Jumbled Thoughts

After landing an agent nearly gave me a heart attack, I've had time to think about what this means for me. Honestly, when I was little, I never thought about being a writer. I never just "knew" that was what I was supposed to be doing. I did know there were a few weird things about me, but never put two and two together until later.
When I was younger, and even through junior high and high school, I'd always have these stories in my head. I thought everyone had them. I'd think about them all the time, not really knowing where they came from, or why I had characters talking in my head. I remember sitting down at the computer when I was around 17, and writing one of my stories down. I realized I really liked writing, but didn't know a lot of the mechanics or craft of it all. I just wanted to put my story onto paper instead of having it float around in my head all the time.
After high school I didn't think much about writing. I didn't save those stories, and I was only really focused about going to school to be an elementary teacher. After a year and a half at college, I did the unthinkable at my age!
I got married. :)
School was put on hold. I had a few jobs, and settled on being a harp teacher when the kids started coming. It was fine for a while, but in the back of my mind, I still had stories that needed to be told. I thought I was going crazy.
About three years ago, I had one character that kept gnawing away at my mind. She refused to leave me alone. I had to put her on paper, so I would write when my husband was doing homework and never told him what I was doing. I finished an entire novel in two months. I then started researching how to get a book published. It was so overwhelming! I had no idea what an agent did, or why they needed to look at a query letter. I didn't even know what that was! So, I researched until my brain was about to explode.
I queried that book, and got rejection after rejection. I realized it wasn't good enough.
I finally told my husband after I put that book away, that I wanted to publish a book. He was so supportive, and still is. I really thought he'd think I was so stupid! But he didn't. And doesn't.
So, I wrote another book. Didn't even query that one, and put it away.
Then I had an amazing idea for a book. I wrote it, polished it, joined a critique group online, and one in person. I had my story ripped to shreds, and revised, polished, and revised some more.
I queried. I got requests, and finally got my agent.
I honestly didn't ever think something like this would happen to me. I realize now, that I love writing. I love putting words on pages and pages of white paper. It's soothing, calming, and scares the crap out of me when I let people read it! Now I'm not one to give writing advice yet, since I still don't know everything, but I'm going to use this blog as my writing journal, so you guys can follow my journey, or ignore me if you want. :)
I still have a long way to go before I get a book published. I have to revise, edit, send it to my agent, revise again, edit, send it to him again, etc. It's a long process, but I love it. I'm so excited to start my journey to publication. I know I want to be an author. I know I am one, even if I'm not published. It's my passion now. It makes me happy, and I'm so thankful I'm able to write.
For all you guys in the same boat as me, we can do this! You writers that don't have an agent yet, you can do it! It takes a ton of work, but if writing is your passion, you will get an agent. You'll publish a book. Whether or not it is today or tomorrow or a few years from now. It will happen. Just don't ever give up.