As I write this, the temperature outside is climbing to the expected 98 degrees for the day. We have experienced a heat wave these last couple of weeks that has broken records all over the country.

But, that hasn’t stopped us from enjoying the summertime and spending a ton of time in the sun. We have been enjoying pool days at the Cassville Aquatic Center, picnics and swimming at the Eagle Rock Park, ice cream at Whitley’s, and walking the Cassville square shopping and taking little breaks from office life.

While we are enjoying all the summertime activities we can think of, school and education haven’t left the forefront of our minds.

I am already planning shopping trips for school supplies, new clothes and shoes, a new hair cut for our 8-year-old as she heads into her third-grade year.

I still cry on the first day of school, because it is strange getting to spend almost every day together in the summer, then suddenly, the office is quiet and clean, even if I do appreciate the latter.

This summer we are celebrating a different educational success and milestone in our house, as I have officially graduated with my bachelor’s degree in general psychology.

My last day of classes was June 16, and just a couple of days ago, I finally got the email that my degree is on its way. I do have the option to walk in a commencement ceremony, but it would be in September, and we would have to travel to Minnesota, as I have been attending college online. So, I doubt we will make that trip.

When I submitted my last assignment, I couldn’t help but feel my eyes start to sting. I am a first-generation college student. I was a first-generation high school graduate as well.

As I have said before, I started this journey when my 8-year-old was just a couple of months old. I began with a traditional in person college experience, completing two semesters that way.

I ultimately realized as a working mom that committing the time to education was not possible at that juncture of my life. So, I took the next 4 years off from school.

In January 2020, I started again, but this time through an online campus that had a focus on the lifestyle of a working adult. In January 2021, I failed my first class. I was pregnant and having a rough go of it, so I decided to take the next year off.

When I came back, we were dealing with my baby’s heart condition. But, I really didn’t want to put my education off any longer. I was actually writing a paper for an assignment while we were in the waiting room during our then-8-month-old’s open-heart surgery.

From beginning to end, it has taken me more than seven years to earn my bachelor’s degree – and I couldn’t be prouder of myself.

I have accomplished so much in those years. I have a wonderful husband and children, a business, and now a degree.

I say all of this because I have found myself slightly diminishing the major milestone I have just completed. I know it is a wonderful accomplishment, but in my head, I know what more I still aim to accomplish.

I am taking the next year or so off to focus on our business and give myself a little break. But, I will be starting this process all over again before I know it, taking aim at a master’s this time.

I might not have to go on a school supply shopping trip, and I guess I don’t need any new outfits or shoes for online college (but we aren’t telling Kyle that part).

But, I will, not so metaphorically, be packing my backpack and having a first day of school as a graduate student earning my master’s degree in the specialized field of Marriage and Family Therapy.

This journey will include internships, residency programs and take me through a part of my licensing requirements. Once I graduate for the third time, I will then have to complete my licensing requirements.

After a number of years yet to be determined, I intend be Jordan Troutman, MS, LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist), business owner and office manager, journalist and mother of dragons.

Maybe we’ve been watching too much Game of Thrones, but I kind of like the sound of that.

TroutMom says, take breaks if you need to, and live your life at your own pace, but don’t forget to celebrate the milestones and successes along the way.

Jordan Troutman is an Owner and General Manager of the Cassville Democrat, a wife, a mother of two daughters, and a graduate of Capella University with a Bachelor’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. She may be reached at jtroutman@cassville-democrat.com.