical Social Worker and do mental health with the VA.

It's a scary thought, going back to school.   I'm not sure the Hubs fully understands how much our life would change.  I'd be gone during the day at class and nighttime would be studying at the kitchen table (or a library, or Sbux, etc).  He'd have to step up and do more housework and he'd definitely have more time with the kids.  I'm scared.  What if I suck?  What if i regret going back because my kids miss me and I miss them?

I'm not getting any younger though and I think if I don't get on it and apply soon, then I'll just have to hang up the idea of going back to school.