Hey peeps! It’s been a while… I feel like a million things have happened in the past two or three months, and I’m finally getting a moment to catch my breath.

I took a promotion at work last month… I’ve been trying to keep up with homework (I’m finishing my second-to-last semester of grad school next week! Praise the Lord!)… and add in the normal “life” stuff, the craziness and stress from coronavirus and this year’s election, and you could say it’s been a little busy. Sometimes I feel like I have a NEVER-ending to-do list, but I suppose that’s a good thing. It keeps me going, and I prefer to be busy! 😅

I wanted to pop on here just to jot down some thoughts and feelings about this season of life as it’s coming to a close…

A little over two years ago, I was so anxious about the future. I was just out of college, trying to find a full-time job, not really knowing what I wanted to do or be… and now here we are two years later. I wouldn’t say those feelings have completely gone away, but I don’t have the same level of anxiety about it all.

During the summer of 2018, I was buying frames for my bachelor and associates degrees, and I remember going ahead and buying an extra frame because I said I wanted to get my MBA, and (in true DKD fashion) I wanted all the frames to match. I pulled out that extra frame this past week and realized I’d have the “piece of paper” to put in it in just a few short months. It’s hard to believe how fast and how slow time can be all at once. It feels like we’ve still got a ways to go, but I can’t believe that my friends and I are this close to the finish line. I’m so thankful for getting to be a part of this program. I’ve made some really great friendships that I hope will last far past graduation, and I’ve learned skills and tactics that I know will come in handy.

I may complain about the homework and the assignments (especially regarding our finance class), but deep down I’m really going to miss being in school once it’s over. Everyone’s been asking what I’m planning to do with this new degree, and to be honest, I don’t know where I’ll end up.

Part of my motivation for getting it was so that I’d be a little more prepared to teach at the college level one day. That’s where I’ve pictured myself being for quite a while, but I think it’ll be a few more years before I’m fully ready for that season. I need to get some more experience in the business world before I move into education. No one wants a teacher who just reads out of a textbook. Real world experiences are what make the classes, in my opinion. And who knows… I may end up being Dr. Duke in the future. 😆

But in the here and now, I’m preparing to move into a new position as “Director of Growth” at my current company, which I know is a good move in the long run. And I’m praying for a smooth transition.

I’m not a big fan of change, and I know that 2021 is going to be full of it: new job, end of school for the foreseeable future, (hopefully a house of my own 🤞🤞)… lots of changes – all good – but still a lot of change, so I’m praying for peace and for direction through it all. I’ve always believed that things happen for a reason, doors open and close when the timing is right, and we all end up where we supposed to be (even if it sometimes feels like we’re never going to reach “wherever” that is.)

But today, I decorated my Christmas tree, and this week is Thanksgiving and there’s SOOOOO much to be thankful for. So, for now I’m going to [try] to focus on the good in the here and now and to loosen my grip on the future and take things as they come because that’s all we can do.

If you read all that, bless you. 😂 Hopefully when 26- or 30- or 80- year old Dylan looks back and reads this, he’ll say it all worked out just like it was supposed to… and he’ll smile at how good that Christmas tree looked! 😆

Have a great day peeps, and keep on keeping on!