OK. I've thought about it. I've consulted with a number of sources, both personal and official. And I've made up my mind.
I am taking next year off from school and working full-time at The New Job, which I will start as soon as I am finished with my internship. Well, semi full-time (32 hrs/week). No classes except for the correspondence calc class I have to get through before January 31. Then I'll go back to school full-time the following year, and I may or may not be asked to stay at the job, which may or may not go down to 16-24 hrs/week. Depending on how I feel about it then, I may or may not stay.
My heart, my gut and my brain all agree this is the right thing to do, as do most of the folks I've consulted. I'm slowly getting over the misgivings coming from the Guilt Place that thinks I should be able to do everything all at once, even when I know I can't.
So...lots of changes. Feels weird to think I won't be going to school in the fall, but honestly it's mostly a huge relief. I have to get a budget worked out and stick to it to make sure I make the most of this opportunity to dig my way out from under some of my loan debt. And I have to keep up with the calc class so time doesn't get away from me.
In the meantime, I have to focus on putting myself back together again. I haven't been to work in two days--the damnable head cold and my overwhelming depression have conspired to keep me in bed (Skye, I trust you'll keep the second part of that clause under your hat and just go with the illness explanation). I could easily succumb to it and spend the rest of the week or more there, but I won't do that. Tomorrow I have to get back on my feet. Enough is enough with the self-pity and mopiness.
And the goddamn shrink still hasn't called me back. Really makes me wonder what happens to folks with a more dire need for psychiatric help.