Grad School and Planning for the Future

I am the type of person who likes to have a plan for the future.  That way I have a set goal that I work towards; it helps me when I get discouraged and gives me a point of focus.  I spend a lot of time looking at my "next step" to make sure I am prepared and that it is the best choice.  While I firmly believe that this is a good trait...I have found that there can be some not-so-welcome side effects.  The main one is that I sometimes forget to live in the moment, or to appreciate it at all.  At one point, this moment was the end goal of much thought and planning, but when it comes, my brain and heart have already moved on to newer and more exciting things (or so I think).  This minorly unpleasant self-realization has been a catalyst for (hopefully) encouraging self-improvement.
Although I have no desire to provide a full disclosure of my future plans in their entirety, I think it would suffice to mention that my original plan (as of about a month ago) was to graduate as quickly and painfully (I would say painlessly, but theoretical physics is somewhat masochistic) as possible.  From there I would enroll in the University of Houston Ph.D. Kinesiology program along with its corresponding Doctoral Curriculum in Space Life Sciences and attempt graduation in 4-5 years.  That would put me eligible to apply to the Astronaut Corps. in approximately 2017-2018.  However, my afore mentioned self-realization, assisted by a trip to Boulder, Co (of all places) set in motion a new plan.
I realize that it may sound ridiculous in light of my recent discovery, that my response would be to make a new plan.  I must, therefore, restate my opinion that I do not think it is a bad thing that I like to have a plan.  The negative symptoms regarding my attitude towards the present are ones that, like any bad habit, can be avoided and changed once they have been discovered to be detrimental.  So I will continue, for the foreseeable future, to make lists, charts, excel spreadsheets and all sorts of plans.  And yes....they will all be color-coded.
So what was this life-altering experience which has set me on a new course?  It was a annual conference called SpaceVision put on by SEDS.  The opportunity to surround myself with like-minded individuals, both students and professionals, gave me an incredible new perspective on my chosen career.  After some thought, I believe it can be simplified down to a few things.

1. Astronaut Captain Steve Lindsey (Leader of the final mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery) gave a priceless piece of advice.  To a room full of (desperate) wannabe Astronauts, he implored us that while it was an incredible aspiration, we should not set all of our hopes and dreams on joining the 300-some odd souls who had been lucky enough to escape above near-earth orbit personally.  Although, in the very near future, it would be highly likely that many of us in that room would be able to have similar experiences as we took our places as leaders and developers of the space industry, there is much more to do than simply the the body on the plane.  His recommendation was that each of us should find something in life that we love to do and can be passionate about.  If our lives also happened to lead us to joining the Corps., then we would be blessed to have that honor and experience.  But if it did not, it would be a terrible tragedy to find ourselves in a career we despised simply because we hoped it would get us into space.  
2. I met a great group of students, from all over the country who had the same goals and dreams I did.  Until that point, I had always felt the odd-man-out syndrome that comes with the lack of an aerospace engineering program and the accompanying interest in space exploration and development from the staff and student body.  Their experiences and insight provided me with information about the wide variety of career paths available at a variety of universities and institutions.  There are many others out there like me (but not quite me--thanks Shady) and the industry has many opportunities I had never even dreamed of.
3. I will admit, on occasion, to falling prey to stick-up-a** syndrome in my drive to succeed.  While I am currently hampered by certain parental influences that restrict me from having the active social life I often desire, I do also have to admit that part of it is my own reticence.  My efforts have driven me to work for and desire lofty ambitions.  This is all well and good, but in order to become the person I see in the future, I need to work on developing those traits now.  This includes learning to take more risks, pushing outside of my comfort zone and being more open to change.  Letting loose at a club every now and then with friends is a good thing....now to find somewhere in Salt Lake to go...

So in my desire to enjoy the journey, and not focus as much on the destination, there is suddenly a barrage of opportunities and choices.  Things I had never even considered before; sometimes crazy (to me at least) and completely unprecedented.  The long and short of it is that I think I will get a Master's degree before moving on to a Ph.D.  And get this....I found a program at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland.....in Bioengineering!  

First off, I had never even contemplated getting any sort of education abroad (thought I wasn't opposed to it).  Secondly, I am not interested in engineering as a career.  At all.  In fact, I have a particular propensity for all things mechanical in lab-like environments to malfunction horribly whenever I am involved.  I am like the Bermuda Triangle in the physics labs.  This is one (of many) reasons I did not go into applied physics.  But, true to form, I believe in challenging myself to do things I never thought I could do, or previously believed myself incapable of.  Apparently, this includes getting a Master's degree in engineering.  Thankfully, the program is only a year long, and it provides an incredible opportunity to take all the types of classes that I was interested in from the Biomedical Engineering program at the U.  Also, the saving grace is that the faculty is involved in the specific type of research that I have been thinking about, and I don't think I have to build anything (I  think...).  

Of course, as I am not a member of the EU, school is insanely expensive.  Since money is such a constant and painful worry for me, I find it surprising how easy it is to justify twenty thousand dollars worth of student loans for this.  However, I did find a program where, if I was selected to be a Fulbright Scholar, I would have my tuition paid for and, as I believe, receive some sort of stipend that would allow me to avoid some nasty debt.  Of course, this program is very competitive, but I seem to have a penchant for the difficult and crazy.  

This decision to get a Master's degree doesn't really change my "original plan" detailed above much, it really just adds another year before graduating.  So it would be a little difficult to understand how this is evidence of personal growth.  I would propose that it is the mindset that would even allow me to consider something like this is indicative of how much I am trying to change.  Granted, it is a bit of a step sideways rather than forward, it has given me the propulsion to climb out of the holding pattern-like rut I have been in since I started college.  

The other thing I am working on is the whole "enjoy where you are at" concept.  I have been in such a hurry to grow up (since I was 5-6 ish), that I never pause to enjoy the things that come with being young, unattached and relatively unhampered by major responsibilities.  This one does not have as direct a solution, and requires more creativity and work (of an entirely unfamiliar kind) on my part.  It is a challenge all on its own and one that requires, by nature, that I cannot do it alone.  So here goes to, in effect, spicing up my social life and breaking out of my bubble.  While I have no idea of how to do this, at least I have identified that I want to try.  

Wish me luck!