Another New Journey

Last night I went to my first class at the local tech college. I enrolled in the Cosmetology program. It's something I had been contemplating doing for a very long time...even before esthetics.
 My mother graduated from cosmetology school back in 1972 (at Marinello School of Beauty in Hollywood, CA). Some of my earliest memories were of her perming my great-grandmother's hair and giving a manicure or a haircut to someone in our living room in our tiny apartment in Los Angeles, CA. She even worked briefly in a salon in Beverly Hills. She gave that career up to start attending College going on to earn a B.A. in English.
I've always had a strong rebellious streak when it came to being like my mother. If she did something, I had to do it differently. I'm not proud of this part of my psyche. I've come to realize that is ridiculous; I guess you can say I've matured my way past such silly ways. Rebellion only brings contention and heart ache.
Back in the day, I was very attracted to the beauty industry but since my mom had been a part of it I distanced myself from it.
Choosing esthetics was a way of moving past my rebellion and finally embracing that part of my mom and myself. I love being an esthetician. As I had said before, I finally feel I found my niche in the working world. Yet, cosmetology continued to tug at me. Also, esthetics is proving to be less financially supportive than I had anticipated. I witness day after day in the salon I work, Ogden Organix,  people coming in for haircuts, color, extensions and such and perhaps 1 in 20 will request one of the services I offer in esthetic treatments.
Some may see this move towards cosmetology as a financial choice I am making, others may see it as humbling myself and following my mother, perhaps some may see this as a natural progression in the field I had already chosen. All I can say is, all three are correct.
I applied for a pell grant last week. A few days after applying, I received an email saying I had been approved and the next step was to contact the school's financial aid office. The grant hasn't arrived yet to the school, yet classes began yesterday. I wouldn't be allowed to begin classes until the first month of tuition had been paid. A kind person who has only gotten to know me for the last 6 months (we met a year ago) offered to loan me the amount to pay the tuition. I was floored by the offer. Her generosity and trust is much appreciated and valued in my heart.
Her response to my thanks, "I know you'll do well."
Wow.
Even up until the night before I enrolled, I was nervous and afraid I wasn't making the right choice. I have been so stressed lately about money. I thought maybe this was the wrong decision. I was allowing fear to rule me. The night before school began, I sat down with my husband and wrote out some goals we would like to achieve this year. Then he gave a humble prayer asking Father in Heaven for guidance and peace.
The next morning, I woke feeling a sense of clarity, YES, I needed to go to school. YES, I should go enroll that day. YES, I needed to take that leap of faith. YES!!! The fear was gone.
In Utah, the cosmetology program requires 2,000 hours of schooling to become licensed. I am happy to say, 600 of my esthetics hours are transferable to the cosmetology program. So on my first night there, I am already a little more than a quarter of the way done. Yay!
Our fantastic lead stylist, Jenna, at Ogden Organix has taken me under her wing. Since announcing my intent to go to cosmetology school, Jenna has been teaching me things around the salon, like how to wash hair, how to apply an all-over-color, and how to clean implements and such. She also has stated that I will do well. Thank you Jenna!
There are 9 other students in my basics class. They all seem quite lovely. I look forward to getting to know them all. Again, I am the oldest one there. Although, one is only a year younger and another only two.
In mid-March, we will be allowed to begin cutting hair on our friends and family at the school. We will be expected to cut the hair of only friends and family for a month and then we will be released to work on the general public in the school's salon! That's in 2 1/2 months from now! Am I excited? Uh, absolutely.
Thank you to everyone who has been and I'm sure will continue to be supportive through out this new journey. I place my faith in Heavenly Father and I will do my part.
I am happily looking forward to it all.