I don’t know if it is Murphy’s Law, but it seems that no matter how you travel or where you go, you are bound to experience a few bumps along the way. Maybe your flight is delayed, or there is turbulence, or your luggage doesn’t arrive when you do. Maybe you accidentally take a wrong turn, miss an exit, or hit a few potholes. Maybe you get sick at the most inopportune times. What is life without its bumps?

My journey to certification with BCG (Board for Certification of Genealogists) is now almost eight months long. Before attending the 2019 FGS Conference in Ft. Wayne, IN, a few weeks ago, I was feeling pretty good about my research progress. My one area of concern had to do with my case study, so I went by the BCG booth and asked about it. Here comes the big bump!

My case study topic, while an interesting and worthwhile one for our family’s information, does not qualify as a case study for my portfolio. Ugh! I was afraid of that! Wait, was that a bump, or did I actually lose a tire?  What to do? Replace the tire and move on, of course.

Choosing the topic for one’s case study is often the most difficult part of any certification journey, or so I’ve been told. This is definitely true in my case. I am still trying to find that perfect “tire”–one that fits the BCG criteria for a case study, one that is new, one that will take me all the way to the end of this road to certification. In the meantime, I have other writing I can do. And… if need be, I can always request an extension. Thank you, BCG!