Looking Forward with Ian

I've had a lot (a lot) of people ask me recently whether Ian and I are engaged or planning anything special soon. Because I love blogging, today I'm combining two of my favorite things (and people?) in order to set the record straight. Please know in advance that this isn't meant to look like a Jon & Kate Plus 8 interview, fielding thousands of questions and displaying the answers in a showy way; it's just my way of organizing the few questions I repeatedly receive. Feel free to tune me out as I more or less think out loud :)

Are you and Ian engaged yet?!

Nope! In three days, I'll have just over one-third of my M.Ed. program complete. Because I am in a CACREP-accredited program, it's not especially flexible. I still need 36 more classroom credit hours, 100 hours of practicum experience, and 600 hours of internship experience before I will be a "Master." The plan is to accomplish all of this by May of 2014, if all goes swimmingly. Ian begins medical school at VCU in August, and he'll be in school for the next four years. Then he'll have 2-3 years of residency, depending upon where he completes it. He's always been very interested in pediatrics, though things could change as he delves deeper into the program and he discovers new interests. As you can see, we have a great deal of school in our future(s). We also agree wholeheartedly that planning a wedding from two different cities isn't ideal for us.

Do you have any immediate plans for taking the "next step?"

Guess you'll have to keep reading Girl Emerging to find out! ;)

Are you living together this summer?

Nope! We'll be spending as much time together as possible this summer, but we're not shackin' up. I have my own apartment, which I plan to live in during the next two academic years. Ian has his own apartment in Richmond, and he will have a roommate. I have pretty strong beliefs about not living with Ian before we are married, or at least not before we are engaged. Besides, since we're both taking classes this summer with brief respites in July, neither of us currently has much of an income. I begin work June 25th for 7 short weeks -- huzzah for money!

Have you thought about kids?
Have I thought about them? Of course. Kids. That's a thought, right? But in all seriousness, children aren't even on the radar yet. I still have to figure out what I'm having for dinner tonight...

Thanks for stickin' around and reading what goes on in the World of A.K. and this crazy brain of mine! :) As is my style, I'll keep you posted (mostly) on the good, the bad, and the ugly.