How do I say this for the 10th time?

I feel a little like the first time I went to high school.

My heart is pumping erratically. I feel little pulses of adrenaline every time I think about sitting in one of those chairs with the tiny desk built onto it, surrounded by people who, in that setting, are my peers. I've purchased one Avery Durable EZ-Turn Ring binder for each class I'm taking, printed out labels for each one, and housed them on their very own shelf of honor 'neath my great* stack of text books. I've perused the portions of my online class which are available before the beginning of the semester and become familiar with every avenue of communication the school might employ in their potential efforts to contact me.

Generally speaking, I'm a nervous wreck but the outward signs are limited to incessant fidgeting, greater than usual distraction, and a blogging spurt.

Gentle, internal reminders that anxiety won't accomplish anything havn't helped at all. My inner voice recalls speech classes or cross country moves that made me so nervous that my inner voice became my outer voice for a time, much to the amusement and horror of my patient husband and bewildered children. All of that energy was spent for naught, but my inner voice never gets to tell me that because, as soon as I start hearing it with my ears, I make it quiet down before anyone outside the immediate family hears me.

But the time has come in my life where higher education may be achieved.

So...


Here we go.



*by great, I mean huge. Not gnarly. And by gnarly I mean phat.