How I got to this Point

Hi, if anyone is reading my blogs, and I know my lovely Kaitlyn is, then you may be interested in me. How I got to where I am. Well, in order to let you know how I got here, I must let you know where I am currently. At the time in the present, it is 2 a.m., I am sitting at my fiance's father's house watching t.v. More importantly, I am on christmas break from college. I attend East Carolina University and am a senior. Though I am not the typical senior. I am graduating a year earlier than I should and by the timeline of most students at ECU, a good 4-5 years earlier (party school).

However, that I am graduating in three years is not why I am not the typical senior. I am 24 years old and a veteran of the Marine Corps. I was discharged, honorably, in April of 2006 and began work at Sonic Drive-In in Reidsville. The job looked promising but not what I really wanted. I didn't have any formal training so I took the job as a cook and also enrolled at the Community College too. After one month at Sonic, I was promoted to Assistant Manager. It took a lot of time and patience because managing wasn't as easy as I thought it was. Most weeks, I spent 70-80 hours working there, some not even on the clock. After nearly a year there and only one summer session (7 hours), I decided to go to school.

I applied to ECU with my last $40 and then applied for federal aid. I only received $11,000 for the whole year, which is generous, but not nearly enough to survive on healthily considering most people could receive up to $16,000 and then some based on their family's well-being. Luckily, I met my future bride nearly a month into the first semester and she and her mother assisted me. They let me come home to their place and eat their food. Needless to say, I ate well considering I gained nearly 70 pounds.

So during my first 2 years at school I have gone to all summer sessions and I actually received some credit hours from the Marine Corps training which is attributable to my early graduation.

For those who don't know how credit hours work, here it is. Most Majors require a credit hour goal for example, mine is 126 (Political Science). These hours are accumulated over your time there at school. Each semester you can take up to 18 hours, 12 being full time. The hours are based on how long you are in class each week. For example I have American Foreign Policy this semester coming up and I have it on Monday Wednesday and Friday for an hour. The school has categories you must fill up too.

Ok so now that is my college history. For the future, I have been accepted to Campbell School of Law and I am waiting on my response from UNC, my first choice.

But, let's go way back. I was born the first of three on my mother's side and her only son but the 4 of my dad's, his third. He had 6 all together by 3 woman, one Japanese when he was stationed in Japan with the Air Force. My parents divorced when I was about 5 and my mom left with a Mexican man who became my step father, regrettably. He was horrible to me, not physically but emotionally. He put me down and so I stayed in my room most of the time. This happened until I was around 17 when I got fed up and moved in with my dad fulltime. Life there was different. Even though I spent every weekend there during my childhood, living there during the weed days was a definate change. He slept days and worked nights so I was pretty much on my own and yes, I did do some bad things like smoke pot, but thankfully I quit, eventually.

My family was not the best off financially. My father was a loom mechanic at a textile factory and my mother held jobs off and on. Her husband was a landscaper and eventually owned his own business. This meant that I had no money for college. So the Marine Corps was calling my name.

I spent 2 years and 6 horrible months in the military. It wasn't so bad socially, it's just that I have always been overweight and after bootcamp, I gained it back. That is why it was so horrible. The seniority members of the service seemed to have a prejudice toward me because of my weight and I found my way out.

That's my story up til now, the abridged version. I am to be wed in May of this year to my love and life and law school in August. Our honey moon is going to be in Disney World. This will be the first time to Disney since I went with the school in 7th grade and the 2nd time all together.