To Brew or Not To Brew?

So I'm a middle school science teacher and am in my 11th year of teaching. I know I don't want to teach forever and will definitely need another career one day, but have never been able to figure out with certainty what that next career will be. Nothing calls to me with absolute passion. Three years ago in the middle of another layoff season, I looked into a nearby brewing program. I didn't apply, but should have because I did apply the next year and found out there was a two year waiting list (if that makes sense). So about ten days ago I received a letter saying I've been accepted into the program and had two weeks to decide if I will attend and give a $1000 nonrefundable deposit to hold my spot. Decision time.

The program costs $15,000 and will go from late January to mid-June. I would have to take a leave of absence from work and miss 4 months (basically half the school year). And then there is a three day test given once a year. It's 3 hours, 6 questions each day, all essay. The pass rate is not super high, but it is for people who go through this program. At the end, if I pass, I would still need to go back to work as a teacher for a couple years while I figure out how to affordably transfer into the brewing industry.

I know it sounds like a lot of expensive and loss in income, but there's a reason it's not quite that much really. My husband is wanting to switch into the food industry somehow and was going to have to quit his job and go to a culinary or wine or beer school eventually. It would cost as much if not more than this program and he wouldn't have a job to go back to as I would. Me going to this school would make it so that he didn't have to because the goal would be for me to teach him everything I learned and then have him take the test the next year. Then we'd both be certified brewers. He could move into brewing and eventually the goal would be to open our own brewery and he'd be able to do the food. When I lay it all out like that it actually sounds less scary. Writing this may be helping me make this decision.

So, to brew or not to brew? It's a risk. But we only get one shot at this, right? Ideally, it would have happened in four more years as both my kids would be finishing middle school (at my school) and moving on to high school where I envision they'll need a little less of me. But it's here now, and the guy that wrote and runs the program and wrote the books the program and test are based on is like a million years old and this chance won't be around forever. So, I decided to write this to get a little feedback to help me make the decision, but I think I made if for myself! I'm definitely doing it! Well, probably, you know, unless I don't. :)