My third year was marked by my return to school. An endeavor that proved to be both exciting and much harder than I anticipated. My first semester was a flop. Trying to work all day and attend classes at night as well as online proved to be a big feat after a four year hiatus in formal education.
The following spring was better, however, with day classes and a much more flexible job as a nanny. My school life was very basic. I came and went with very little interaction with anyone else. Teachers generally left me alone and I carried on with my assignments on my own. It was a good system.
I had taken a job locally as a live-out nanny for a family with two adorable little boys. On the surface, this family was a vast improvement from the first one. Loving parents and a balanced, stable household. Unfortunately, they were very much in denial about their son's autism and the help he needed. I worked every day with him, teaching him communication and potty training as well as other tasks.
As time progressed, they started paying me late, then a relative would pay me. Finally, a year after starting, I had to leave because I needed a steady check.
In the fall I was once again enrolled in classes and once again I kept to myself.
