AF Wife Lesson #12: You never know what benefits you might qualify for until you ask.

This picture pretty accurately describes my excitement level this week. Neck muscles popping, EVERY tooth showing. I've practically been bouncing around the house with butterflies in my tummy.

So what am I spazzing like a fool about?

I am an official student at the New York Institute of Photography!!!!!

But that's not all! 

I'M GOING FOR FREE!!!

So that explains the crazy face, right? Somebody pinch me!!!!!!!!! 

The whole story is that I was daydreaming out loud to Jesse about wanting to take these photography, marketing, and photoshop courses from the NYIP. Unfortunately, the business isn't making enough money yet to justify such a cost.

But the ironic thing is that now, when I'm just starting, is probably the best time to take classes... before I get busy and tell myself I "don't have time!" You can make it being a self-taught photographer, but I was craving some professional level education.

So J, smart guy that he is, reminded me to check into the scholarships available to military spouses. I tried to keep my excitement bubble small, because I was afraid that an online art school wouldn't qualify for the program. But obviously I was wrong!

I have some new Air Force acronyms for ya:

MyCAA is the military spouse career advancement accounts program.
SECO stands for spouse education and career opportunities.

Appparently MyCAA and SECO have created this scholarship program to encourage military spouses to pursue portable career fields! I had heard rumors about spouse scholarships before but I always assumed they were only for "real degrees" and I wasn't really interested in getting a bachelor's in anything. But they are intentionally trying to help us find career opportunities that can flex and move when our family has to PCS.

Like... a photography business?? YOU GOT IT.

SO here I am, just starting out on my journey to become a certified NYIP graduate! My first course is called the Complete Course in Professional Photography. 

Air Force Wife Lesson #12: you never know what benefits you might qualify for until you ask.

This is obviously going to complicate our lives a little. I'm going to have to re-evaluate my top priorities and shift some around in order to squeeze online school in! I'll have to add a few more things to the things I don't do list for this season. And my business won't be able to grow until I finish these classes I want to take. But that's fine by me!!!

So that's that. Please excuse me while I go run excited laps around my house. (just kidding, that's literally impossible with my house.) Please excuse me while I go get another hour of learning in tonight. 

I'm devouring this first unit... my nervous/excited energy has to go SOMEWHERE! ;o)