I reached a milestone far earlier than originally expected, and it only took two years of a deadly and debilitating global pandemic to help make it happen: The current remaining dollar amount for the loan I’ve been paying off for let’s-not-talk-about-how-many years is a four digit integer for the first time since the original disbursements landed.

I’m not a student, but the loan I’m paying is for a student, and qualified enough to be caught up in the “student loan flexibilities” program for the last couple of years. I’ve been making normal-amount payments anyway, thus chopping away at the principal while there’s no interest accumulating.

And today I can see a result that makes me… well, “happy” may not be the exact word, but it gives me some hope that I might get this thing done & dusted before the year’s out.

(I’m allowed to hope, right?)