Life Passes By So Quickly

I know I've failed at blogging when I haven't posted for over 2 months. But everything has just been so busy! But on Saturday, I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh! I feels like just yesterday that I was moving my belongings into Holland Hall to start my freshman year. Check out a picture of me at graduation with my diploma below! (disclaimer: it wasn't really my diploma yet, but its a cool diploma frame thing haha)



And to think, I've had the same wonderful friends for these whole 3 and 1/2 years! I certainly couldn't have done it without them. They were there through the thick and the thin, and even though I've had friends that have come and gone (who hasn't!), I have that group of friends that will be together for a long time to come. Regardless of where the road takes us next year or further into the future, I know that I will always keep in touch with them. And an extra plus is that we're all so cute together (and modest to boot).

A Post to Your Future Self

Calen,

You need to remember a few very important things in life, especially that you should not change your life plans for anyone else. That is just how you end up being let down and feeling guilty. Make plans and keep them. Do not change your plans for someone, because chances are they will change their plans on you, and you will be the one left alone. Even when you think they are different and they will feel bad, they won't, and they won't come back for you, so stick to your guns, do what's best for you, and be happy. Nothing will make you happier than doing something for yourself, regardless of how tough it may be, or how much it hurts at the time. Pick your future plans only based on yourself, because you can't expect someone else to change their plans for you and you need to look out for what's best for you. It is scary growing up and having to make possibly the first real adult decisions that will forever affect your future, but that's just it-its your future, so you have to do it for you. No one else can tell you what the future holds or how you should handle it, so when you pick your own route, you must be accountable for it and learn to keep your chin up and deal with it. Life is rough, but what doesn't kill you always makes you stronger, so be independent; you always have been, don't change now.

<3

Decisions, Decisions

I'm graduating in less than 5 months, and that is the most terrifying thought ever. What am I going to do once I graduate: Peace Corps, teaching English abroad, or going straight to grad school? What about going directly into a career? All of these things are horrifying, as I am naturally an academic, going to school for 18 years of my life, to now, the real world-which doesn't let you have summers off and barely allows enough time for yourself, let alone having time to see your friends. It's hard to even talk to friends about such decisions, as everyone wants different things and has various plans, so of course their opinions are biased in one way or another.

I've got a few opinions I'm considering right now:

1. Peace Corps

The Peace Corps is a 27 month program in many regions in almost every continent of the world,

helping the local community in one of six specific areas- education, health, and environmental sustainability just to name a few. I'd become fluent in at least one other language, if not more, and the area in which I would be placed could be the focus of my graduate work in anthropology in the future.

2. JET Programme

The JET Programme, or Japanese English Teachers, sends native English speakers to Japan for a full year to teach English in local schools. It's shorter than the Peace Corps, and they help you find housing while you make a decent salary, especially for being a new college graduate. The downfall is that it's in Japan, which I really have no desire to focus on in my graduate studies nor do I really care to learn the language, so it would just be a fun year abroad. Of course, there are programs similar to this all over the world, but they do not pay as well, nor are they as safe or through the government, like this one.

3. Graduate School

Last, but not least (or maybe it is...), is going straight to graduate school. I know that I want to continue on at some point to do graduate work in anthropological linguistics, but other than that, I'm at a blank. I'm taking my GREs in a couple days (wish me luck!), so I can apply to grad schools to further weigh my options, but its terrifying. I am looking into Arizona University, Columbia, Princeton, and a few other Ivy's, because, let's face it, go big or go home (or abroad!), but if I had to pick right this moment, I'd go with AU because they have the best anthropological linguistics program I can find, and the housing is pretty cheap and nice out in Tuscon, so that would be convenient. We'll see!!