{"id":24,"date":"2024-10-07T22:47:31","date_gmt":"2024-10-07T22:47:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/codeandchaos\/?p=24"},"modified":"2024-10-07T22:49:59","modified_gmt":"2024-10-07T22:49:59","slug":"my-circus-act-keeping-it-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/codeandchaos\/2024\/10\/07\/my-circus-act-keeping-it-together\/","title":{"rendered":"My Circus Act: Keeping it Together"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Skyler Bass<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

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Life is a circus, and I\u2019m the juggler with a few monkeys in the mix! Balancing family, work, school, and the everyday chaos can feel like I\u2019m being pulled in a dozen directions at once. With all the new beginnings recently, I\u2019ve met so many wonderful people who ask, \u201cHow do you handle it?\u201d Most of the time, I laugh, shrug, and say, \u201cIt\u2019s a lot!\u201d But underneath the chuckle, there\u2019s a whole lot of effort that makes this balancing act possible. After four years of refining my routine, I\u2019ve found a few key things that keep me grounded in the madness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First and foremost, I couldn\u2019t do any of this without my husband. His support has been crucial\u2014he takes on all those little daily tasks so I can focus on my studies without worrying about dinner, packing lunches, or picking up stray toys for the fiftieth time that day. He gets how much my education means to me, and that understanding has made it possible for me to keep pushing forward. During this journey, we\u2019ve welcomed two kids and even got married, timing life\u2019s biggest moments to school breaks rolling with the punches and finding those last-minute opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly, we\u2019ve made family time outside the house a priority. Most weekends, you\u2019ll find us at the farmers market, taking long drives, or visiting nearby family. Working and studying from home means I\u2019m glued to my computer a lot, so these outings are a breath of fresh air\u2014literally. They help me unplug, recharge, and enjoy being in the moment with my kids. Sometimes, I wonder if all the hours I pour into my education might have a negative impact on them, but then I see how they\u2019ve grown\u2014sassy, smart, kind, and endlessly curious. They create their own little adventures wherever we go, and I couldn\u2019t be prouder of who they\u2019re becoming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Routine is another essential piece of my sanity puzzle. A consistent schedule for work, daycare, preschool, and school means I can carve out time to study without constant interruptions. It\u2019s not just for me, though\u2014it helps the kids know what to expect each day, which cuts down on the number of meltdowns we have to navigate. Little life hacks, like meal planning and grocery pickup, save me from endless thoughts about dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of dinner, there\u2019s nothing like the comfort of my grandmother\u2019s Cheeseburger Soup as the weather cools down. It\u2019s a family favorite that fills the house with warmth and makes enough for leftover lunches. These hearty meals are a lifesaver, especially on nights when I\u2019m staying up late writing induction proofs or wrapping up a design document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But above all, what keeps me going is my love for my job and my field. Computer science has been an incredible journey, pushing me to explore my potential and constantly learn new things. This passion makes tackling tough concepts feel less like a chore and more like an adventure. It\u2019s what keeps me excited, even when I\u2019m staring down a mountain of assignments. And right now, I\u2019m eagerly looking forward to my upcoming capstone project:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Escape Room Challenge!<\/span> My team and I are creating a 3D Escape Room game, and I can\u2019t wait to dive in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, life is a bit of a circus, but I wouldn\u2019t trade my role as the juggler for anything. Through all the chaos, I\u2019ve learned that it\u2019s the little things\u2014the family drives, the comfort food, the unexpected laughs\u2014that make the whole act worth it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Life is a circus, and I\u2019m the juggler with a few monkeys in the mix! Balancing family, work, school, and the everyday chaos can feel like I\u2019m being pulled in a dozen directions at once. With all the new beginnings recently, I\u2019ve met so many wonderful people who ask, \u201cHow do you handle it?\u201d Most … Continue reading My Circus Act: Keeping it Together<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14477,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/codeandchaos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/codeandchaos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/codeandchaos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/codeandchaos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14477"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/codeandchaos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/codeandchaos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/codeandchaos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24\/revisions\/28"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/codeandchaos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/codeandchaos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/codeandchaos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}