Lots of thinking being done...

So yes, I have been doing a lot of thinking lately. I know, I know...try not to hurt myself, ha ha :-) I've been thinking about my life in general, what I want it to be and what I want to do with it. I love baking. Do I really want to keep doing it and spend all of my time in a kitchen? I've invested a lot of time into this hobby of mine and even convinced myself I wanted to go to school and then open my own little pastry shop. Not for cakes, but for actual pastries and pies. This would be great and in some ways I still want to do this. But in the back of my mind something kept nagging at me.
There's something I was passionate about before I started baking and before I even headed off to college. Something I started to love when my dad used to take me to work and let me watch him develop film in the darkroom. I love photography. I used to play around with it a lot and even took a class in high school and dreamed of running my own photography business. I considered it as a major in college at one point but was afraid that if I started into it seriously, that I might be bad at it. I think that's why I never really let myself get serious about it at all. What if I'm bad at something I've always loved? What if I spend the money, get a degree, buy the camera and equipment and then nobody likes my pictures or my style of photography? After a long talk with one of the girls that I worked at the bakery with one day, I decided I would stop being so scared and try it again.

I'm ready! I found a "Continuing Education" certificate program at UTA in digital photography that starts next spring. Eight classes, 1 per every 5 weeks and only 1 night a week. Not bad, right? What about the camera, you ask? I found the perfect one. However, it's $1300! I know it's a business investment...but if you don't have the funds, how can you invest? I have to come up with this money by the end of the year. Shouldn't be too hard, but I know I can do it :-) I figure once I get the camera I can start building a portfolio as I'm taking my classes and even before then. Doing free photo shoots for a while should do it. I've even started to think of names for my business. Haven't really come up with anything good though... Any ideas?

I know a lot of people are thinking, " just another phase that she's going through". I completely understand people's reasons for thinking that. I went through several majors in college and have decided my future several times. However, no matter what I decide to do, it always comes full circle back to photography.

Wish me luck!