wow, two blog entries in as many years...not the best start. So many things to rant about that I missed.
perhaps just a followup from my initial post, lauched amidst the anxiety of the craziest moment of my life, as I got married, moved, quit a profitable job and committed myself to mountains of debt to pursue a dream.
How is it going?
Chicago is a neat place. Still hard to believe I'm here. Colder than heck right now. We've switched apartments already. Turns out our first choice was in a rather scary neighborhood, for my wife anyway. Though I swore I wouldn't move after the traumatic transplant to Chicago, we did it again, less than 2 miles from the 1st apartment. Much nicer area though.
School is awesome. Almost a year and a half in, I'm loving my program, a 5 year Clincal Psychology doctorate (Psy.D.). Scary part is the remaining 3.5+ years to go.  Still, I love my classes (for the most part), and I have learned a TON. I'm now in my 2nd year, and, besides classes, I'm working in a private practice doing psychological assessments, which is fun. My usual experience is that I would do little more than that which is expected of me. Fortunately, that has not happened (completely) in school. and I seem to be improving. I wonder if learning about all these psych concepts isn't leading to some therapeutic insight at some level. In any case, lately, I've found myself with more energy and drive to contribute more to various tasks than I usually have.
Well, there I go rambling again. Is this a diary or a blog?

I feel it is fitting that I now start a new blog at this time.  I am now ready to embark on what seems to be a new life. 
Hopefully, things are now on the right track, but I certainly feel that I am following my dreams much more accurately now.
For the past six years, I have been a software developer at a company making software for mutual fund systems.  It is a good company, and I work with good people.  The job pays well, but it is essentially soulless.  It seemed a natural extension to the preceding four years in the Marine Corps.  I joined right out of high school, and the U.S.M.C. guaranteed me a job working with computers (the only interest I knew I had at the time).  After a year of training, I found myself in Kansas City working as a programmer on the Marines' payroll system. 
It was after a year of working at my current job that I felt my discontent.  Boredom led me to start college at night, first Liberal Studies, which I liked.  After nearly two years, my job really started bothering me.  I did some soul searching and, at length, changed my major to Social Psychology.  I like psychology.  It touches other fields I like, such as the humanities, and I like learning about the human mind, and about how to help people live more effective and rewarding lives.  I graduated in May '06.  Since then, I have been preparing steadily for grad school.  I took the GRE, got a pretty good score (1240 I think) and started searching for schools.  I wanted something different, not just your average psych program.  I had become interested in humanistic and existential psychology, and there aren't many programs out there that give it much consideration.  I found a few.  I eschewed the Masters programs (not enough for me) and the PhDs (too much research, not enough practice), in favor of PsyD programs. 
  Last week, to my great surprise (I was not accepted to the first school I applied for), I was accepted to a PsyD program in Clinical Psychology at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology! 
What does this mean for me?  Yes, I'll study psychology of course.  This is a 5 year program full time.  This means I'll quit my job then, and obviously move to Chicago.  This means I'll be poor for 5 years.  Thats interesting.  This should be the first time in my life I'll really have to worry about money.  Its really never been an issue for me.  But I can't see that anything will stop me.
The old life will be left behind then.  What a change!   Not only the school and quitting the job.  I'll be getting married soon!   Doesn't seem natural for me, I always thought I'd be alone for my whole life.  Just found some details about current immigration law (my girl is from China), and turns out we have to do it within about 2 months  (yikes!). 
So, in addition to selling my house, finding a new place in Chicago, and moving, we have to arrange a wedding as well.  One more log on the fire, to get in to my school, they require their students take a Child Development course, which was not in my undergrad program.  So, I'll be taking that over the summer as well.
I look forward to my new life in Chicago so much, but this spring/summer is going to be insane.  Gotta keep my eye on the prize!!!