To interview or not to interview …

That's my question now. As I said in the last post, I'm getting my M.A. after finishing with my undergrad. I'd like to get all the experience in education I can before that happens. So I'm busy applying madly to any and all school districts that are a reasonable distance from where I live.

However, this week I have two interviews to go to for communications positions. Should I go to them even though I know I don't want to take those jobs anymore? Even though I know I would quit them if something in the education field came along? I don't think so, but I don't know if that's right. A lot of times I act on gut instinct and my gut is telling me I might regret not going. But this is the same gut that changes its mind all the time and my mind is made up. There is no changing the path from here. I'm doing education.

Why the sudden set path? Why the freak out over never getting hired as a marketer or PR gal? Number one: I'm getting married very soon. Number two: We're probably buying a house (pending owner approval) very shortly after that wedding.

Oh. Sweet. Jesus.

I'm only 21! The marriage thing is fine. We've been together for 3.5 years and getting married is really just showing our families that we're committed to each other. We're legalizing our togetherness.

But the house. The house is freaking me out. The weight of a $1300 mortgage begins to feel very heavy on my shoulders. We sat down and made a budget of what life looks like until I get a job where I make over $6,000 a year and it looks terrible. We bring in about 4k a month. About a third of that goes to the mortgage. Then we budgeted for utilities, food and savings. What's left over is $200 a month for the two of us to entertain ourselves. Oh yeah, that's with a $300 food budget, which breaks to down to $10 a day for the two of us. I need to start clipping coupons. Ugh.

So this is why I'm deciding on a path that gets me to a career that is almost guaranteed. Teachers are needed. Teachers (combined with my fiancee's salary) make a good salary. Teachers get 2 months off a year. Before I was looking for a job that made me completely happy. Now I'm looking for one that would make me happy most of the time and offer some nice perks (summer vacation anyone?)

So, to interview or not to interview. That's now the question.