Are we there yet?

Life is a strange and wonderful journey. I found myself reflecting on why I wanted to start this blog and the story starts a while ago.

When I was in high school, I used to tell my mom that I was going to go to college with on a full ride. I knew I had the potential to do that, because I had many benefits to qualify for scholarships and aid that would cover my whole college experience, including:

• 4.0 GPA through (most of) high school while taking all advanced classes
• four years of varsity wrestling highlighted with two years of being captain of the team
• being born half Puerto Rican opened the door to minority scholarships
• good public speaking and writing skills allowed me a chance to win

SIDE NOTE: Back in high school, I once gave a speech in Spanish at a Catholic church. I could barely speak the language and parishioners of the church could tell I was struggling. As it turns out, many spoke English and asked me questions in my native tongue to get their questions answered.

SECOND SIDE NOTE: I once gave a speech before the Archbishop of Milwaukee to show how cool our school was. He was very impressed ;-)

To make a long story a lot shorter, I did not get a full ride to college. I did win some scholarships - including some that were automatically renewing - that did significantly defray my costs. However, I did not keep my word to my mom that I was going to get the full ride that would get me the education I strongly desired and needed.

I still think about this failure from time to time and know that if I were to go back knowing what I know today, that I would have made better decisions that would have brought me much closer to a full ride - or at the very least a lot less debt.

However, I am focused on a new achievement I know I can achieve. Today, I give my word about a new effort that I intend to keep with every bit of my being:

To retire in comfort with my wife, long before retirement age.

Now you may say, "Sure. Everyone says that they are going to do that. What makes you think that you can?" I can only rebut that question with my this: I do not know failure. Even not getting the full ride I promised to my mom was just practice about learning the value of money and helped shape me as how to do what most Americans know is possible.

I invite you to join me as I learn more, think out my situations, and discuss options for moving this forward. Welcome to We Save Us blog. Welcome to our journey.