That time I paid off my student loans

I have 2 degrees.

It took a lot to get them.

To be specific, it took three different student loans totalling close to $30,000.

10 years later, this:

I might just frame this beautiful letter.
Could there be any words sweeter than "Paid in Full"?!?

They're paid. The last of my student loans are paid. Glory be.

I wish I had a good story about how I paid them off in less than a year through massive suffering - but I don't.

Here's my secret instead: I paid them off in 10 years with hard work, stick-to-it-ness, and pride. I never missed a payment and I never thought about trying to get out of paying them. I just steadily paid off $30,000 of student loans.

I am strongly in the camp of "school is essential to life". I will never regret the work that went into my degrees. They helped shape who I am, how I view the world, how I choose to live my adult life, how I choose to conduct and evolve my career.

If anyone ever asks "Was it really worth $30,000 to have two pieces of paper?" I say (without the slightest hesitation) "YES!"

There are so many lessons that university taught me. Lessons about prioritizing and working hard, making monetary sacrifices (yes, I lived off of 89 cent ramen noodles for months on end!), balancing a life with responsibilities - the lessons I learned were boundless.

And it's not just the life lessons that were worth those expensive degrees.

I learned how to fend for myself, that I'm a pushover and I have to stand up for myself, that my ideas and thoughts are valid (and even good sometimes), and that the work you put into anything directly reflects what you get back from it. I also learned how to eat healthily at a cafeteria (after gaining the Freshman 15+) and when to scrimp on beauty supplies (drug store makeup can be great even if it's cheap!!!) and when to not cut corners (waxing your own eyebrows=bad, bad, bad idea!!!).

Maybe I would have learned those lessons without school. Maybe I wouldn't have. Who knows? But I'm glad I spent the money to get my degrees.

You know what I'm even more glad about?

THEY ARE FINALLY PAID OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!