Blogging With a Purpose: If I Could Turn Back Time

If I Could Turn Back Time {and do something over}, I'm not sure if I would.  As part of my self-makeover of the last year or so I have really tried to live without regrets.  There are two situations that I did think about when reading this prompt, however.  One is a little too personal and I'm not quite ready to share that one.  However, there is one thing I have considered what my life may have looked like if I did make a different decision.

*Please note - these photos are a little oldish and not the best quality...but you get the idea!
When I graduated from high school, I already had my Associates degree as well.  A local community college has a program called "Running Start" in which high school students can enroll at the college and attend college-level courses instead of taking courses at the high school.  These college classes satisfy the high school requirements, allowing students to complete their high school credit requirements, while simultaneously working towards a college degree.

My high school was very small and has been struggling for years to provide challenging classes and good teachers.  So, at the end of my sophomore year I decided to enroll in the Running Start program and complete my junior and senior years of high school at the college.  Do I regret this choice?  No.  The result is that within two years of graduating from high school, I also had my bachelor's degree.  At the age of 20 I was working at my first full-time, career-type job {the same one I am still at now!}.  I got a huge head start on life.

So why would I want to do things differently?  I grew up in a small community and I still took one or two classes at the high school, so I still saw my friends on a fairly regular basis.  Looking back, and even at the time, I feel a little like I was an outsider once I was no longer at the high school full time.  I can't help but think there were things I missed out on, even if they were small - like little inside jokes from something that happened in a particular class, or some of the events during Homecoming week.  I think I would still be closer now with some of my friends from high school, because I would have spent more time with them then, if I hadn't done the Running Start program.

Fortunately - I still have this girl!  And now, we are family...I married her brother :)

The other downfall to this path I chose, is that I only spent 2 years at the university.  I didn't have as much time to be a "college student" and to develop deeper relationships with people there.  Plus, I was taking classes with people two years older than I was since I was two years ahead, so they were in a slightly different place in life. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy about where I am right now.  And I don't think I would actually change the decisions I made.  I just wish I could have the best of both worlds :)

What would you do if you could turn back time?  Link up here!!