A Little Bit of Background

For years I have seen my friends go off and doing great and amazing things. Throughout their grand adventures they have kept some type of record of their travels. My friends who went to London kept pictures, ticket stubs, and random trinkets of memories.  Every time they pick up and examine one of these items a flame of adventurous inspiration behind their eyes is lit. That flame cannot be extinguished until they've turned over every detail of the story of how they came to own that little piece of their past. From diaries to letters to blogs like this one, I have been able to watch each of them grow throughout their challenges and experiences and they have always appreciated the gift that they had to look back.

I want that. I have always wanted that.

So, I finally did something about it.

It was just over a year ago that I decided that Graduate School would be the next chapter in my life. I had finally figured out what I wanted to do and who I wanted to become and unfortunately for me, that meant two more years of school and quite the financial investment. One step towards writing this new chapter in my life included moving to downtown Chicago and paying way too much for a closet on the 24^th floor of a building in the heart of the city. Another step included coming to the harsh realization that instead of the fridge magically refilling itself when it looked a little empty, I had to learn how to juggle ten grocery bags four blocks in the snow… in negative temperatures. Very developmental.

Another step towards completing this wonderfully terrifying chapter of my life was starting actual graduate school classes. Within my first semester I was terrified, challenged, and wonderfully impacted by not only my cohort but also my professors and TA’s. 

One of the best things about graduate school is that you are delving into things that you live and care for every day. Plus, you get a lot of free counseling because being assigned papers reflecting on who you are never ends. NEVER ENDS. 

 Through finding mentors who have helped me learn how to be a better me I have come to the conclusion that Student Affairs, though I’ve had many doubtful evenings with many more to come, is definitely for me.

Finally, this brings us to the next chapter of my adventures after college that will be happening this summer. Maine. Biddeford, Maine to be exact. 17 hours and 21 minutes from where I live. 1,070 mere miles away from my family and friends. I’m not nervous.

…… Actually I am. I realize that many of you have traveled further, and lived away from your families and friends for much longer. But what you must understand is that I have not. This is all a little new to me, so keep that in mind. 

I will be working at the University of New England with their Orientation staff. I have started this blog to document my adventures. Some things that you can expect from this online diary are:

-         Pictures of whales. Somehow I will see one.

-         Pictures of me bragging about the various foods from the sea that I enjoy.

-         Moments of real, honest, and raw struggle with this experience.

-         Many MORE moments of reflection and happiness.

-         A whole lot of me nerding out over student affairs.

This blog will reflect on all of my experiences and more, which all begin on May 12^th.  So, whether you read every post I send out into the interwebs, or even if you read just this one- all of your positive thoughts and vibes are much appreciated as I take this next step!