My name is Regina Skaggs and I am originally from the west side of Michigan. I grew up in Grand Haven and Fruitport where I enjoyed all the great things Lake Michigan has to offer: snow, sun, and the annual Coast Guard Festival. I went to Catholic schools where my faith and love of teaching was formed over many years. When I graduated from Muskegon Catholic Central in 2004, I had my sights set on becoming a teacher.
Finding Myself and the Love of My Life
To fulfill that goal, I went to Central Michigan University where I grew from being the passive and shy girl to the strong and outgoing woman that I am today. After five years, I graduated from CMU with a degree in Elementary Education. Like many others, I moved back home to focus on finding a teaching job somewhere in the United States.
In 2011, while trying to figure out my next step in life, I met my husband, Ryan. We fell in love on the boardwalk in Grand Haven and married in 2013. Ryan and I lived in the Kalamazoo area where he finished his Masters degree in Medieval History at Western Michigan University and I taught preschool. Unfortunately, teaching did not work out for me so I decided to find a new career in corporate America.
Moving Away from the Lake to Lansing
After that, we moved to Okemos to start our journey as a newly married couple. We both found jobs working for the same large insurance company where I currently work in IT. After working very hard and saving, two years ago, we were able to buy our own home in Mason and start our own family. Our son, Paul, came into our lives two years ago.
We love living in downtown Mason because there are so many things to do. Our favorite ice cream shop is The Daily Scoop. My husband and I love to get a beer/cider at Bad Brewing and we devour the famous french fries from the Good Bites food truck. When it is warm out and the sun is shining, we love to sit out on the patio at Los Tres Amigos and enjoy their giant margaritas.
I am really just a working mom hoping that I am doing something right in this world every day. Like many other moms, I have had to overcome loss, changing careers, and trying to figure out this whole “motherhood” thing one step at a time. My hope is to share my experiences with all of you and that we are able to learn something from each other. I was inspired to write for Lansing Mom by my former college roommate. I hope that maybe I can inspire another mom as well.