Two if by sea

I can’t remember if I blogged on here about my semi-decision to stay in Provo and get my Masters in Library Science online. If I didn’t, well, there it is. :)

But today I’m rethinking. Talking with one of my co-workers about the possibility of getting my masters in England or Wales sent ripples of goosebumps through me, and I realized that it’s a dream I’ve had since childhood. Is it smart to kill it just because of financial concerns? I know that money does matter, but some things matter more than money.

Advantages: it’s Britain! It’s what I’ve wanted to do for years. It’s where C.S. Lewis and Tolkien lived and wrote. On holidays, I could fly over to the continent rather cheaply and do genealogy in Spain and Italy. Living abroad is good for being cultured. Britain is steeped with history.

Disadvantages: $$$.

So really it comes down to this: if I can’t get scholarships/grants to pay for it, is the experience worth a mountainload of debt? The reckless part of me says yes, yes, yes, it is! You only live once.

Well, the main factor will be whether the Lord has an opinion in the matter. If He has a spot in mind for me, that’s where I’ll go. (Please please please let it be Britain! :P) If He doesn’t, however, then I’m going to do my best to study in England or Wales. I may do a year there as a trainee before going to grad school, or perhaps a year here (cheaper) and then go over, or a year here and then a year there; we’ll see.

I suppose if I really wanted to, I could use my programming/design skills to ring up some extra cash on the side. But whether it’d be enough to make a difference, I haven’t a clue.

God hasn’t told me if he wants you to study in Britain or not and it’s not likely that he will. From a temporal standpoint, then:

Is it really important that this is where C. S. Lewis and Tolkien lived? I doubt that this will seriously affect your obtaining the degree. Visiting the British Isles would be interesting. It would be exciting. It would be a learning experience. But would it assist you further in your main goal? Since neither Tolkien nor Lewis are currently alive, and since neither taught Library Science, going to the British Isles for the reasons you mentioned is likely to be an unnecessary expense.

And whle it would be “relatively” cheap to fly to the continent . . . it would not be “cheap.”

That said, if you are financially able, or have a clear financial plan, there is no reason NOT to go, if it is something you would really enjoy.

Whatever you decide Ben, will be the right decison for you. I believe in you!

Gelehrter: Sure, I could achieve my main goal through a number of other ways which would be much easier, but sometimes isn’t life more about the journey? (Which isn’t to demean reaching one’s goal in any way; what I mean is that sometimes there’s more to life than just achieving the goals.) Whether or not that justifies large financial expenditures is unclear. What I do know is that the Lord will make it clear what He wants me to do when the time is right. Until then, here’s hoping He needs me in England or Wales. :)

A.S.: Thanks. :)