One Mile In My Shoes

I want to paint an accurate picture of what it’s like to be a single, working mother, full-time student, and Navy Reservist. This is what my week looks like.

Monday through Friday I wake up at 6 a.m. and get ready for the day. My son, Aiden, wakes up at 7 a.m. and I get him ready for school. I him off at 8:10 and then head to campus.

I’m on campus from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesday and Thursday I get out of class at 11 a.m. and head to the gym for an hour or so. I get home a little after 1, every day of the week, where I have lunch and get ready for work.

I work five days a week from 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. My days off rotate so I have weekends off about every five months or so. I pick my son up from my mom’s house after I get off work. He’s almost always asleep when I get there as he is only three years-old. I take him home and lay him in bed. At this point it’s about 10:30 p.m. I’ll do some homework until about midnight and then get ready for bed.

One weekend a month I drill with my reserve unit. I also participate in military exercises and operations during the semester breaks.

I average six hours of sleep a night and seldom have a day when I don’t have to go to work or school. I drive more than 80 miles a day as I live Norfolk, my son attends school in Virginia Beach, I attend the main campus in Norfolk, and work in the Virginia Beach Municipal Center.

My schedule makes for some very long days but I believe the end reward will be well worth the sacrifice. Having a degree greatly improve my earning power and the life I’m able to provide for myself and my son.