The Early Years. . . . .

So, now that the introductions are finished, down to the nitty gritty. Just how far in debt am I, and how did I get here? In the next few posts, I’ll explain the topsy turvy financial world I created for myself over the past twenty years.

The Early Years

It all started many years ago when I was in high school. Upon sullenly (I was sullen a lot in those days) informing my father that I was NOT going to college, because we “couldn’t afford it anyway”, he said, and I quote “You get into college, and we will find a way to pay for it”. With that in mind, I applied to and was accepted into the local state university. What I didn't realize at the time was that when my dad said "WE will find a way", what he meant was, "YOU will find a way" to pay for college. Which led to my student loan habit.

Ahhhh, student loans. Easy money, right? You just sign on the dotted line (don’t bother to read all that confusing text above it) and lo and behold, you receive a check for thousands of dollars, deposited directly to your checking account if you like! What could be easier? Years later, after studying abroad (read: partying abroad), squandering untold thousands on “cute” outfits and pints of beer, and finishing a private-school graduate degree, I found myself in debt to the U.S. government to the tune of $50,000 (in addition to the thousands owed to several credit card companies). Uh oh.

“But wait”, you say! “You have a graduate degree! You can pay that back in no time when you’re raking in the dough”! Um, yeah, I have a degree in Education, without even a teaching certificate to add some practicality.

So that’s where things stood when, at the age of 28, I grabbed my master’s degree and drove straight back across the country (from D.C.) to California (paying for hotels, food, and gas with credit, of course). Tune in tomorrow for the next installment. . . . .