Priorities! Priorities? Priorities...

As I was doing my growing up, living life as a dependent/wanting to be an independent throughout my college years, I always heard a common theme coming from my family: "Where are your priorities?" I was a college freshman without a care in the world! Priorities? Pfffft! My priorities were go to class, make some spending money, and work on my new found relationship. Well, I had the making spending money part down pat with my awesome college job. I will say this now and forever, I LOVED my campus job! I loved the people I worked with and the job itself. I was truly lucky to be employed at Quik Cats. Going to class was something I was able to keep up with too, as long as my classes didn't begin before 8:00 a.m. As far as the relationship goes, that was a big priority for me which ended up biting me in my patootie. It led to my new boyfriend and eventual husband, but it also led to my priorities being out of whack, a lot of distractions, and what ended up to be the semester that would smash my GPA to pieces eliminating me from a chance of graduating with honors even though it was a year of A's and B's and two more years of straight A's. Anyway, why am I rambling on about my college priorities interests/mistakes? Because I am now graduated and in the very elaborate process of joining my husband as we make way to leave our parents and cleave to each other.

While I have been on the job hunt this summer since December, we have been budget planning and discussing future plans together. This discussion and planning has led us to a discussion on what our priorities are, and oh boy was I not ready for all that was in store. I know that this is all part of growing up and you may have the, "Well you should have thought about that before you got married" feelings, but married or single you must eventually part ways with the awesomeness that is the warm cushy support of your parents and attempt to make it on your own.

So here are some things we have discussed that we need and slash or want:

1. A House:
This is kind of a necessity right? Single or married, you need a place to live that is not under your parents' roof if you claim you want to be independent. Face it though, houses are expensive if you have certain needs for your living arrangement such as three bedrooms, two full baths, a two car garage, etc. Plus it comes with huge monetary risks as does any purchase worth thousands of dollars. But then again for an apartment of the same standards minus the garage you are paying the same or more just for rent than you would on a mortgage, utilities, and taxes for a house. This process is both confusing to me and frustrating.

2. A Car:
My 1997 Honda Accord is puttering around on over 300,000 miles, with a giant gash in the windshield. It's time for a newer car. Something in the 2000's please!

3. An International Trip:
This one is a want, yes. I would like to travel with my husband to Europe. Can you blame me? It's Europe! He has been twice. I make my first trek out of the country for our Honeymoon. I have not been one who has traveled far and wide even within the country. I can probably count on my two hands the number of states I have been to, which I realize is more than a lot of people, and I should be lucky I have had the experiences I have had, and I am thankful for them. I just want more. The world is such a beautiful place and I just want to roam.

4. Debt:
We are both coming into this marriage with debt on our shoulders. This is a priority because we need to get it under control and pay it off so we can afford to make it on our own with our own place and things.

5. Believe it or not the reproduction talk has happened:
Go figure... you are not married one day then the next you are and suddenly... BAM! A wave of hormones overcomes you as you start to see everyone you went to school with become married also and have started families and you think to yourself, "I want to bring a little me into the world." Nothing is set in stone yet, we are not a go for project littleimparato by any means! It was just a consideration I never thought I would have, but have recently considered the idea and have not totally been horrified by it... Awww look at me, I'm growing up. But this is where these priorities really come into play. Everything listed above definitely needs to be taken care of before bringing a child into our world. I want to be financially stable and have taken care of my dreams before committing my life to a person who will need me to be a strong example of what it is like to have your "priorities" and then your priorities.

Let's face the facts, everyone is going to make a mistake, have much different priorities than one another, choose the hard way even though parental voices are strongly urging the easy way, but that is how we grow and learn. I could have went off to college with the priorities my family had for me, but then I would not have had the opportunity to grow and appreciate my family even more, and I definitely would not have landed here with the man of my dreams as we face our future together.

Mrs. Imparato