There are moments when an idea stops being an idea and starts becoming a real plan.

A little while ago, I was talking about going back to school. I was excited, nervous, curious, and probably overthinking absolutely everything, because of course I was. At that point, though, it still felt like something I was considering. Something I might do.

Now, the school deposit is paid, we have a campground booked, and I start in January.

Every time I say that out loud, my brain responds with approximately the same thing: holy crap.

This is happening.

There are still details being worked out—dates, schedules, logistics, all the little pieces that come with making a big life change—but the biggest decision has already been made.

I’m going back to school.

And honestly, I think the timing matters.

There is something interesting about reaching a point in life where you realize you are not done becoming who you are. You can build a life, change directions, learn something new, want something different, and still appreciate everything that came before it.

For a long time, I think we’re taught to picture life as a fairly straight line. You go to school, choose a career, build a life, and then just keep doing whatever you decided somewhere around age 20.

Except that isn’t how life actually works for a lot of us.

Especially for women in our 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond, there can be whole chapters we haven’t written yet. That doesn’t mean the earlier chapters were wrong. It simply means the story isn’t finished.

Apparently, mine now includes school again.

I have no idea exactly where all of this will lead. I have ideas, of course. If you know me, you know I always have ideas. But I’m trying not to get ten chapters ahead of myself.

Right now, I’m just letting myself enjoy the fact that something I was nervous to even say out loud has become real enough that we have a place to stay, a deposit paid, and January circled on the calendar.

That feels big. A little scary. Very exciting.

And honestly, exactly the kind of thing I hoped this next chapter of my life would look like.

So yes, I’m going back to school in January.

Apparently, I’m really doing this.

Holy crap!